The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-01-11
Mail transportation.

On June 30, 1908, the total number
of domestic routes of all classes was
33,44S; their length SOC, 26S miles, and
the annual travel 493 193.359 miles.
Compared with the preceding year this
is a decrease in length of routes of
1872 miles, but an increase in annual
travel of 1S,95S,671 miles. The expen-
diture for such service for the last
fiscal year was $63,594, 1924, an in
crease of $4,312 664.S1.
All carriers on star routes have been
required by statue in force for many
years past to receive any mail matter
presented to them If properly prepaid
by stamps and deliver the same for
mailing at the next office at which they
arrive, without additional pay. When
box delivery was inaugurated it was
not advisable to include at first the
collection of mail from the boxes along
the routes. Subsequently a partial
collection of mail was secured by re-
curing the carrier to take any pri-
vate bags that might be suspended
from cranes or posts along the route
and deposit them at the next office at
which he arrived. 1t was not until last
year, however, that the bulletin adj
vertisements were changed so as to
require a complete collection of mail
from all boxes along the routes under
contracts effective on or after July /,
1903.
On June 80 1903 there were 1885
railroad routes, the total length of
which was 1872. $50 miles with an an
nual travel of 1888, 491, 6S4 miles, costing
1886 607, 524.S0 per annum. The increase
in length of routes was 5,722 miles; in
annual travel 20, 205 miles. and in
annual expenditure $l,55S.313.5S. On
June 30 last there were PA steamboat
routes, the total length of which was
SO, 904 miles. with an annual travel of
$685. 479 miles, costing $679,724.92. Com
pared with the previous year this was
an increase of 5,565 miles In length OF
routes; 116,0S1 miles in annual travel,
and $S1. 473.S7 in annual cost.
There were 1913 casualties to mail
cars last year in which either clerks
or mail or both We're injured. There
were killed eighteen clerks, one substi-
tute, and three mail weighers; and
there were seventy-eight clerks Sc
riously and 1898 slightly injured. Con-
gress made provision in the last two
appropriation bills for the payment of
81, 900 to the legal representatives of
every clerk killed in the line of duty.
Rural Free Delivery.
In the establishment of rural free de-
livery it is required that the roads be
In good condition. with no unbridged
streams not forbade at all seasons of
the year. and that each route upon
which the carrier receives the maxi
mum salary shalt serve 100 families.
On June 80, 1902, there were Sass rural
routes in operation. During the fiscal
year >ended June 80. 1908, 1858 routes
were established, making a total of 49,
119 on that date. Rural carriers are
required to keep a count of the mail
Of all classes handled and the amount
of the cancellations on mail collected
by them. These statistics for the last
six months of the fiscal year, January
to June, 1903, inclusive, have been COM
piled. During the period named. &c.,
428,12S pieces of mail were delivered
and As. 9sA. 800 pieces of mail were coll
lected. The value of stamps Cancelled
on mail collected by rural carriers
amounted to $949, 0s4.37. and the pay OF
carriers for that period aggregated A,-
51S.1S5. The average monthly cancella-
tons per route were $1l.22, and the
average pay of the carriers $4s.7S.