The Press., 1902-09-04
WASHINGTON LETTER.
washington, Sept. 1, 1902.

methods which characterize the treasury
and navy departments under its present
administration, but it must not be sup
posed that the spirit of progress is con-
fined to the two departments mentioned.
Perhaps the most important division of
the work Of the government is performed
by the post Office department, for the rea-
son that Its efficiency affects every citizen.
For a number Of years the extent to which
civil service reform methods have been
carried out In this department have been
proven bial, and when the present post
master general assumed office he an
nounced that thereafter no fourth class
postmasters would be removed except for
cause. But 1t Is, perhaps, In other direc-
tions that the greatest progress Is being
made. The extension of the rural free
delivery system has progressed with mar
velous rapidity. At the present time the
rural routes cover an aggregate territory
of over 250,00O square miles, and In that
area some 5000, 600 people enjoy the priv
ilege of receiving their mail daily at
their doors. Congress has been liberal
In it's appropriations for this purpose, and
there Is every evidence that the people
are grateful. One of the most remark
able features of the extension of rural
routes is the great increase In the number
of letters mailed in the districts served.
1t would seem that daily delivery and
collection of the mail had served to i'm
pell all the residents of the locality to
write to their friends at least three times
as often as had hitherto been their GUS
tom, and this great increase in the amount
of mail carried is not limited to the first
few months, but continues steadily, al
though In somewhat diminished ratio.
The only objectors to the extension of the
rural delivery routes are star route car
riers, whose business Is injured thereby,
some country merchants who claim that
they have suffered a falling off in trade
because the farmers are no longer COM
PEELED to come frequently to town for
their mail, and certain politicians and
their proteges, who see In the extension
of the rural routes necessary diminution
In the number of small cross roads post
Offices, the postmasters for which the pol
itlcians have always named and have re-
garded as essential to the furtherance OF
their political fortunes.
An interesting feature of the extension
of the rural service is the gradual plat
ting Of the United States, maps having
been already made for the large area
where the delivery now prevails, each
map showing every residence, store, shop,
etc. These maps. under the able super
intendence of w. A. Machem, superin-
tendent Of the rural delivery division, are
produced at an exceedingly small cost
from data and drawings furnished the
post Office department by local assessors
and other officials. They are reproduced
by cheap process, and their value, when
k the whole area of the United States shall
have been so mapped, will prove incal.
| culable. The traveller In the rural dis
tricts can easily ascertain the best roads
the most settled districts, etc., by con.
sulting the post office map. Another
benefit growing out of the rural delivery
system Is the improvement In country
roads, reasonable Improvement being es
| sential to the establishment of new routes
Another evidence of the spirit of prog
ress exemplified by the post Office depart.
ment Is furnished by the system of pre-
paid postage, which Is being developed
by Second Assistant Postmaster Genera
Shellenbarger. Briefly stated, the pro
posed plan consists of the sale of en-
velopes having value of five cents and
multiples thereof, each of which will beal
on Its face coupon which will be re-
deemable In any country belonging to the
postal union, In stamps of that country
of a similar value. An internationa
| clearing house Is to be established al
Berne, Switzerland, where these coupons
will be redeemable by the country issuing
them. By their use the resident of the
United States can purchase for ten cents
a return postage envelope, and in it mai
a letter to Germany. The recipient o
the letter can take the empty envelope tt
the post Office there and exchange 1t fol
postage with which to mail the answer tt
the United States. There are some fur
Their details of the plan, but these will
suffice to make it clear. These are bu
two of many improvements which are be
ing inaugurated under the energetic ant
businesslike administration of Postmaste
General Payne.
A new cloud has appeared on the hor
lion Of the Panama canal project, In th'
form Of a threatened encounter between
Colombia and Nicaragua. According t,
reports received at Washington, Colon
bia will demand a formal explanation
from Nicaragua Of the alleged assistance
1 furnished by the latter to the Colombian
revoiutionists. This news Is a surprise
in the light Of the recently announced en
tente cordiale between the two countries
1t transpires, however, that the entent,
was only partially completed, and that i
did not cover the difficulties referred t,
here. 1t seems that frequent reports hav
been received at the Colombian Legation
In this city to the effect that the Nicar
aguans were furnishing arms and ammu
milton to the revolutlonists, and a prom
ised investigation on the part of the Mic
araguan minister has effected no decreas
In the supplies thus furnished. It is fur
ther stated that the war ship recent.
purchased at Seattle by Colombia wa
procured more for the purpose Of making
demonstration against Nicaragua, thai
for use against the revolutionists.
The department of agriculture has JUS
Issued circular, calling the attention o
the public to the vigorous attempt whiel
Is being made to enforce the state an
federal game laws Of the country, an,