The Montgomery tribune., 1900-11-23
FREE Delivery SYSTEM.
First Assistant Postmaster-G General
Johnson Advocates Its Con-
tinued Expansion.
SERVICE TO Be RAPIDLY DEVELOPED.
The DIGESTION Of Cost aud Figures Relating
Tbsreto-The Postal Service OF Ports
Rico aud H.wAii-nsGaisr Free Deiiv-
sry-Postsi Money order and Intsrns-


Washington, Nov. 2i.-An enthusias-
tic plea for wide expansion OF rural
free delivery Is made in the annual
report OF w. NJ. johnson, first assist
ant postmaster general. He says that
the extraordinary development of this
system during the past l2 months un-
der the stimulus OF appropriations of
Sf5O,000 for the fiscal year 1599-190c,
and sl,750.O00 for the fiscal year 1900
1901, is conclusive as showing that
hereafter it must be n permanent and
expanding feature of the postal ad-
ministration. The service can now be
extended as swiftly as congress may
direct or as the means permit, until
II covers all those portions of the
United States now reached in whole,
or in part, by the more primitive
methods of the postal service, which
have come down to us almost without
change from colonial times.
The present policy is to extend
rural delivery in accordance with the
demands made from all parts of the
country, so that each individual route
may be dove-tailed upon another
route hereafter to be started, and
with this idea constantly kept in view.
rural free delivery is eventually to ex-
tend over all the well-settled rural
communities in the United States.
Bearing on the question of cost. n
statement compiled from the books
of the Office shows that from Decem-
ber. 1899, to November !, 1900, 439 star
routes and mail messenger services
have been discontinued or curtailed.
Between July and November /, 1900,
the first four months of the present
fiscal year, there have been 1888 addi-
tional rural free delivery routes in
stalled, supplying 922, ,397 people.
Recommendation is made for a re-
classification of the post Office clerks,
for five special agents of the division
of salary and allowances and for IS
days leave of absence with pay each
year for carriers on rural routes.
Commencing July 1 next, it is pro-
posed to include the cost of the postal
service of Porto Rico and Hawaii in
the regular appropriations instead of
| paying the same out of the military
| appropriation, as at present.
| The total cost of the Porto Rican
postal service for the last fiscal yeai
was a little over one hundred and fiv'
Thousand dollars. and the prohahi
ccst Of the postal service for HA~a
| for the next fiscal year IL <7e-so4-
, An appropriation of $4,000. 900
, | asked for compensation of postma
/ | tiers for the next fiscal year.
The regular free delivery servic
was established in 62 cities, necess
tnting the appointment of 40 car
riers. making the total number of fire.
delivery offices in operation June 3
last, 755. Four free delivery ofiicei
have been established in Porto Rice
and Hawaii.
Regular free delivery. IL is esti
mated, will cost s17,140,900 for the
next fiscal year, an increase of almost
nine per cent.
During the last fiscal year the pos
tai money orders issued amounted to
s255.6T0, ,22s, an increase of almost S3l,'
100000. IL is apparent that II, for the
next two years. business of the money
order system Increases in volumnt
correspondingly with that of the past
year, its receipts will reach Sl,0OO,OOC
per day. They are now rbout $500,
900. The net earnings of the money
order system were Si,3iO.642. The de
partment purposes to provide money
order facilities for all localities wher'
they may prove convenient. Ih'
number of offices has now finally eN
cecded 10000.
international money order business
is being transacted with 40 foreigi
countries. Recommendation is mad
that the fees for domestic money or
ders be reduced to the maximum o
90 cents for an order of 500, the min
imum of three cents TO remain as
present.