The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-03-12

YdH NAtlONAU In1OONE
ment are ordained by the Civil Service
Commission. Letter carriers are the pets
of the public and the aristOcracy of the
mail service. Their uniforms identify
them proudly with the dignity and
grandeur of our National Government.
They alone come in direct contact with
the mass of the people, who, forgetting all
the clerks and route agents who handle the
letters en- route, give the carriers most of
the credit for the marvellous speed and ac-
curacy attained.
Notwithstanding the large annual in
crease in the cost of improving and eX-
tending the system, the volume of increase
in the daily mails is so constant that the
percentage of cost. as relating to gross re-
ceipts, shows no increase for the past sew
eral years. The growth of our urban pop
ulation has been so marked that although
the cost of the employment of over 1000
additional carriers was added during the
past fiscal year, yet the cost of free de-
livery per capita for serving the $4,000
600 city patrons remains approximately J0
cents-an insignificant sum when weighed
against the convenience and time-Saving
features of the service.
VILLAGE FREE DELIVERY.
"A
substantial justice to this appropriation
bill on its passage through the Senate was
ruled out on point of order, as new leg.
islation." This proposition was embodied
in the following amendment, being, in fact
L bill previously introduced by Senator
Nelson, of Minnesota, and favOrably re-
ported by the Post-ofiice Committee:
THAT letter carriers shall be employed
for the free delivery of mail matter, as
~, l,t.i
quire at every incorporated city, village
or borough containing a population of TO-
600 within its corporate limits, and may
be so employed at every place containing
ing a population of not less than 5,0OO
within its corporate limits, according to
the last general census, taken by authority
of State or United States law, or at any
post-Office which produced a gross revenue
for the preceding fiscal year of not less
than 5000: Provided, That this act shall
not affect the existence of the free delivery
in places where it is now established. And
provided further, That in Offices where the
free delivery shall be established under
the provisions of this act such free deliv-
cry shall not be abolished by reason of de,
crease below 5000 in population or 5000
in gross postal revenue, except in the dis
erection of the Postmaster-Gene
We have now the strange anamoly OF
free delivery to farmers, while people in
towns and villages having less than 10000
population have no such facilities. The
Nelson bill is so manifestly just that boil,
Houses of Congress ought to pass il
unanimously. But coming up, as it did
in the form of an amendment to this ap-
preparation bill, a single objection sufficed
to exclude it.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
The aggregate sum allotted for the rural
free delivery system, a robust infant of
five years. is $12,621,7O OF this ST..
100000 goes to the letter carriers on rural
routes, and as they receive 5000 each per
annum, 10000 will be employed, if they
can be placed by the officials during the
intervening period.
One new section provides for eight ''Di.
vision Superintendent" of the service at
$2,400 per annum, instead of seven
Special Agents in Charge of Divisions,
as now cassified-an increase in number
as well as in dignity.
Special authority was given in Senate
amendment for payment of tolls on turn
pixies used by rural carriers-a thing the
Department has hitherto been very averse
to doing. But this clause was rejected
by the conferees.
Salaries are provided for 10 Special
Agents at from 1900 to 81 600 each, for
Is Route Inspectors at 81 200 and four at
5000 each, who are all employed in estab-
fishing and inspecting new lines. The
Special Agents are allowed 81 and the
Route Inspectors So day for travelling
expenses, willie actually thus engaged.
An appropriation of 500, 600 is made for
incidental expenses, Including letter
boxes, furniture, sachels, straps, badges
ETC." si.
In dollars and cents it is not probable
that rural delivery is as yet paying eX-
penses. but it seems certain that it will
ultimately do so. At present it is costing
the Department more than it brings in. for
the reason that willie many post-ofIiccs
are being abolished and the salaries of the
Postmasters cut off, the business is trans
ferred to other offices, where the compen-
sation of the Postmasters is increased and
the saving from the abolition of star route
service is not sufficient to pay the free de-
livery carriers. But the business is i'll
creas.ng enormously on all the free deliy-
cry routes. the increase being seldom less
than 40 per cent. the first year, and run
ming as high as 400 per cent. on some
routes which have been i'll operation four
years. After the service has been estab-
lished and has been in operation over large
areas for several years its friends believe
that the increase in business will more
than tian pay for the cost.
Since. Jan. ], 1900, the cost of star
routes to the amount of S49O.527.35 has
been saved. 1t is conservatively estimated
that since the installation of the first rural
route, in 1896, star route service has been
equal to about One-seventh of
the entire appropriation for that service,
or S6J0.000 Wherever the County service
is established star and special-messenger
service are practically wiped out alto
gether. During the same period 2,149
fourtil-class post-ofiices, whose Postmas-
ters' annual compensation aggregated
S142, G61.46, were discontinued. In cOun-
ties where rural delivery is established as
a complete system only pcst-offices on rail
roads remain. 1t is the policy of the De
partment to prevent, as far as possible
duplication of service. Consequently ev-
cry fOurth-class post-office which is pot
necessary to supply patrons beyond the
limits Of rural free delivery is recommends
ed to be abolished.
AUTOMOBILES AND TELEPHONES.
The word Automobile" for the first time
appears in this appropriation bill. 1t is
Senate Interpolation into the section pro-
viding for horse hire Tor automObileJ al
lowance $750,000" in the city free deliv-
cry service.
The automobile has already appeared
as an auxiliary to rural free delivery a
Maryland carrier has purchased a 5000
automobile to be used in making the daily
delivery Of mail. His salary is 5000 year.
In eight months he wore out $500 horse
i'll the work and spent much for repairs
and horse feed. The automobile enables
him to finish the trip in two hours and n
half, leaving him the afternoon to work at
his trade. Previously, the entire day was
consumed in making the trip. The Post
master-General specially authorized the