Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-10-30
Not Until Then Can Grand Rapids
Hope for Free Delivery
in Near Future.
LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN
BROWN ON THE QUESTION
Petition to Be Circulated Asking
for Establishment Of
One Office.


the two post offices have been con-
solidated. Congressman Brown has
interested himself in the question of
securing free delivery for Grand Rapids
and finds by inquiry that even though
the two post Offices have con- bined
amount of receipts Of $4,000 or over
that free delivery can not be furnished.
AS published in the REPORTER for
August 4, the total receipts for the
year ending June, 1903, were as follows:
East side post office Sc, 81. 10
West side post Office S3,777.S5
Total $40, sos. 95
The only way now will be to con-
SOlidate the post offices and at the end
of year, if the receipts should
warrant it, apply for free delivery.
For the purpose of uniting the offices,
a petition will be circulated.
The petition will provide that the
west side post office be continued as it
is except that 1t be 'Station A" of
Grand Rapids in place of Centralia
and that the postmaster be continued
there in charge just as he is now.
The only change will be in the name
and receipts of both sides count as
one.
1t is hoped that all citizens who be-
lieve in pushing Grand Rapids to the
front will place their names on such a
petition when it is presented.
Following is a letter bearing upon
the subject from Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow To Con-
gresham Brown:
Washington, October 20, 1903.
HON. WEBSTER E. BROWN, M. c.,
No. 1911 L Street. N. W.,
Washington, d. G.
SIR:-Referring again to your letters
regarding the establishment of city
free delivery service at Grand Rapids,
Wis, and particularly to the letter on
the subject addressed to you by Mr..
A. l.. Fontaine of that city, you are
informed that the stature, governing
the establishments of city free delivery,
provides that letter carriers may be
employed,
SAT every place containing a popu-
lation of not less than 10000 within
its corporate limits according to the
last general census, taken by the
authority of state or United States
Law or at any post office which pro-
duced a gross revenue for the preced-
ing fiscal year of not less than SIC, ,OOO."
1t will be observed that the law
specifically limits free delivery to
places Of 10000 population or whose
post offices produce gross revenue of
not less than $4,000; that is, the
single corporation must have The
10000 population, or the single post
office must have the requisite revenue.
Populations cannot be combined, nor
can the revenues of separate post
| offices, EVEN THOUGH THESE POST
OFFICES ARE WITHIN A SINGLE COR
! PORATION.
Tn other words, it is impossible
legally to consider the receipts of the
: two offices within the municipality of
Grand Rapids as the receipts of one
post office, and as there is no evidence
that the population of TIE municipal
ity numbers 10000 within it's corporate
limits, the establishment of free
delivery at Grand Rapids is out Of the
question.
1t should be noted that the limita
tions on the establishment of free
delivery above quoted are prescribed
by law. and not by regulations sus
ceptible or amendment or modifica
tion by the postmaster general
Delay in responding to your com
munication has been due to the
pressure of other matters. considera.
tion of which could not be deferred
Very respectfully,
j. n. BRIsTow,
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General