The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-10-03
FIRST COMPLETE RURAL FREE
DELIVERY SERVICE is IN
AUGURATED
WASHINGTON COUNTY is
NOW FULLY COVERED
Hennepin and Ramsey VIII Follow
Next-chanses in Contract System
Will Cause Many Expeditions Inn
proVements in Delivery of Country
Mail.

Yesterday saw the introduction Of
the first complete rural free delivery
service in one of the counties of Min
nesota- Other states with a denser
population have several counties in
Which the old-time mail system has
been wholly displaced by the free de-
livery letter carrier, but Washington
county is the first to be selected for
the change in this state.
number of free delivery routes
were already in operation in the neigh
porhood of Saltwater and Hudson.
Thirty three additional routes were
opened yesterday. These completely
displace the star routes, by which term
L. meant the routes on which the
mail is carried by individuals under
contract and delivered to the country
postmasters, commonly the proprietors
of country stores, by whom the let
tiers are held till called for by the ad-
dresses.
Merchants BewaiI 1t.
The change will be blow to the
rural merchants. At least this is
the effect of the system as regarded
by many of these dealers, although the
postal authorities declare that the in
PRODUCTION of the free delivery has been
found in fact to promote the prosper
ity of the country districts to such an
extent as to more than compensate
the storekeepers. It is said that the
system brings the farmer closer to
town, gives him the daily paper on the
day of It's issue, and vastly increases
the wants Of the farmers family, as its
Of io
ing among their city cousins. The only
serious objection, it is claimed, comes
from the fortunate rural merchant who
has succeeded in capturing the ap-
pointment as postmaster for the life
of the administration in power; and
even he will in the end be benefited by
the free delivery system.
Time -Honored Customs Go.
However this may be, the ancient
and homely amusement of going for
the mali is soon likely to give place,
In the greater part of Minnesota, to
the thrilling excitement of waiting for
the carriers wagon. The opportunity
of delivering q long-held letter or
mouldy weekly newspaper will no long
er afford the bucolic Stewart or Wan
amaker an opportunity to inveigle
Farmer Wayback into the purchase of
q pair of overalls and two pounds of
Gold Prize soap. No more will Sister
JONES' calling at Prother Potts store
for the church weekly, carry away a
few choice remnants sold at greatly re-
duced rates because of her belonging
TO the proper faith.
The next counties in the state to
have a complete free delivery service
will probably be Ramsey and Henne-
pin. The two or three routes still
lacking in Ramsey county are soon to
be provided, and Hennepin county is
at present nearly covered by the serv-
Ice. The opening Of spring, it is ex-
pected, will see all the mail for the
residents of the two most populous
counties in the state delivered without
cost at their Uwn doeGs.
Another change which the postoffice
department at Washington is making
in the interest of better service con-
Germs the star routes" still in opera
ton and not likely soon to be displaced
by the free delivery system The car
rying of mail In the country districts
has been, from time immemorial, very
largely in the hands of contractors
living at distance from the routes.
Many of these have obtained contracts
for large numbers of routes in scatter
ed sections of the country and at a
distance from their residences
Reform Is at Hand.
AS a rule, the actual work Of carry
ing mail has been sublet, sometimes to
local carriers, sometimes to other per-
sons at q distance from the work I'M
dertaken. The results of this system
have occasioned innumerable COM
plants on the ground of inefficient
service and caused many scandals,
arising from the divided responsibility.
AT the best, the work has been done,
in the majority of cases, by men re-
ceiving only a fraction of what the
government was paying for the work,
and who naturally gave a service in
ferior to that which it had a right to
demand.
To cure these evils, the department
has announced that no contract for
carrying mail on star route" will
hereafter be let except where the bid
der shall stipulate ito live ON or con-
tiguous to-" the route of his service.
This regulation, it is hoped, will result
in the government receiving full value
for it's expenditure and in giving the
dwellers In the country a more salts
factory service.
A similar change has been ordered
for the carrying of mails in the cities
between the main offices and sub-sta-
tons and railways. This is commonly
known as the screen wagon" service,
and has hitherto been let out to the
lowest bidders, irrespective of resi-
dence. In many cases the contracts
have been sublet, the original con-
tractor receiving handsome profit
and the local postoffice and it's patrons
getting along as best they could with
the resulting inferior service.
A great number of the contracts
have gone to firms in the East and
South that made a business Of sup
plying wagons for the work and let
out the contracts to local men. A good
deal of trouble has always been ex-