The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-11-22
EXTEND RURAL
Rec DELIVERY.
Increase in Number Of Routes
Will in Reality Effect
Saving.
PARCELS POST COMING
System Similar to That Of Eng
land Will be Adopted
Some Day.

(From Our Regular Correspondent)
WASHINGTON, .. c.. November 21.-
Though the rural free delivery system Of
tho United States is costing s21,ooo0oo a
year, and 1t is proposed to increase the
appropriation therefor to s27.oOo,ooo at the
coming session of the Congress, 1t is esti-
mated that there will BIO lacking still
about s130oo,0oo II a route is to be MAIN
tanned on every practicable road In the
country. In other words, the estimated
cost OF maintaining what may be termed
g. complete system of rural free delivery
Will be $io,oOo,o00 according to the esti-
mates OF the officials OF the Postof1ice
Department.
Several months ago there was published
in this correspondence statement from
an official OF the Department to the eff
feet that the increase OF the number OF
rural delivery routes effected saving
to the government, q declaration that Is
at first difficult to understand. The ex-}
tension Of the rural free delivery service
causes a corresponding decrease in the
mileage OF the star route service, and also
Capitalization as well as increase in the
cancellation of stamps. It Is impossible
to demonstrate accurately the increase In
the income of the government. and also
impossible to estimate the actual Increase
In cost to the government. before the sys-
TEN is perfected, but whom the many adj
vantages to the class which have here
tofore received little from the legisla tors
at Washington Is taken into account, the
increase IS inconseauential.
An Illustration.
when the establishment of the service
Is complete It is believed the deficiency in
the revenues Of the Postoffice Department
will not be so great as under the star
route system. The Illustration given be-
low, which was used by an official of the
Department In discussing the subject with
The Times Dispatch correspondent to-day,
Is believed to be a fair statement of the
case: ~
90 Is a small country postonice
located on the line Of a railroad. The
cancellation amounts to Just 5000 per
year From "A a. star route carrier
contracts for 800 per year. From "a
Il star route emanates which supplies
3 three postof1ces cB,' C" and 'D). the
star route carrier contracts for $3.50
per year. BIS cancellation As 1894 per
year: C's 5cancella ton is 5slS5 per year,
and DIS tion8is s175 per year.
a4 AS the cancellation at no one Of the
p Offices exceeds 500 per year, the De-
q partment receives no revenue from
them. Rural free delivery service is
H established from "a and the postofHces
at 3. & and , are discontinued, and
the star route contract is cancelled.
Therefore AS cancellation is a the
4, start increased by Capitalization from
s2o0 to $754. Formerly the Depart,
4 ment received nothing; now$it receives
40 per cent of $500. and 60 per cent of s
SIN all. for this item, s252. 40; credit
salary or star route carrier, s2s0-n
all for the two items. 1852 The
records show that the cancellation on
rural routes established for n year
or more has increased Approximately
( 100 per cent The Department receives
an additional revenue OF 1882, 40, or so
per cent. of the increased cancellation.
The credit. therefore. for the three
items IS 1864. 60, an excess of $144. 60 over
tha rural carriers salary
This Illustration makes It plain that
the government will eventually make
money by he establishment OF rural
routes. ItRis recognized blythe Depart
ment that a great many fourth-class
Offices located on rural routes should be
abolished now, and that influence of
congressman and senators alone prevents
a step which will be taken in z a year
or two. When all the fourth-cass Offices
which are not necessary are discontinued
the revenue of the Department will be
enormously increased
Y The Increase In the money order and
registry business of the department since
the establishment of rural routes is not
taken into account in the foregoing IL
llstration. The facility with which
money may be sent through the malls
by persons living In the country districts
has greatly increased the use of money
orders, and the&receipts Of the govern
ment from this source. Every rural car
rer issues money orders on application.
and also registers valuable packages.
Write More Letters.
1t is said at the department that the
increase of the cancellation Of stamps the