Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1902-01-25

I GLAD YOU'VE COME AT LAST"
carefully examined, a competent firm |
was employed to make perfect maps 1
for the permanent use of the depart /
ment. In each case blue print was
made of the accepted map of route |
and presented to the postmaster for
his future use.
Then came the work of writing up |
all of those reports. 1t is necessary
that proper persons shall be selected |
/ to carry these routes. Each carrier !
must have a substitute to carry the !
mail when he is indisposed. Carriers
| and substitutes must give bonds for /,
the faithful performance of their |
duties. 1t is the duty of the special !
| agent to see to it that the carriers
| are properly instructed. The report !
in each case shows clearly all salient
| facts concerning the proposed route, ,
| in order that the special agent in
! charge of a division thoroughly un-
1 derstand the case, and give il such in. |
| dorsement as meets with his judg- !
l ment.
l Each case is finally forwarded to
1 Washington, where the chief special
agent and his assistants reach final
conclusions concerning the work. The
/ general superintendent gives direc-
tion to all of this work and keeps IL
| so well in hand that he knows every
day where each employee is engaged
and upon what work. He has large
1 map OF the United States in his Office;
and there, with little stick pins bear
| ing their names, he locates all special
agents and inspectors in the field
Each agent is required to send to his
chief, a week in advance, a statement
of his itinerary for the ensuing week;
and thus IL is known from day to day
where every man is at work.
I'm my travels made inquiry of
carriers concerning their work, it's in
crease or decrease. Without excep-
ticn l found that the mails have in
creased during the past year in the
volume of mail sent and received.
Another thing interested me every
where, and that was the interest the
people take in improving their roads
Just north of Nevada, Ia. there is a
stretch of two miles of rich soil, so
rich that it would be impossible in
wet weather. The farmers along that
road raised $500 to pay for the gravel
ing of the road, in order that they
might have rural free delivery. The
same spirit is everywhere manifested
! and ] look for good roads as a result
of this postal innovation. 1t is bet
ter way to get good roads, too, than
the way which Coxey proposed with
his tramps few years ago.
THE interest taken by the people
is something wonderful. AS we drove
along the roads, the postmaster
handling the reins while 1 had map
and pencil in hand, we met farmers
taking loads to town, or saw them in
fields, or in door yards; and. as the
postmaster would call out: Get your
mail box ready they would cheer and
say: We're glad you've come at last
In some cases the petitions have been
on file for fully year, and the people
anxiously waiting all that time. The
cause of the delay has been the lack
of appropriations for the employment
of sufficient number of special
agents to examine and report on the
proposed routes. There is enough
money this year, and there will be
plenty available next year, and the
good Work Will go on.
When we remember the fact that
nothing like this work has ever been
Z, undertaken before, that there has
d been no precedent for any movement,
n it is simply marvellous that this rural
l. free delivery service has been built up
: into such systematic machine in the
y space of four years. Mr.. A. w.
y Machen. the general superintendent,
has been charged with the full re-
e sponsibility of the work. He needs
= and will receive no higher commenda-
r ton than that uttered recently by the
n postmaster general to q senator:
l. mo complaint Is made, except that
d the service does not come fast enough
,e to please all of the people" With
e ample appropriations. the work will
q now go fast enough, until every farm.
It er has complete postal facilities.
IS SMITH D. FRY.