Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1902-12-24
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
REMARKABLE GROWTH OF THE
sysrEM-AND STILL GROWING.
POPULAR AL ovsR rus COUNTRY
ExcKrr AMONG FOURTH CLASS
PosrNAsrERs AND STAR
ROUTE CONTRACTORS.


q, the ri-c OF tea,ura OF tbs postal
system unknown 10 this country until
well within The past decade.
The nrss appropriation for the service
Vas $4,000, made By Congress In the early
,s1s. aud was not used. 40 little attention
was given TO the service. which at that
,Inc was regarded a. wholly imprsctica-
bic. AZ late a. fsSs, oniy four years ago,
tho appropriation was only $50 900. and
the nun Der OF routes 10 operation only las.
For tho current fiscal year the appro-
priatson IL GOO ooo. and the number Of
routes nos In operation is 1850. The
carriers travel g75.ooo miles a DAY, serve
700 coo OF the rural population, and the
area Embraced within the range OF their
services covers 10000 square miles. Tbat
il nearly one third OF the entire area q
the country which. by reason OF IT'S to-
geography and the character OF ito settle
meus. ls regarded as eligible, and which
win ultimate y to covered.
AREA COVERED.
The total AREA 10 which the rural ser
vice can reasonably be applied embraces
10000 square miies. AT the present rate
Of extension this vast territory, tour times
the area OF all Germany. will BE- covered
by unels sans daily mail delivery within
thrss years. II IL doubtful II any other
esse can be- found OF administrative wo'k
Of such magnitude being accomplished In
such bret psriod q time.
oaRAr ARMY or CARRIERS.
ThIs completed service win require
about 1000 carriers. and IL gross annual
cost. not counflng tho compensating
revenue, viii he about 60 10000. The
postmaster general, In his annual report
for 1900, estimated tho gross oost at go
oopo, bat that Was on tho basis Of pay
ing tbs carrier $500 year az then Tbs
ray ha. since been increased 10 300.
During tho yeas 1907, Il. 100 peEltions
tor tho service were aied, making total
on July last Of = CD which exceeded BY
oyes 400 tbs total number during the
preceding toar years. Since july pitt
iions received have aversxsd over go
month. with tho amount required for
routes beginning December 1, the entire
appropriate has been absorbed, leaving
fully i,7po routes for ~hieh there Il no
appropriation available THIS number
probably will bo increased by Janaasy to
at tsast 1850.
Mr.. MAehen says that to comply with
the demands OF the peopls the department.
will require an additional appropriation;
otherwise further establishment OF service
viii be deferred until Juiy next. II tic
additional funds ars granted, 5000 rural
ires delivery letter carriers siIi be In
active service by Mas /.
suKTHEs gxTxssIoS DEsiRAhLE-
The Philadelphia Press. OF which ex.
Postmaster General Smith Is editor, and
whica consequently speaks with special
authority on postal matters, earnestly
urges the extension Of the rural delivery
system a. fast az possible. la speaking of
the expense involved Il says
''This great expenditure Will inevitably
entail ana Inc eassd desieji for a fcw years
unal tbs expanding revenue. catch up
with the swelling expenses. The POSTAL
dencl, has been steadily redaesd from
sii 600 ,ooo In 1897 10 little over szoo,Go
the iass year. with tbs vast expansion OF
the rural service IL cannot b" expected
that this reduction can be continued until
tbs new sefvies has a chance TO bring the
great enlargement OF he revenue which
Is sure to follow.
slshe growth Of the postal service, both
In lts receipts ana iss EXPENSES, Is amax'
ing. Only TN years ago tbs expenditures
we're ssl 900 90, aud this recslpts - ooo 90
less. This tisral year the expenditures
are Sis ouo,sslo and the reeeipts only lt-
tie iess. In tbTee years tbs necessary, In
eyitable cost OF carrying on the mail ser
vice viii rise 10 $50 90 ooo and ap~ard.
with this immense and unayotda Die
outlay IL is evioent that the reform OF cut
tiag of the abuses oi sceoud-ciasa matter
was inaugnraied mons TOO soon. That re-
form viii RESTRICT the expenditure and u
wilt increase the Eesenue, working heneat
both ways, and IL makes IL safe to enter
upon the large legitimate expansions
which are Indispensable.
VA sagss EsT .TLzp TO rHR SERVICE.
''For large a. tbs expenditures loom up
with the extensioa OF rural delivery, the
revenues will soon oyertake them. The
farmers Of the United States are entitled
10 the delivery Of the mails, whether II
involves loss or not buE all the indiea'
lions are that the rural service viii so far
TO pay for itself.
some Of the most interesting parts OF
Mr.. Maehen's report Is It's presentation OF
the effect OF the rural delivery system In
stimulating correspondence and In aug
nentiux the revenue II Is shown that,
while the increase of receipts in the rural
regions generally for the past years was
only "a per cent, yet in counties where
there was full rural delivery service the
increase va. 10 per cent, which Is almost
equal to the rate Of increase in the tree
delivery cities.
Then the sale OF money orders and the
regl.traIinn Of letIar. hY The carriers. be-