Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-19

riers is forty-one cents per day. The aver
age cost per carrier OF maintaining the
service is $500 per day. The average
amount of mail handled Is twenty pounds
per carrier per day and the bulk Is less
than one bushel per day. The service would
cost no more If the weight of mail were
two hundred pounds or five hundred
pounds. The average carrier could easily
handle that amount in an ordinary yehi-
Gle while the receipts of the government
would be Increased several hundred per
cent, and the convenience of the patrons
Of the service would be served much bet
ter than they are today, If he were allowed
to do so.
Mr.. De Graw's Plan.
Mr.. De Graw, the fourth assistant post
master general, has a scheme which he
thinks will serve all reasonable demands
from the patrons of the service, secure a
large increase in the revenue. and at the
Same time meet the objections that have
been offerd by local merchants on rural
delivery routes. Mr.. De Graw says:
a. with the establishment of rural mail de-
livery and the increasing extension of rura!
telephone service by private interests there
has grown up demand by the patrons OF
the rural service for the delivery of small
packages of merchandise. such as food
stuffs, tobacco, drygoods. drugs, etc., on
order TO the local merchant by telephone or
otherwise. The value of these packages
present rate of postage of one cent per
ounce Is practically prohibitive. The pa
tron or merchant cannot afford to pay
10 cents for the delivery of pound of to-
bacco or coffee or similar article, but If a
special rate were established on such mat
ter from the distributing office for deliv-
cry TO any patron on the rural routes from
that Office, 1t would be great convenience
to the patrons and become a source OF rev.
enaIe to the department.
1T Is therefore recommended that Con-
gresS fix a rate of 3 cents per pound or
any fractional part thereof on packages OF
books or merchandise not exceeding five
pounds mailed at the distributing post Of
flee of any rural free delivery route for de-
livery TO a patron Of said route. This rate
should apply only to packages deposited
at the local post Office for delivery to boxes
of patrons On routes eIna mating from that
office, and not to mail transmitted from
one office to another. The rate of 3 cents
per pound would be ample remuneration
for the department because there is no ex-
pense for railway transportation, and the
system by which these packages are to be
delivered is already established, and such
delivery would entail no additional ex-
pense upon the department.
Other Services Possible
1t is also believed that If rural delivery
carriers were allowed to accept commits.
sions and do errands for people along
the routes, which they can do without
interfering with their regular duties. the
public convenience would be served and the
revenue of the department would be greatly
increased. Those are two great desires
of the Postmaster General and his as
sistant. Almost every suburban village In
New England and other thickiy settled pof-
lions of the country has private parcels
post delivery, which Is almost indispensable
to the people. Men with wagons drive into
town every morning, taking orders from
the different families as they go. These
orders are filled at the various groceries and
other stores and the packages are de-
livered at their destination by the express
man on his return journey. Ell charges
no fee for the act OF purchasing, but
makes regular charge for conveying and
delivering the packages. There was a SINH
lar service for the delivery of letters among
the colonies before the government estab
lished a postal service Our present sys
tenn grew out of it, and there is no gooc
reason why the government should mo-
deliver package as well as letter. The
chief objection is that our present postal
facilities might be swamped by the excess
of merchandise IL the rates are reduced.