Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-11-28
pos7ofslcE aspoRT-.auasl 0 DELIVERY

The annual report of the government
postoffiee department to the president
for the fiscal year is made public to-
day. The financial operations show an
excess OF expenditures over receipts of
S2,s37,64s.s1. However, this is a de-
crease of deficit from the previous fiscal
year of saS6,8T7.67. AS stated in the
report. deficits in the postal service
are not viewed with apprehension. 1t
is the policy, whenever the postal re-
eeipts exceed or come near the expen-
,iitures. to extend postal facilities and
to cheaper the cost of the service to the
public. OF the extension of the service.
that of establishing rural delivery is
the most important of recent years. On
this subject the report says:
Rural free delivery service has be-
eome an established fact. It is no long
4 in the experimental stage, and I'M
1oubtedly congress win continue to in
case the appropriation for this serv-
ice until all the people of the country
are reached, where 1t is thickly enough
settled to warrant ii. The estimates
of the department are to the effect that
the available territory for this service
embraces about 100000 square miles,
or one-third of the country's area ex-
elusive of Alaska. The 1860 routes
now in operation cover about one-third
of the available territory. From this 1t
will be seen that 1t will require $4,000
employees additional to those now In the
service to cover this territory. If con-
gress shall make the necessary appro-
pdations. it is believed that within the
next three years the extension or the
service will have been completed.
with the carriers salary fixed at
$500 per annum the annual grossfcost
of the completed rural free delivery SER
vice will approximate $24,000,000. AZ
ter the service has been completed this
increase ought not to exceed annually
to 10 per cent, or in about the same
proportion as obtains in other branches
of the service. The people are demand
ing the service with impatient earnest
ness, and this demand is being vigor-
ously supported by their representa-
tives in congress. The rapid extension
the deficits during the next three years.
After it is completed the revenues will
quickly feel the effect of its establish
ment, and whatever deficit may be oc-
casioned will gradually disappear. The
experience OF the department In coun-
ties where the service has been fully
establishd for a period of two years
justifies the belief that the revenues in
the rural districts will increase five
fold over what they have under the
conditions heretofore prevailing.
"The department is unable, even with
the liberal appropriation made by the
congress, to meet the pressing and JUS
tifable demands for the service.
I'm fact, the appropriation for the
year ending June 80, 1903, will be SO far
used by JAN 1 next that no new routes
can be established after that date, I'M
less an additional appropriation is made
by the congress that will be Immediate
~ available"
The report goes on to show that, as
result of rural delivery, postal re-
ceipts have been increased, farm lands
nave been enhanced in value, farmers
have been brought into touch with
markets, and that social and education
ii benefits have been conferred.
In respect to the net cost of the SER