Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-11-02
GROWTH and COST
OF RURAL DELIVERY
Postmaster General corteIyov
Gives Statistics on the
Subject.
ARE BENEFITED
More Than 13,667,9C0 Persons Receive
Rural Service at a Cost Of APP
proxirnateIy s2S,s5o,0oo-Ex-
tensions Planned.

Postmaster General Cortelyou, in q
recent number of Independent, took
The public into his confidence, and dis
cussed the free rural mail question in
an interesting manner, and answering
some OF the criticisms that are directed
against II. As in practically everything
else there are two classes OF critics. One
class would extend the free delivery OF
mail in the country districts UNI
I'll every person in the country might
nave his mail delivered to his door,
and the probabilities are that the time
will come when this will happen. There
IS another class of critics, those who
would abolish free rural delivery en-
.irely. Mr.. Cortelyou gives no heed to
this latter class, but points out the inn
possibility OF meeting the demands OF
the first class, especially at the present
time.
In 1897 the rural free delivery serv-
Ice was initiated without any fixed
rules or regulations. The first formu-
iated restrictions We're approved In 1901.
requiring a patronage OF 100 families
on a full route, the maintenance OF
roads passable at all seasons OF the
year 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
hual expenditures for rural free de-
livery from $40. 999 in 1898 to $20,S19,-
S44 in 1906 tthe appropriation for he
current fiscal year is S28.350,000) the
adoption of more precise methods OF
administration became obvious and inn
peratfve.
The annual appropriation for rural
service now exceeds that provided for
city free delivery the number of car
riers employed Is greater.
I'm many states where horses arc
plentiful and forage abundant, $40 per
annum, the maximum a Tor q rural
carrier, Is regarded as fair compen-
sation, and there are sometimes as
many as twenty or thirty applications
for one route. Hence the desire for
Vie establishment of service sometimes
proceeds more from the prospective
| carrier than from those who are pre-
sumed to be the expectant beneficiaries
namely, the farmers-and the outcry
| against discontinuance or curtailnent
of service ana quite as OFTEN from
the one source as from the other,
High water mark in the demand
for rural delivery service appears 10
lave been passed, he number or
cases covering applications for tho
service being nearly so per cent. less
during the last fiscal year. and during
the preceding fiscal year, and on
July 2. 1906, there were only 2,0SI
petitions for additional service await
ing action.
aon July 2, 1906, the service was
IN operation on $3.50 routes, involv-
ing the employment Of 35,768 carriers.
Daily delivery and collection Is given
on all of thesr @-catcs, except on 253,
on which, because Of sparse popuia-
ton. the service Is given only every
other day.
Hosts Are Benefited.
ESTIMATING the actual average pat
ronage per route at ninety families. the
80 ~ fha rrrpa1 6a1iuaru GprUtca
are now enjoyed by 3,22S,660 families,
Or 13, 667, 904 persons
"The most important feature of the
work Of the last fiscal year has been
The institution OF an inspection OF the
rural delivery service particularly that
apon routes where the amount OF mall
handled has shown an apparent lack
of patronage, with a view to ascer-
tanning the cause for adverse condf-
lions, and the possibility Of removing
them, SO as to bring the service up to
a reasonable standard OF efficiency.
"The approximate cost OF the serv-
ice during the last fiscal year was S24,-
COG. 900, and the appropriation Tor the
current fiscal year is $2S,350,O00.
The question as to whether the rural
delivery service pays is q subject for
considerable discussion. In the light
IF actual revenue on mail matter dis
patched by patrons OF the service, q
revenue is about is per g OF n
cost. Considering the mail now deliv-s
cred to rural districts in the aggregate,
which has undoubtedly been greatly
Increased by the establishment of rural
delivery, and a very large percentage
of which yield the department revenue,
though the total revenue from all mail
handled by rural delivery carriers does
not equal their pay. In this connection,
however, the reduction of the drain
upon the revenues by the discontinue
hnce of fourth class postoffices, where
the cancellations. in whole or in q
large part, went TO the postmasters,
and the discontinuance of star routes,
superseded by the rural delivery, should
be considered"