The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-09-03
MEANS ANNIF1UATTON
OF CROSSROADS. STORE
Postmaster Fears Parcel Post
Will Have This Effect and
Opposes It.
RURAL CARRIERS IN SESSION
Interesting Addresses Held al
Meeting Yesterday-Officers
to Be Elected To-Day.

The Virginia Rural Letter Carriers
association. a branch Of the national
body of the same name, met In fourth
annual convention in the hall OF the
House of Delegates yesterday morn
| ing at 10 o'clock.
In arranging for date for the con-
vention the rural delivery men had
overlooked the fact that yesterday
was Labor Day, aud as such, a gen
eral holiday. and when they went up
| to the. Capitol to open their session
they were a little set back to find
the doors locked and the proclama-
| tion of the Governor announcing IL
general holiday posted there. How
ever. the doors were soon opened and
tendance found access to the building
They had to climb the steps, how
ever, the elevator being out Of COM
mission on account OF Labor Day.
Opened With Prayer and Song.
/ Mayor Mccarthy was to deliver the
\ address of welcome, but he was busy
elsewhere. and the welcoming address
was postponed temporarily.
/ President c. 3. Conner, of Lexington.
Icalled the meeting to order. and in
the absence of the regular secretary.
| Mr.. NJ. NJ stoddard. of Roxbury. was
named as secretary pro tenn.
The meeting was opened with prayer,
/ led by Rev. NJ. S. Colonna, of the Park
Place Methodist Church. and then the
| convention sang the hymn, How Firm
\ a Foundation Ye Saints OF the Lord
The president and Postmaster Cabell.
| of Richmond, led the singing and all
the delegates joined IN
/ The committee on credentials. of
which Mr.. H. S. Greene. of Staunton
was chairman, reported forty-one dele
gates present and a number of new
applicants for membership, all of whom
lwere duly elected.
| Every county in the State In which
/ there Is Il rural delivery route is
lentitled to a delegate and where
there are as many as ten routes in
la county the delegation is increased
to two and so on up the line.
Growth of Rural Delivery.
/ The preliminary business being dis
/ posed of and the standing committees
/ having no reports ready, the remainder
of the morning session was devoted
to discussion of various subjects.
Postmaster Royal u. Cahell was in
troduced by President Conner and
made telling speech. In the course
| of his remarks Mr.. Cabeil reviewed
the history. of the rural delivery, which
! in less than fifteen years has grown
from less than 400 carriers in 1896 to
more than $4,000 at this time. They
/ are serving more than $4,000, 900 peo-
/ Pile The first experimental appropria-
ton was $4,000, and 1t is now more
than $3O,000000.
Mr.. Cabell said that the carriers were
i not complying with the orders of the
i department in regard to the condition
i or the roads. 1t is the duty of the
/ carrier to report roads when they be-
come dangerous or were liable to break
vehicles 1t was his duty to report
the roads to the postmaster, and he
In turn should report it to tho board
of supervisors, a copy of the report
going to Washington
4 If the report was unheeded the de-
! livery Of mails along that route should
be discontinued. Generally the carriers
knew the supervisors and they went
to work at once. Results We're gem
orally prompt, for when supervisor
did not repair the roads the people
7 would visit swift and sure punishment
Oh the offenders. In this way the car
riers were doing much toward build
ing good roads.
The Parcel Post.
Taking up the question Of parcel
a post. MIR. Cabell said he was not pro-
!, pared to give the scheme his hearty in
], dorsement He was afraid that it
| meant the annihilation of the cross
! roads stores. and he was unalterably
! opposed to that. 1t would give the big
Il department stores monopoly and
'lflood the mails with all sorts of stuff.
!, He believed that If the system could
be so arranged Jas to provide for the
] delivery of parcels when they origin
: ated on the. route 1t would be q good
!. thing, but he was opposed to any step
!, (which meant driving of the country
) stores out of business.
The convention transacted no busl-
mess at the morning session, but adj
j, journed. to meet ats p. NJ. SO as TO
! give the delegates an opportunity TO
4 Join in Labor Day festivities ana go
u to the baseball game.
Night Session.
Tho night session of the convention
! was called to order at $50 o'clock by
> President Conner, and was devoted
y mainly TO speeches by Mayor MCCARTHY
9 and Congressman John Lamb
2 Postmaster Cabell was present, and
!. manifested a deep interest in the pro-
ceedings. The body will reconvene at
: 0 o'clock THIS morning, and VIII COM
y lplete it's work to-day. FAY
III Onicers will be elected and q time