The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-05-25
RURAL SERVICE is
NOT TO Be HURT
Widely Circulated Impression
is Erroneous
TO IMPROVE THE SERVICE
Government Inspection Is to Be Made
for the Purpose of Eliminating Any
Hinderng Local Influence
Or impeachment.
TO IMPROVE THE SERVICE

Or impeachment.
Washington, May 4.-(Special)- AN i'm
preston has been widely circulated that
under some new policy adopted by the
postoffice department inspections of rural
delivery service have been ordered with
a view to the dlseontnuance of such
service. or its reduction from a daily to
a tri-weekly service. and that this move
ment has been especially directed against
the southern states. This is an error In
reply to many letters which have been
received by the fourth assistant postmas-
ter general complaining of the alleged
discrimination, the writers have been ad-
vised that the only purpose of the in
spections of rural service now being made
Is to ascertain and remove, If possible,
the causes of any adverse conditions
that now exist Where a lack of pat
ronage on a given route is shown by the
returns of the number of pieces of mail
delivered AMI collected made to the de-
partment. the endeavor is, first, to ascer-
tain If there are any local causes for
the lack of interest manifested in the
service on this particular route, as for
instance. hostility of postmasters whose
cancellations are interfered with by the
rural carrier. or opposition on the part
OF those Folding contracts for star route
service whose employment Is menaced,
and III such be the case to suggest a
possible. remedy for such adverse condi-
tons. In the second place the inspecting
officers are directed to investigate
whether Encouragement or extension of
route might not tend to increase its pat
ronage. If no remedy can be suggested on
either of these lines, then the rural agents
are instructed to consider the possibility
of meeting the requirements of the peo-
pie by a tri-weekly service instead OF a
daily service; and If 1t should be found
that even such a change would not be
likely to produce an adequate amount
of patronage of the service, then they
are expected to recommend to the de-
partment, for proper consideration, the
question of the total discontinuance of
the route, and re-establishment of post
offices that may have been discontinued
on account of installation of rural de-
livery. These inspection cases have not by
any means been confined to the southern
states. as more disturbances have
been put into effect north of Mason and
D1xon's line than south of it, -
Average Route.
While no fixed rule has been adopted
by the department as to the amount of
mail which should be handled on any
given route to constitute it a success
full branch of rural delivery, 1t has been
considered that an average route should
handle three thousand pieces OF mail per
month, that is, of delivery and collee-
tfAr,
ever, that In sparsely settled sections of
the country this limit might not be
maintained. a possible minimum of two
thousand pieces per month has been I'M
der discussion. But the question of dis
continuance of service on any route Is
made dependent upon conditions as they
exist on that. route. Even though the
minimum of two thousand pieces OF mail
per month might not be reached. that
would not in every case be deemed a
cause for discontinuance or curtailment
II it should be found that a reasonable
number of those who could be reached
by the service We're manifesting a proper
interest In 1t and approaching its bene-
fits. Recommendations for absolute dis
continuance are only favorably acted up
on where there Is utter lack OF interest
in or appreciation of the service
Due consideration is always given to
the question whether the rural routes
remain stationary or retrograde in re-
gard to the amount of mail handled, or
show a perceptible increase month by
month. Where there is manifest a grow
Ing interest in the service, the depart
ment would In all cases be willing to
give further time before taking under
consideration the question of either dis
continuance or curtaiiment; but where
rural routes are shown to be absolutely
dead where fhaU xiat ntfo