The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1906-12-19
BURIAL DELIVERY.
FEWER APPLICATIONS FOF
ROUTES THAN FORMERLY.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Generals
Report on the Work Of His
Department.

The annual report OF +. V. Oe'
Graw, fourth assistant Postmaster
General, for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1905, indicates that there
has been a material decrease al over
the country In petitions for Tree de-
Livery service. The climax in the
development In the rural delivery OF
mail aas reached in the fiscal year
1904, when the service was installed
9 AT routes. At that time tine ave.
rage number Of petitions fled pc,
month vas 700. This average vas
nsintalned during the fiscal yesr
1905, but during the past fiscal yea5
the number OF petitions hied WAS
4 687, monthly average Of 800. Oi
sh.s number 8. 720 were accepted tor
investigation.
At the end OF the year 1897, when
the free delivery was established,
ahe,e were S3 carriers, the appropr1s.
tlon for maintenance was $40, ,OoC,
snd oshs1 expenditures iLcidant to
the service amounted to s14, $40. In
1905 carriers numbered 35. 69e, the
appropriation was s25, 1928, 800 and
other expenses snounted to s2A. 1855,
256.
In the number OF routes in opera
tion Tennessee leads the othsr States
Of the South with Texas second, the
figures for those two States being Ii.
534 and i, 525 res 1ectively. Alabama
las 7l6 routes In operation, Georgia
1901, Kentucky $50, l. utsianps 5s
Maryland 1856, Mississippi 303, North
Carolina 1,162, South Carolina 5Ss
and Virginia 833.
Since January /, 1905, increased Of.
forts hsye been mace by road officials
In many States to secure the coopera'
tion Of the Postohacs Department l.,
the Improvement Of public highways
10 which rural delivery service has
been established. The department. Is
now actively engaged In aiding roao
officials In many sections OF th5
Northwest to better their condition
In this respect. The methoo Of pro
cadure is for the road officials to sene
J out to each rural carrier blank con
tanning questions to be ans @ered by
him in regard of the roads; the mate
rials Of which they are composed; hos
often worked and Ia what manner
the condition Of bridges and culVert'
and whether suitable road building
material Is available In the neighboE
, hood.
In States which have not yet or
ganlzed State highway commissions
the department. Is cooperating Will
the Department OF Agriculture II
bringing about organized efforts fol
road improvement.
/ There are now SO, 666 carriers en-
I ployed and OF this number Is, 1856 All
finding it necessary to employ twt
and sometimes three horses on thei]
, routes. The cost Of horses ana theil
maintenance varies greatly through
out the country, but q moderate esti
mate Of the original average cost o:
horses and vehicles Is s275, and ths
estimated average cost OF maintain
ing an outfit is about $3.50 per annun
{ Attention is called to the fact thai
legislation should be enacted reqrir
, ing the following conditions to ths
, establishment Of routes In the future
That there shall be not less than l0(
; families on g standard route O.
twent-iour miles; that rosds must b'
In good condition; that the maximum
salary Of carriers be increased 80 tha'
they may be paid not more than a90t
per annunn.