Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1906-10-18
THE RURAL DELIVERY
A Record of Splendid Service
10 the Public
REAL ESTATE VALUES INCREASE
Though Rural Free Delivery Has
Cost an Enormous Sum the Ex.
penditure in Fully Justifed-Facts
and Figures About the Service.

Washington, Special.-At the an
nual convention OF the National Ru-
raj Letter Carriers Association which
was held at Peroria, H., letter was
submitted from =. V. DeGraw. Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General, regret
ting his inability 10 attend the con-
ventlon. The communication recitc,
the status OF rural delivery through
out the country, and instances its
many advantages to farmers. not only
from the viewpoint of the accomoda-
ton, but from its great educational
influence, the Improvement of roads.
and the palpable increase i'm the value
OF lands, and points out how by CO.
operation with the Department, rural
carriers may aid III minimizing the
many veSatious problems which sur
round the establishment and maiuten-
ance OF the service. The letter. IN
part, is as follows:
1t Is costing the government over
- year for each of the l3,5OG, G,OOO
persons now receiving the service, but
there is no doubt that the expendi-
ture IS fully justified by the results
obtained. 1t is generally conceded
that rural delivery of mail has been
a leading factor in the great increase
IN the value of farm lands and rural
real estate in all parts of the country.
Some remarkable reports Of increased
land values have been received and in
nearly every case the advance is at
t1buted to the beneficial effect Of
rural delivery.
The amount of money appropriat.
ed by Congress for the rural delivery
service for the current fiscal year is
S2o,Z00,OOO, for the year ended june
81, last, 1t was $25, $685. 800, an in.
crease of more than $4,7O0,OOO over
the previous year, when it was $2I,-
llo,6OO, which in turn was an in.
crease Of $S,000,000 over the fiscal
year 10000 In the twelve months,
from July !, 1905, to July /, 1906. g..
'l3 rural routes were established,
against 7,439 in the previous fiscal
year, and 81 routes were discontinued.
The number of routes in opera
ton September l, 1906, was 35.666.
and up TO that date 53,961 petitions
for the service had been received
upon which there were 1896 ad.
verse reports, and there were 2.773
pending.
AS to the patronage of a route.
1t has been considered that an av.
erase route should handle three
thousand pieces of mail per month.
Prior 10 August 1901 the use Of
approved boxes In the rural delivery
service was not required, and some
or the receptacles erected such as
OIL and powder cans, cracker and
elgar boxes, stove-pipes, and even
bootlegs were not only unsafe and I'M.
suitable for the purpose but also .
reproach to the service. 1t was be-
cause OF numerous complaints to the
government against these unfit re-
ceptaeles that the present regulations
were promulgated.
The subject of good roads IL. con-
nection with rural mail service is an
important one. The Indifference of
some communities 10 the condition Of
roads as disclosed by inspections of
the rural routes, has caused renewed
Nhoi' - oh INC paIL OF lle Department
To create such increased interest In
the improvement of highways that the
work of extending the rural delivery
service throughout the country can be
satisfactorily completed
During the fiscal year cndin.
June 80, 1905, there were 4,55S rural
carrier examinations held under the
direction of the Civil Service Conmis-
sion, III which there were 30.333 COM
petitors. Ten thousand. six hundred
and twenty-seven appointments were
made as n resul; of these examina-
tions, 7,489 of which were to fiji DO.
sltons on routes newly created.
There were only PA removals for
cause In total force of 32,055, and
only 10 arrests for violasion of law"