The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-05-02
Rural Service Being Checked Up
in Allen County.
Uncle Sam Desires to See ii
There Is Enough Patronage.
MORE DAILY PAPERS.
Suggestion That Would Help
Increase the Business.
Should Be at Least Seventy-flye
Boxes on Each Line.

lola. Kan, May 2-The Register says:
The government has had a rural route
inspector in the county for several days.
making an inspection of some of the
rural routes Of the county. Last week
he inspected the four routes which run
out of Moran, and went to Linn county.
He will return to Allen county. and In
spect the rest of the routes before be
leaves this section OF Kansas.
It seems that the government is
checking up on the rural route matter
to see If the farmers are taking enough
interest in them to warrant the govern
ment in continuing the service, and
whether the general conditions affecting
the rural routes. the amount of mail
hauled, the condition of the roads, ETC.,
is such as to warrant the maintenance
of the routes. Some time ago q notice
was received, stating that some of the
roads in Allen county would have to be
repaired or certain routes might be dis
continued The rural delivery service is
costing the government millions every
year, and naturally the government
wants the service which is afforded to
warrant the expenditure.
The points which the inspectors seems
to be considering are the condition Of
the roads and the amount Of mail which
is being handled. From the government
standpoint a good route ought to have
at least seventy-fve boxes. Or IL there
are not so many boxes, the patrons
must receive and send a sufficient
amount Of mail to make up for this de-
hciency.
OF the four routes from the Moran
office, the rural route inspector. Geo.
NJ. Brown, found that none of them had
seventy-f1ve boxes. Each route is short
that number by from ten to fifteen
boxes. Only one route handles suffi-
cient number of pieces Of mail each
month to be considered a first class
route. The others do not Mr.. Brown
did not say what sort of report he
was going to make to the department,
but the impression the postmaster ut
Moran got .yas that there was not inn
mediate danger that auyof the routes at
present falling short of making a good
showing would lose the service. But
what might happen If conditions did not
improve the inspector was not prepared
to say. The inspector may possibly
recommend that the territory at Moran
be divided into three routes, instead of
four as at present. This would entail
some inconvenience on some of the
patrons. as it would mean that some
of them would have to. go further for
their mail.
The principal complaint which the in
spector had to make was that the routes
were not being patronized as they
should be, particular in incoming mail.
He suggested that some OF the routes
are short on daily newspaper subscrib-
ers.
There are a few who are not able to
take a daily newspaper The men folks
say they haven't the time to read a
daily paper If such is the case the
chances are that other members of the
family would have the time and would
be glad of the opportunity. An average
increase of twenty-five daily papers on
each route would place the record of
mail matter handled. safely above the
number which is considered a good rec
ord. And there are enough patrons Of
the routes who are not subscribers of
any daily to bring the number to this
amount. It is believed there isn't any
one who is now q. patron Of q route who
is not subscriber Of some daily news
paper but what would become one II
he thought there was possibility IF
the service being changed.