Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-12-19
Appointment of POstmasters.

tnelr ofnces- The departments
policy of recommending the reap
pointment Of efficient postmasters
has unquestionably brought about a
considerable improvement in the
service, declares Idr. Cortelyou.
The department believes that many
provisions of the statutes governing
/ this class are substantially nom
enforceable without material injury
either to the department or to the
publishing industry; that there should
be legislative relief of the situation
rather than that the administrative
reform should progress to the limit:
that the tests of classification should
be simplified; that the rate of post
age and conditions of securing it
should not be made dependent upon
such fine distinctions as those now
required.
Rural Delivery.
June 80. 1906, marked the close OF
I ten years experience in the free de-
livery and collection of mails To and
! from the residents of rural districts
of the United States, living remote
from post-otfces and previously de-
barred from easy interchange of com
munication by letter with the outside
world Originally established as an
experiment in the closing months Of
the year 1896 and the first months
of 1887, with all regulation as to its
/ nV4g-agfnrt e.
tinuance, AMI the pay of those en-
gagged in the service left entirely to
| the discretion Of the Postmaster
General, 1t was continued as an Eek
pertinent" by the express terms OF
the appropriations made for its sup
port until the fiscal year beginning
July /. 1902 BY the postoffice APP
preparation act of that year it was
formally adopted as part of the per
manent postal system of the United
States. Even then, through the ag-
gregate sum provided for the service
was increased several millions of
dollars. no explicit regulations for its
control were enacted by congress-
In the 'nterval between 1897 and
1906 the annual appropriations for
rural delivery had been gradually in
creased year by year from $4,000 in
1897 to SIS S2S, 300 in 1906. It has
been deemed imperatively necessary
in the absence of legislative regula-
tions other than as before mentioned
! to establish some rules of administra-
ton which shall be applicable to the
entire service. The saving effected
by the discontinuance Of fourth class
postofilces and star routes should
have consideration in connection with
the estimated aggregate net cost of
rural delivery
It Is recommended that provision
be made for the carriage by rural car.
riers. at fair rate of postage. OF
small parcels on rural routes, such
privilege TO be restricted in each case
to the limits Of the particular route
on which the parcel originates. or. IL
found feasible, to all the routes
emanating from single posts Office.
Good Roads and Rural Delivery.
IA NSVR0A0tA VIII Tic
of agriculture, systematic efforts
have been made during the year to
secure the Improvement of the roads
traversed by rural carriers Road
officials in Illinois. Iowa Maine. Min
nesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New
York and Wisconsin have asked for
and by instruction of this department
have obtained information from rural
carriers as TO the condition of the
roads bridges, and culverts upon
rural routes, III what materials the
roads are cDmposed, how frequently
and what bodybuilding materials are
available in each vicinity. Postmas-
ters of ruraldelivery Offices In the
states named have been requested By
the department to aid the state and
local officials In all efforts 10 secure
the betterment OF the highways on
which rural routes are maintained.
It is hoped that similar movements
may soon be extended to the prairie
states and to those sections of this
country where swampy lowlands pre-,
vail, as we'll as to the mountainous
regions through which the Appalach-
ian range extends.
For supernnuated Clerks.
The question of retiring clerks who
have become supernnuated in the
service has received considera. ion
and the general superintendent Of the
division Of the railway mail service.
representing the employees of that
service, recommends the retirement
Of superannuated railway rostal
clerks on a fair proportion Of the
salary they we're receiving at the
date Of retirement-one.half to be
contributed by the government and
the other half through a fund pro
yided by the retention Of CERTAIN
per cent Of the salaries Of the clerks.
He Is OF the opinion that per cent
CT the salaries Of clerks would pro
vide fully for this purpose. Mr.
CortelyOl NAV on This dangerous sub