Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-11
Postmaster General Cortelyou
Plans for Future of the
Rural Service
ANNUAL REPORT MADE PUBLIC
Growth Of the Rural System is Re-
viewed and Recommendations Made
to Congress--ess Concerned About
Deficit Than Efficiency of Admins
tration of Postal Affairs.

Washington, Dec II. Postmaster
CorteIyou, in his annual report, goes
In detail into the. question of rural free
delivery and outlines his policy for the
future as follows:
The discontiMlance without delay OF
any route where 1t is found on inspec-
ton that because of a lack of appre-
citation of the service the expenditure
involved Is unwarranted
The discontinuance of all postoffces,
when not inconsistent with existing
law If the patrons can be adequately
served by rural free delivery This
will result in many instances in saw
ing to the department the amount Of
the cancellations.
The substitution of every -other-day
service for daily service where the
patronage is not sufficient to warrant
daily service. thereby disseminating
the employment of a carrier.
The restriction OF service on routes
to not more than one delivery and
collection daily.
The requirement that condition pre-
cedent to the establishment of rural
delivery shall be a possible patronage
of 100 families on standard route OF
tWenty-fOur miles, or q prOportiOnate
number of families on routes Of less
length. and that roads shall be kept in
good condition, unobstructed by gates.
with all streams fordable at all sea-
sons Of the year; provided that in
completing the service in county the
average patronage per route shall DO
The requirement that before a route
Is installed the postmaster shall certi-
fy that not fewer than three ourtl1s Of
the possible patrons have provided for
approved rural mail boxes.
The requirement that all patrons not
using an improved box or box which
can be approved under the regulations
shall provide themselves with an ap-
proved box, whether the box is now in
use by them was erected prior to Oc-
tober l, 1902, or not.
He presents figures showing that
there are now 32,O55 routes in opera
tion. The appropriation available for
this service in 1906 is $25, S28,300 Dur
ing the past year $20,874,61S75 was
expended.
Fraud Orders Increase.
The report states that:
I'm the year ended June 80, 1905,
fraud orders to the number Of 357 were
issued, or more than twice the number
promulgated the preceding year, which,
was 167. OF the total number Of or
ders issued in the fiscal year 1905, 50
wara s,,pnJeynentad tn pro1,io,s ordors
and intended to reach persons and con-
Germs whose business had been there
tofore declared fraudulent, and who
were seeking to continue 1t under new
names. F'orty-four OF the 1877 orders
issued in the fiscal year 1904, and 80
Of the 131 issued in the year 1903, were
supplemented to previous orders. The
net increase. In fraud orders shown by
the year 1905, over that Of the year
1903, u.s. therefore 176, or near three
fold. This does not mean, however,
that there has been a corresponding
increase in the number of lotteries and
fraudulent schemes operated thru the
mails, for there has been a marked
falling off in such enterprises during
the last two years. 1t Is due to the in
creased vigilance Of the postoffice de-
partment and the broader application
and more strict enforcement Of the
sta tutes.n
After referring to the fact that there
is shortly to be celebrated the 200th
anniversary OF the OlTth OF benjamin
Franklin, who was for more than tWen-
ty wears deputy postmaster general for
the colonies, and who was at the head