Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-02-25
A Permanent system
Free Rural Mail Delivery a
Part Of the Postal De-
partment.
Special Agents Are Forbidden to
Act as Agents For Man
ufacturers.
Conditions in the Prairie States
The Net Cost Of De-
livery.

government printing Office carries on its
title page the announcement and assur-
iance of the permanency of the rural
free delivery service. 1t contains ex-
tracts from the presidents message to
the second session of the flfty-sixth
congress and from the reports Of the
postmaster general and his first assist
ant and points to the recommendations
contained in these reports that there
lnay be no misunderstanding in regard
to the continuance of rural delivery as
a permanent system of postal admins
tration.
The reports of special agents en-
ployed in the western division, which
comprises all the territory Of the United
States west of the Mississippi river
With the exception of the states of Min
nesota, Missouri and Louisiana, Indicate
that in Iowa, Nebraska ard Kansas
the development of the service has been
such that it's universal adaptabiiity to-
the rural conditions Of these states
seems to be lmperatively required" In
the opinion of the agent in charge this
will call for readjustment of routes.
Routes originally laid where an Isolated
service was called for, now confiic. with.
those demanded alter and he urges that.
in view of the certainty of the general.
extension OF the service, that every
route TO be established should be con-
lsidered as a part of the coming general,
system. The later routes should be laid
with a view to other new routes and
older routes adjusted to meet the re-
Iquirements of a logical. systematic
business delivery of rural mail
The Responsiveness of the service is
made a matter of congratulatson and
examples given from each OF the four
divisions of the service to show the
actual net cost of free delivery in these
a route at Hammond, n. ",
absorbed two rural postoffices and a
star route that had cost a total of $a62. :
/ 81. In this case the net cost of rural
Service is S3713: at Stockton, ILL.,. two
routes involved a gross expense of 81
| 600. Two pos toftices and Two star routes
operated at cost of S700lS3 have been
discontinued, leaving the net cost Of the
two routes s2991I, or SJ49.5S each: at
| Usage, Mitchell county, Iowa, one car
lsrier is employed at a cost of $500 The
| gross cost of the postoftices and the star
lsroutes absorbed was s341.50 making the
net cost of the rural delivery $15S. 49, or
something over 30scents per year to each
/ of a population of 500. The state of hot
4 winds and Mrs. Nation provides the
/ greatest example. however. AT Baldwin,
Douglas county, Kansas, five pos offices
and one star route We're absorbed by the
carrier service The expense previous to
1 the Inauguration of the free delivery
had been $65a3T annually. 1t viii be
! seen that in this case a net saving Of
iaS15I.3f is made by the new system over
/ the old.
The question of what shall be the
Character of the boxes to be put up by
patrons receives serious consideration.
4 The first assistant postmaster general
favors governmental ownership of box
es for which the patron shall pay a
Quarterly rental after the method en-
srloyed in postoffices. This plan, he
urges, would place every box directly
under the protection of the federal law
and enable the department TO punish
;romptly any depreciation or malicious
damage.
/ No action has been taken by the gov
4
1.-the Instructions issued by the special
agent in charge of the western division
tc his force of special agents are to the
seffect that any metallic box secure from
4 the weather will be considered satisfac-
tory Special agents are cautioned to
Use great care in handling the box ques-
.tion.
Not to even appear to act as the
| loo ,aft,
/ raj free delivery box, or5to stimulate
4 the sale of any individual box to the
l exclusion of other boxes which meet
the requirements of the depart
| ment.''
i This uie mas been broken in some. in
stances and boxes at exorbitant prices
4 forced upon unwilling patrons. 1T is
4 we'll for all petitioners for rural free
\ delivery to understand that no obliga-
tlon rests upon them in the purchase of
their boxes except that the box must be
of metal and proof against weather.
/ The increase of revenue thru rural
| delivery has mounted beyond expecta-
ton. and shows an increment OF ISL per
cent in postal revenues that may be
credited directly to its introduction. a
ccnservative estimate of the cost OF the
extension of rural free delivery over L.
| 100000 square miles, or all the eligible
end feasible portion of the country,
would stand thus:
Estimated gross cost .......... 800. 555. 500
Deduct savings ofdiscontinued
l fourth class offices. ..........S 9. 1853. 4OC
| Deduct star routes ....'........ $500. 0OC
Deduct increased receipts. 1,513,s7t
Total .....................$ 6,773,37e
Net cost of general free de-
livery ......s... $13 7S2, 224
The introduction of the service is de-
llayed and hampered greatly by the ac-
ton of fourth class postmatsers who In
many instances are responsible for
lcounter- petitions and remonstrances
against the establishment of routes that
4 out into territory from which they have
drawn a portion of their cancellations
end where the residents have been pat
rons of the office over which the remon
strator pressdes. A remonstrance hangs
UP the route and makes action ON the
Eetition indefinite. It is scarcely to be
expected, however. that the service
1 should be delayed because the estab-
lIshment of a route cute Off $50 or 500
from the cancellations of postmaster
Some letters received by the department,
gre at once amusing and pathetic He
says: They have come into; my terrh-