The Tupelo journal., 1906-12-14
Fourth Asst Postmaster Gen
eraI Reports on Years
Rural Delivery.
Recommendation That Standard
Routes be Established Only Where
100 Families Reside and That the
Roads Must be in Good Condition.

day contained the following:
In the fiscal year ended June
80, 1906, the tenth year in which
rural delivery has been in opera
ton, there has been material de-
crease in the demand for the SER
vice. The climax in the develop
ment of the rural delivery of mail
was reached in the fiscal year
1904, when the service was in
stalled on 9,447 routes. At that
time the average number OF petit
tons filed per month was 700.
This average was maintained du-
ring the fiscal year 1905, but du-
ring the past fiscal year the mum
Der of petitions filed was 4,687, a
monthly average of 800. OF this
number, 3,720 were accepted for
investigation.
In connection with the rural
free delivery the following figures
for the year are given. Carriers,
S35, 666; appropriation, $25,S28,-
300; expenditures, S24, 1856, 256
(approximate).
With the close of the fiscal year
1906, rural delivery was in opera
ton on IS, 766 routes. On 233 Of
these routes service is performed
tri-weekly. On nearly all of the
remainder the service is daily, as
it is contrary to the policy of the
department to establish rural de-
livery with service more frequent
than once a day.
First-That legislation be en-
acted requiring the following con-
ditions precedent to the establish
ment of rural delivery service:
(a) That there shall be a possible
patronage of 100 families on each
standard route of "a miles or a
proportionate number of families
on shorter routes: (b) that roads
must be in good condition, unob-
structed by gates, with all
streams bridged or forbade at
all ordinary seasons of the year:
(c) that in completing service in
a county the average patronage
per route may not be less than.
80 families; and I'D that service
on rural routes be limited tc not
exceeding one delivery and one
collection daily, to be made at
the same time.
Second-That the maximum
salary Of rural carriers be in
creased so that they may be paid
not exceeding 5000 per annum.
Third-That rural carriers be
given credit for experience on
taking the civil-service examina-
ton for appointment as clerks in
postoffices or carriers in the city
deliyery service.
Fourth-That congress fix a rate
of 3 cents per pound or a frac-
tional part thereof on books and
merchandise not exceeding 5
pounds in weight mailed at the
distributing postoffice of any
rural delivery route for delivery
to a-patron of said route, or mall
ed by a patron of any rural de-
livery route for delivery to a pa
tron thereon or at the distribut-
ing postoffice of said route. Such
rate shoul apply only to packages
transported on a rural delivery
route to or from apatron of said
route. The adoption of this re-
commentator should carry with
it a repeal Of the provision of law
which permits rural carriers to
carry merchandise for hire, or
its modification SO as to apply
only to merchandise which is I'M
mailable under existing laws,
Fifth-That a fire proof build
ing be provided for the division
of supplies.
Sixth That the existing stat
ute (Rev. Stats, 3938) govern
ing the disposition of Enclosures
of value found in letters and
parcels which cannot be restor-
ed to owners be amended so that
from the annual sales of such
matter the Objectionable chance
or lottery feature may be elimi-
mated, which is impracticable
under present conditions. The
bill of last session (H. R. 1883,
or S. 6421) will, if enacted into
lauy noonvnplich tha dacirnd n,1r-