The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1905-07-14


The appropriation for the fiscal year
beginning July 1, 1906, will have to
be $50, 100000 for the salaries OF
carriers alone. Under this years ap-
preparation, $25, 900, 900, extensions
will continue to be made at the rate
of 600 routes a month. Such pro-
gress will bring close TO 1000 car,
riers in the service on July l, 1907.
The cost of rural free delivery has
brought about a fight in Congress
between the city and the country.
The suburban mail routes received
| $3,OOO,000 more this year than the
city service and almost every city III
the country is begging for additional
carriers.
1t is impossible to tell just at what
loss rural free delivery is kept up
The Postal Department has made
careful study of one county in the
United States. This is our nei ghbor
Carroll, the first place where com
plete service was established. TIL,
population of the county is $4,000
10 per cent. of which is agricultural
The number of letters delivered il
the county the year following the
establishment was l 6 per cent. in ex
cess of the number delivered the yeal
before the routes were established IL
the county. Postal cards showed
an increase of u per cent, news
papers and periodicals 9 per cent.
circulars 81 per cent, packages 3;
per cent and registered letters, "a
per cent.
It seems strange contrast tC
place the postal needs of the country
side by side. Take for instance {
single office building in New Yorl
City, which contains 5000 person:
during the working day, and they
are nearly all letter writers. Then
average use of the postal service pro
badly equals that of $4,000 people
in the country. In some of thes'
buildings it is necessary to maxi
more than thirty collections in orde,
to get accumulating mail out of TIN
way. Let us look at the other side
In many sections, the inspector ha
to exert himself to the utmost Ii
order to get one hundred families OF
a rural route of twenty-four miles
This was the original requirement
but there are hundreds of routes il
operation today that accommodate ;
much smaller number of households
1t is evident that rural free deliver,
is all out of proportion in the cos
when compared with city require
ments, yet the government seem
to regard with favor, any movemen
that will tend to make country lif
more pleasant. 1t is said that tn
reason it receives the support that i
does, is from the fact that tn
national legislature has more rura
members than city folks.
In this county it seems to be no
an unmixed blessing. Many persons
who are served by the routes ar,
bitterly opposing the innovation
while Others appreciate the fact tina
Uncle Sam brings their mail almos
to the very door without additional
charge No doubt it meets the need
of communities in MANY differen
ways, but there are instances OF
record where it has been a positiv,
disadvantage. Some sections tina
have been accustomed to three Of
four mails Il day have been cut dowl
to one, and their protests, at least
so far as this county is concerned
have discouraged any further extern
sions.
The scheme to make the mail car
rier the rural express agent has NE
with much favor. If arrangement.
could be made to carry larger pack
ages than those now allowed by tn,
postal laws and the rate reduced t.
a price that would not be prohibitive
we believe that this service would b,
of material benefit.
One thing, however, is certain; thu
country is constantly on the move
and in the hustle for conveniences w,
must never be outdone by our city
brethren.
| J0TTET D1Jy rourC