Evening star., 1901-07-19
RURAL FREE DELIVERY
TWO ORDERS ISSUED ny THE POST
MASTER GENERAL.
CARRIERS Cannot Now Act as Agents.
To Do Away With Star
Route Boxes

Two orders were issued by Postmaster
General Smith today regarding rural free
oeiiFery. One is to correct an abuse which
mas grown up since the service was imam
snrated. At that time the department an
nounced that carriers would be permitted
to do errands and perform other commits
sions for residents along their routes
Recently. however complaints have been
pouring into the headquarters of the ser
vice from country merchants in an parts Of
the country, stating that they are being
ruined by the rural free delivery carriers
In many instances It has been found that
these carriers have become the paid agents
or express companies. department stores
ana. In fact. have constituted themselves
INTO travelling supply agents with facili-
lies 10 furnish the farmer every necessity
and luxury.
Cannot Act as Agents
The order issued today is intended to
correct this abuse. but allows the agent
sun 10 do errands for the residents along
nis route. as originally intended. Ii pro-
Vides that hereafter rural letter carriers
snail not act as agents, statesmen or So
ncitors for express companies letter-box
manufacturers. wholesale houses CORPORA
tlohs or nrms, nor engage In any business
or avocation which would interfere with
the proper performance of their official
duties. They may act as news agents. sell
newspapers or periodicals on their own ac-
count, or accept and collect subscriptions
Tor the same. When carriers receive news
papers or periodicals by express or by
other means outside the mails to be sold
or delivered on their routes, they as news
agents. VIII be required to pay postage on
such matter at the Second-class rate of
postage Il cent per pound) except in the
case Of county papers. which are mailed
free to subscribers residing in the county
IN which they are published.
This order is not intended to prohibit
carriers from performing various private
commissions for the accommodation Of the
patrons on their routes SO long 1t does
not interfere with the regular and prompt
performance of their duties
Doing Away With star Route Boxes.
The other order applies to states in which
there is now conducted what is known as
star route box delivery. Ii has been found
that in a number of cases the star route
box delivery and the rural free delivery
cover the same territory. and the present
order does away with the star route box
delivery I'm such instances.
In the future, wherever rural free de-
livery routes shall be established. the aim
VIII be to select routes which are not COW
cred by the star route deliveries The
rural free delivery is liked by its PATRONS
much better than the star route. as the ac-
commOdations are greater. on star routes
the agents are not permitted to take mail
from boxes, although they may receive il
from the hand. They are not permitted to
sell stamps paper. are the agents Of
the rural free delivery. The order reeds;
BOX delivery by star route carriers will
not hereafter be permitted over such por-
bons of star routes as may have in oper-
aJion the rural free delivery service; pro-
vided. however. that an additional and sup
Elemental box delivery may be performed
by star route carriers when shown to be
necessary and practicable and not involving
the department in any additional oxpendi-
tUre.
I'm those states in which the star route
box delivery is now in operation the rural
free delivery service will not hereafter be
established over any road which must con-
Unue to be traversed a part of a star
route, except in special and unavoidable
cases, in which cases the star route box
delivery will be abandoned"