Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-07-12
WASHINGTON GOSSIP.
Rural Tree Delivery.

There il strong probability that
during tile coming fiscal year the mon
ey order system will liz Incorporated In
the rural free delivery service, aud that
carriers on rural routes will lie permit
ted to issnc money orders. the same as
postmnsicrs ut duly authorized offices.
An attempt WAS made TO have this eS-
tension cInsummatc'i during the pres
ent year, bur the pr-ssIIT. for the es-
inblishmcnt Of new routes was 80
great that little time was left for con-
sldcratlon OF improvements in the SER
Vice. There has been some fear lest
TIL, new provision might lc a little
too progressive nj this time. but the de-
partmsnt i about convinced ilint the
Change can Ia made safely. anu to til.
b"nchI OF th. pc0plc living along rural
routes. The cltnnEc. II adopted, VIII
not Ia mn'ic at once. probably not bc-
fore next winter. hut Il i surc to come.
The forthcoming report II the post
master general VIII show that til. cost
OF maintaining rural free delivery has
materially lcSs-nci Il urIns the current
fiscal year. This decrease II largely
du" 10 two causes: the discontinunncc
OF u larger percentage of fouT,h'ciass
posioi,icrs than heretofore. and the cor.
responding discontinunncc Of star
routes which supplied the same. In
previous years the fourth assistant
postmaster general. acting under more
or less pressure from the different
fourth.cinss pIsinnstcrs, has bccn re-
lucinnt about disseminating fourti'clnss
offices whose patrons were served 10y
rural carriers. Thus the d-partmcnt
had to support not only the rural ser
vice. hut the p1Sioiiicc ns well. In Ike
manner. In the Interest Of the carriers.
the second assistant postmaster scncr.
nj did not favor the dlscontlnunncc OF
star routes. even when supplnnicd by
rural free delivery.
Since that time. however. the post.
master general has talked the whole
subject over with his assistants. ana
from the beginning Of the current hscii
year the two reluctant officials have
given In and have consented to
the prompt discontlnuancc OF fourth.
class offices nnd star routes. when ask.
cd for by the rural free delivery ser.
Vice. There viii be large saving 10
the department rs result OF TINS
change. II seems that the rural Tree
delivery Il the latest innovation IN pos.
tai circles. and the older lines OF ser
vice arc Jealous OF the universal popu.
iarity which has marked the spread
OF the rural service.
Rural free delivery has come TO stay.
On the ,ist of July. 1899. there were
some 200 routes In operation In the
United States. That was nn increase
OF 300 over the year previous. IL Is cs-
timatcd that on July LIST next. there
Will be- In the nciehborhood OF 1.3p
rural routes In operation In the Unit.
ed States. In addition TO tins u Is said
that this rural service Is much faster
approaching the state OF sclf-sns'c-
nance than did the city free delivery
when Inauguratcd hack In the Cos. IL
Is not conicnded that II Will ever be
come s.lf-supporting. for 1t IL not De-
lIcvcd that postal service VIII lever sns-
tain itself. hut 1t is n fact pointed to
with pride that there are now num-
her OF rural free delivery routes In tho
thIckly settled communities that are
now being operated at marked proht.
The service is now pretty thoroughly
established In the East. II shows
greater proportionatc gain In the West
than elsewhere. and its limitation In
those states Is only because OF many
sparscIy settled sections which cannot
support the service.