The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-26
FREE RURAL ROUTES
HOW THEY ARE TO BE SECuHEn
 FROM DDPARTMENT.
Cel.,el wiley Explaans systen with Word as to What Has Been
 Done in The Sec
 tia, Mwn.

 .,ta in reference to the establishment of rural free delivery routes in Butler Countv has drawn attention to the fact that inc Post once Department offi- ci.i. are of the opinion that the Sec ond Congressional District has more free delivery routes than other sections
 The publication which was handed conrressman A. A. Wiley, by an Ad- vertiser reporter resulted in his giving an explanation of the things necessary to secure a free delivery route.
 The article in question was as fol- lows:
 A powerful argument for the estab- lishment of rural routes in Butler was brought to our notice one day last week.
 The postmaster from Dock came in to see us last Tuesday afternoon. and stated that the papers for the pre- ceeding week had not yet fsached the postofice at Dock. It is probable that they had got lost somewhere. which is not surprising when one considers the route the papers must go over in or der to reach Dock. That postohice is situated not over twelve miles from Greenville. and yet in order for mall to reach 1t from this point 1t is carried over . most circuitous route.
 Mail leaving Greenville for Dock is carried first to Montgomery. From Montgomery it goes to Luverne, and Is carried from Luverne by way of ru- ral free delivery to Dock. Is 1t any wonder that the papers are sometimes lost?
 Then folks wonder whose fault 1t is. They lay the blame first on the local postmaster. He pleads not gull .y,. sion that perhaps we are to blame. Not so. The papers are mailed out of this ofiice not later than three o'clock each Tuesday. and if rural routes were established out of Greenville. our sub scrfbers in the country would get their papers on Wednesday morning, instead of having to wait until Friday or Sat- urday. and running the risk of not get ting them at all.
 Similar to the above. complaints have been received from Till and other ofi- ces. and we think it is time to take action in this matter.
 We want to see Butler get three or routes. because 1t will help the people and will help us. ..z--.-
 Congressman Wiley said that several petitions for rural free delivery service in Butler County within the past few months have been endorsed favorably by him in his official capacity. and by him forwardd to Washington with recomme endation that service in each instance be granted: but as these ap- plications have to be investigated &C., cording to chronological order of be- ing presented to the Postofice Depart ment. it will be some time before the routes asked for can be examined and reported upon. He further stated that petitions. prepared and furnished by the Department, are required to be used.
 Printed instructions advising how to proceed to obtain the service are also furnished by the government. relative to distance travelled. character of roads bridges, water-courses, and the general topography of the country--all of which must be strictly complied with. A Congressman cannot take the initia- tive. When petitions. in due and proper form are presented to a Repre- sentative, he endorses the same favora- bly, recommends that service be grant ed. and. in course of time, procures an agent to inspect and report upon the proposed route.
 The rules of the Department require that all pending petitions shall be considered and investigated in their chronological order-aocording to priority as to filing. There are thou sands of petitions pending at this time from the States and Territories of the Union; and it Is impossible to get a petition taken up for consideration out of It's regular order. Congressman Wiley was in Washington about four weeks ago, saw the Superintendent of the Free Delivery System and succeed ed in getting an inspector sent to the district to consider seven out of twenty-five petitions.
 Upon his return home he wrote Mir Conger, the official in charge of rural free delivery matters in this territory. stationed at Nashville. Tenn, asking him as a special favor to permit MT. Tyler. the inspector then in the dis trict, to remain until he had passed upon all pending petitions seeking the establishment of these rural free de- livery routes in the Second Congress sional District. Mir. Conger's reply to his letter. above referred to was as follows:
 Southern Division Rural Free Delivery,
 Nashville. Tenn. July 21, 1904. Hon. A. A. Wiley, Montgomery, Ala:
 Sir-I am In receipt of your letter of the goth inst, urging early con- sideration of the applications for rural service from the district represented by you In reply. you are informed that the records of this office show no peti- tions filed prior to October 1, 1903, undisposed of. Rural Agent Tyler now has in his hands all classes. seven in number. filed between that time and the close of the year, a number of which have already been investigated, but not reported upon as yet. This leaves eighteen applications for rural service awaiting attention in your dis trict but in view of that fact that with out exception they have been presented during the current year. consideration may not, under MT. Bristow's policy of considering petitions in the chrono- logical order of their filing, be given them until a later date when the work in other sections of the State shall have assumed the same level as has been attained in the Second District.
 Very respectfully,
 w. F. Conger,
 Division Superintendent.