Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1906-11-01
GROWTH and COST
OF: RURAL DELIVERY
postmaster General Cortelyou
Gives Statistics on the
Subject.
HOSTS ARE BENEFITED
Moro Than ~1a,ee7,soo Persons Roceiva
Rural Service at a Cost Of Ap-
pro"in9ateIy s2s,35o, coos
tensions Planned.
HOSTS ARE BENEFITED

General Cortolyou. ia n
recent number of -Inlensra4nt ,aok
me public into his ~c0n4dencu. and a..-
cuSseu the free rural mail question IN
an interesting manner, and auvwcring
come OF ihe criticisms that arc directed
against H. AS in practically everything
tise lherc are two classes or critics. onr
class would extend the free delivery Of
man IN the country districts UNI
III every person in the country might
nave ms mail delivered to his door,
ana the probabilities are that the time
viii come when this win happen. There
~ another class of critics, those Who
would abolish free rural delivery en-
:irely. Mr.. cortclyou gives no heed to
ems iattcr class, but points out the inn
possibility OF meeting the demands of
time.
In 1897 the rural free delivery scrv-
ice was initiated without any fixed
rules or regulations. The first formu-
iated restrictions were approved in 1901,
occurring u patronage of 100 families
on a full route, the maintenance of
roads passable at all seasons of tho
gear and the erection of boxes approved
by the department for the reception OF
the mails.
Increase Of Expenditures.
With the rapid Increase OF the an
hua expenditures for rural free de-
livery from S49,999 in 1888 to $20.S1y.-
J44 in 1905 tthe appropriation for the
current fiscal year is SIS, 350,o00) the
administration heconna ohvio,,s and inn
narative
The annual augmentation for rural
service now exceeds thai provided for
city free delivery the number OF car
-iers employed is greater.
I'm many states where horses are
plentiful and forage abundant, 500 per
Rnnum, the maximum pay for n rural
carrier. is regarded as fair compen-
sation. and there are sometimes as
tnahy as twenty OF '''r,y apIll1a'i"iis
for one rortc. Hence the desire for
Ale establishment of service sometimes
proceeds more from the prospective
.arrier than from those VINO are pre-
sumed to be the eXpectant bcneiclarles
namely. the farmers-and the cutlery
against discontinuance or curtailment
of service manat quite as often from
the one source as from the other.
High water mark in the demand
for rural delivery service Niaee mpp , e I" 10
rases covering applications for the
service being nearly 80 per cent. less
during the last fiscal year, and during
.he preceding fiscal year. ana on
July 2, 1906, there We're only 2.OS7
petitions for additional service await
ing action.
ION July 2. 1906, the service was
IN operation on $3.50 routes. involv-
ing the employment OF S3,76s carriers.
Daily delivery and collection is given
On all of these routes, except on 25S,
on which. because of sparse popula-
ton. the service is given only every
other day.
Hosts Are Benefited.
~ ao.,,,, ,y.r,ro nat.
"Estlmauhs 'ie a..uai "r.r n ~ ~
yonage per route fma I ar nIi deliy lar,i'. Service jne
benefits OF the rurai a q eeen ninas
are now enJoseu ns '
'r a2.oo,,'os ;mnnrtant feature OF the
u.s. ,ast Gscoi vear has been