The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1903-07-15

serves the "well done, thou good
and faithful servant" Of the people
of the Seventh District, which be 30
ablysrepresente, for his fsithfulness
in looking after their every interests
in so far as they have reference to
National legislation ard the action
of.the various departments of the
.>S4.s,si :1,si administration.
N4a. alone is he active during the
sessions of Congress in advocating
every legitimate measure tending to
promote the peace, happiness and
prosperity of his constituency ard,
which promises to give them relief
from the evils and burdens under
which they are laboriDg, but he has
devoted his time during the recess
in al effort to increase the mail facil-
tiles of the towns and rural districts
within in his territory. He has ever
been on the alert to do something for
his people-collectively as well as in
dividual!y-snd in this direction his
labors have never ceased and he has
made opportunities to do something
for the people rather than be con-
tented to sit down and wait for them
to come to him before taking action.
Just now be is interesting himself
in the establishment of free rural de-
livery routes in different sections of his
district and is making strong Efforts
to have his petitions for the establish.
ment of routes taken up and investi-
gated by the Post Office Department.
But in this important work, through
no fault of his, though, he has been
greatly hampered by rule Of the
department. that all such petitions
must and will be taken up in the
order they are received at the de
partment, and from the further fact
that the management Of this di7i-
sion by its head has been under in
yestigstion, which has greatly de-
layed the work. OF course this state
of affairs has been very annoying as
well as great disappointment not
only to him but to all those having
business with that branch of the
government. In order to push the
work as rapidly as possible, be has
made several trips to Washington to
personally urge the department to
give him an agent for his district, so
that his petitions could be acted upon
Immediately and the routes estab-
lished. The reason why this has not
been done is told in the letter from
the Fourth Assistant P Postmaster Gen
eral, which we republish' below.
Those who are interested in the
petitions, now on file in the Postof-
fee department, praying for the es-
tablishment of new free rural deliv-
cry routes will understand from this
letter the reason why they have not
been acted upon ere this, and nurse
their disappointment with what pa
tience they can with the assurance
that Mr.. Lever has done all he can
possible do at present, and all that
any reasonable person can demand
to have these routes putin operation.
Hon. a. F. Lever, M. G,
WallaceVllle, 5. q.
Sir: Your letter of June 22od re-
questing that special agent be as
signed to your district for investiga-
ton of pending applications for rural
delivery, has been received.
In reply you are advised that it is
the policy of the Department to con-
slider applications as far as possible
in the order of their fling. Under
this rule the cases in which you are
interested will be investigated as soon
as they can be reached.
Very respectfully,
J. W. Bristow,
4th Assistant Postmaster General.