The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-12-11

NoShhb'Vn, bec. 1.-The report OF the
fourth assistant postmaster general, DE
Graw, TO Postmaster General Cortelyou.
for the fiscal year ending June 20. 1905.
was presented to congress yesterday. In
his report he shows an aggregate num-
Der OF employees. not including substitutes.
OF over 5000 and an appropriation OF $780,
s26. .4iO
In his report he shows that at that time
2S rural free delivery routes were In
operation I'm Rhode Island, four new ones
being established during the year
Several recommendations are made af-
fecting the carriers OF the rural routes.
the most important being one. increasing
the salary OF each TO a sum not exceeding
$500
'ln the fiscal year ended June 30. 1906
tho 10th year in which rural delivery has
been In operation. there has been mate
rial decrease I'm the demand for the SER
vice. The climax in the development OF
the rural delivery OF mail was reached
In the fiscal year 1904. when the service
was installed i'm 9i47 routes. Al that time
the average number of petitions filed per
month was zoo. This average was main
tanned during the fiscal year 1906. but dur
ing the past fiscal year the number OF pc
titions filed was 1851 monthly average
os 300. OF this number 1920 were accepted
for investigation.
rrral delivery was In operation on 1896
routes on 233 Of these routes service Is
performed tri-weekly. on nearly all OF
the remainder the service is daily. as IL
Ia contrary to the policy OF the depart
ment 10 establish rural delivery with SER
vice more frequent than once day. Dur
ing the year 1892 new routes were estab-
lished and IS routes were discontinued,
the net increase for the year I'm the num-
Der OF routes I'm operation being 1856. The
decrease I'm the number OF routes estab-
lished is due TO the falling off In the de-
mand for the service. The number or
petitions pending June 30 1906. was 30e9.
Since that date 449 petitions have been
accepted and 752 routes established or or
dered established There arc on hand
awaiting action SIS petitions favorably
reported, making the net number OF peti-
ticns pending oct J, 1906, 1868.
ROADS CAUSE TROUBLE.
while the requirement OF the depart
ment that all roads over which rural de-
livery is established and maintained shall
be i'm good condition and kept In repair
has resulted in greatly improved roads
and the expenditures I'm the aggregate by
local authorities OF many thousands OF
dollars, still there is In many localities
such lack OF interest in keeping the
roads in n psssable condition during all
ordinary seasons that the rural delivery
is continued regularly with difficulty ana
frequently n temporary suspension OF the
service has been necessary. When there
is no disposition TO meet the require
ments of the department i'm this regard IL
is necessary 10 rearrange the route anu
withdraw the service from the impassapie
roads.
"since Jan. I. 1906. increased efforts
have been made by road officials IN Vari-
Gus states to secure the cooperation OF
the postoffce department In the improve
.G.-la.. an
delivery service has been established. Inc
is now actively aiding the
road OFFICIALS in the states Of ILLINOIS,
wisconsin, Missouri, Minnesota, iowa
New Jersey and Maine TO attain TINS op-
ject
"Inasmuch as rural carriers are re re-
ouired 10 furnish and maintain thelr !
horses and vehicles, and in view OF the 4
rigorous conditions under whlcn uIeS
must perform their duties ana OF tne IN
creased cost OF living, the present conl-
pensation is deemed generally made
nuate. and IL Is recommended that tne |
maximum salary 10 be allowed rural car
riers be raised to 500 per a''nun' 'o'
routes OF 25 or more miles
''It is believed that with such supstan-
tial increase In compensation as Moulu
be provided by this proposed raise IN tne
salary and tho allowance 10
carriers OF some credit for experience on
taking the clerk-carrier examination on
which is based eligibility for the appoint
ment as clerks ln DosNolIiCtS anu Nai
riers In the city delivery service the ru-
raj carriers would have thereafter no Just
ground for complaint because OF made
Iuacy of compensation, and the depart
nent would not experience any dirtculty
In securing carriers In any part OF the
country.
ESTIMATES FOR 1e01'0s.
There were In the service June -. 1906,
b e66 carriers. and IL is estimated that the
service installed the current fiscal wear
will require the employment OF $500 addi-
ional carriers. making total of S9.l68
carriers i'm the service June 20, 1907. To
paw these carriers for the ensuing fiscal
rear will require s27,6l2.2S
so far during the current fiscal year
he number OF routes established has av-
'raged 250 per month. With an average
lumber OF petitions filed OF only 800 per
month, IL is not believed the number OF
additional carriers TO be employed during
he fiscal year 1903 will exceed 5000. or an