Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-05-02
OPPOSITION TO FREE DELIVERY.
Country Stores Complain That II In.
iuries Their Business.

Country Stores Complain That II In.
juries Their Business.
According to statements contained
In numerous letters, complaints and
protests received at the postofflce de-
partment Of late, the days Of the cross
roads general store" are numbered,
! says Washington dispatch.
During Postmaster General Payne's
absence from Washington, Acting
Postmaster General Wynne issued an
order instructing postmasters through
out the country to prepare lists of ru-
raj delivery routes and post them In
conspicuous places in their offices.
Since the issuance Of that order the
complaints regarding the service as
an enemy to local industry have been
more numerous than ever and peti-
tions addressed to the postmaster gen.
eral have been received at the depart
ment by the score.
Mr.. Wynne's order was intended pri-
marily to obviate some Of the confu-
sion resultant upon the discontinuance
Of star routes and the establishment of
rural delivery with the consequent
changes in the names Of postof1ces
and the addresses of patrons. But the
complaints which have been coming in
say that this posting Of rural delivery
routes and the addresses Of patrons
along their lines has worked very SER
ious harm to the trade Of rural COM
munities.
It Is said that a number Of the large
mail order firms which sell and ship
everything from package Of pins to
bedstead, including live stock and
steam engines, made practice OF
sending representatives to postoffices
throughout the country to copy the
lists Of routes and patrons, which were
later used in sending out catalogues
and circulars descriptive Of their
wares.
1t is admitted by officials Of the post
Office department that as result Of the
general establishment Of rural free de-
livery routes the mail-order business
Of the country has grown enormously
This Is true, as we'll, Of the subscrib-
ton lists of newspapers, which were
wonderfully affected as to growth by
the extension Of the rural free deliv-
cry service.
The complaints received at the de-
partment contain general admission
that the country general stores can
not compete in prices with the big
mail-order concerns and the statement
that a great deal of this local business
has been won away by the more mod
ern and enterprising competitors In
the big cities. -
AS the interest of the rural commu-
mites in the whole country is CEN
tired in this question, Mr. Payne's de-
cision Is Of Importance. His letter Ia
T. M. Lake & Sons, Of Higginsville
Mo-, from whom a protest was receiv-
ed, is as follows:
"This order was issued by the first
assistant postmaster general for the
reason that the Introduction of the ru-
raj free delivery service has caIlse'l
the greatest confusion in the matter ol
the proper addressing and delivery ol
the mail to parties residing upon the
rural free delivery routes when estab-
lished, and it was Believed to be toI
the public interest that the depart
ment should cause publicity Of the
names Of parties residing upon routes
whose postoffice address had in con
sequence thereof, been changed.
1T seems to me that you will readily
see the propriety Of this action. That
incident to this posting Of names. mer-
chants, manufacturers and others may
be enabled to obtain such lists by
copying them is not, I think suffl-
cient reason for a refusal on the part
Of the department to furnish inforlra-
ton which will tend to reduce the
confusion, annoyance and trouble Incl
dent to the change Of address Of the
many millions Of patrons Of the rural
free delivery service throughout the
United States"
1t is probable that after the rural
delivery routes have been in operation
sufficient length Of time so that the
patrons of the postof1ce department
are familiar with the change in ad-
dress, it will not be necessary to con-
tsnue such posting; but under present
conditions, and having in view the
greatest good and convenience to the
greatest number, we believe the order
Of the first assistant postmaster gen
eral to be justiflable.
Pos,off1ce department officials be-
lieve that the competition introduced
by the big mail-order concerns Will re-
suit to the ultimate advantage Of the
rural communities, in that the gener-
al stores will Of necessity bring more
modern methods into their business,
keep in stock a better class Of wares
and reduce their prices to the mini
mum in order to secure the loca: busi-