The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-22
FREE DELIVERY
 IS NOT INJURED. Investigation at Washington Will
 Not Effect Rural Service, WILL BE GREATLY EXTENDED 
Over $s,ooo,ooo Spent In the Fiscal Year Just Closing, But the Peo-
 pie Did Not Get All on
 Account of Rascaity.
BY PATTERSON sTEALEY.

Washington, June 2l.-(Special.)-Re ports to the effect that the present inves- tigation Into the postoffice department scandals will result injuriously to the rural free delivery service are entirely without foundation. On the contrary the effect will be most beneficial for during the next year at least the public can de- pend upon 1t that every dollar appropri- ated Is going to be properly spent. Over $s,000,00e were spent during the fiscal year Just closing. How much of it was used for the good of the service. and how much was pocketed by the postoffice grafters in the shape of rake-offs no one knows. In view of the recent disclosures 1t Is not unreasonable to suppose. how ever, that the public did not get every thing it was entitled to.
 Bill Provides for Service.
 The bill making appropriation for the postal service In the United States for the fiscal year commencing July 1 next and ending June 3O 1904 provides specifically for the rural free delivery service $12,621,- 700 This includes compensation for eight division superintendents, seventy special agents, sixty-nine route inspectors, clerks of division headquarters, rural carriers, clerks in charge of sub-stations of rural free delivery, and all travelling and incl dental expenses. Appropriations of con- gress for this service during the pre- viOus fiscal year amounted to $S154,4OO.
 Extension Does Not Imply Expense.
 The increase of appropriation thus in- dicated does not imply an increased ex- penditure to the full amount as shown, for the extension of the rural free dellv- cry routes results lis the .Giscontinuanee of other service by star route carriers paid by contracts under the second as sistant postmaster general and the clos ing of fourth class postoffiees whose post masters are paid by retention of the can cellations of their offices. These changes effect a large reduction in the aggregate expenses of the service considered as a whole; in some cases the reductions equal or even exceed the cost of the rural free delivery, which takes up the service.
 Needed by 19,ooo,ooo People.
 The total population served by the rural free delivery service up to April 30 1903, is estimated at 7,400, 900 people. This is an increase of 1,5S0,OO0 over last year, but still leaves about 1s,o0O, 900 people in com munities eligible for the rural service awaiting its extension to them. The work of developing the service is pro- ceeding at a rate corresponding with the increase of appropriation. On April 20 last, there were 14,S13 routes starting from 6526 offices, as against S43S routes in oper- ation at a corresponding time last year; and there were pending unacted upon at that time 10,539 petitions for new routes. A good part of this number would have been favorably acted upon and the routes placed in operation had 1t not been for the stealings. Next year the compara- tive increase in the number of routes, without eonsiderating the increase of ap- propriation will be enormous.