The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-07-29
SHARP CRITICISM
OF Recent Post-oftice Ruling in Mail
Delivery.

icism in the affected territory. AS fal
as Waits River, West Topsham anC
East Orange are concerned, IL is hare
TO find what has been gained by the
change. The disadvantages are glaring
The Inconvenience gre irritating, anc
indignation meetingsl are held wherever
even a few are gathered together.
In times past, the three towns re-
ceived their mail by star routes. The
mail left the railroad at Bradford. Al
ter the arrival OF the afternoon train
the mailbag was taken by stage to East
Corinth. There the mail was sorted and
West Topsham was a continuation OF
the route from Bradford Another star
route from East Corinth took the mail
to Waits River, where branch route
continued the mail TO East Orange. I'm.
der this arrangement, all three OF these
towns received both long distance and
local mail in the late afternoon or even.
ing Of the same day II was mailed.
Under the new system, East Barre,
itself of the line Of the railroad, is the
distributing point Mail leaves there
for Washington, East Orange, Waits
River and West Topsham about 4;2O
in the afternoon. Washington has a
closed pouch for Each Orange and West
Topsham has a closed pouch for Waits
River, Washington and West Topsham
get their mail late in the evening of
the first day, but the East Orange and
Waits River mail lays over night in
these two Offices and the next morning
the East Orange pouch is taken by the
Il. i. ID. man along his route, which runs
near East Orange, and gets TO the lat.
ter post.ofIiee about 1870 p, N. the sec
ond day. East Orange used to get the
daily papers from Bradford about eight
o'clock the same day they were printed.
Now the town gets them late in the al
ternoon OF the second day. Waits River,
too, gets Il closed pouch by the II. i. ID.
man from West Topshsm, late in the
second day This means that, for these
two towns. all mail is twenty.four hours
later than by the old star route from
Bradford. West Topsnan has not gained
any time and has even lost a little, I'M
der the new rule. When there is any
delay in connections, then there is a
three days delay against the daily SER
vice of the former star route. This is
not progressive. Another matter, is that
the roads are often impossible TO the
other side of the mountains, during the
winter season. This was not the case
as the line of the old route was laid
out.
Take a concrete instance. The Opin-
ion, which IS issued Fridays and which
used to reach these patrons Friday
night, now reaches them Monday night.
Listen to the recitation Of the travels
OF letter sent from Waits River to
East Corinth and the return of an an.
swer The two towns are exactly four
miles apart by stage. The letter leaves
Waits River for West Topshsm at eight
o'clock Monday morning. II stays all
day and all night at West Topsham, be-
cause the only mail out Of West Tops
ham leaves at seven o'clock in the morn
ing. So, Tuesday morning it leaves
West Topsham and goes by stage to
East Barre BY stage, again, it goes
to Barre, then to Montpelier, White
River Junction, and reaches Bradford
Tuesday night at $40, too late for the
afternoon stage to East Corinth. 1t
lays over night and "Wednesday after
noon at $3.50 it goes by to stage to East
Corinth. The letter is answer Wednes.
day night upon its receipt, and Thurs,
day morning it comes to Bradford by
stage, leaves on the morning mail for
White River junction, Montpelier and
Barre; is staged to East Barre. If III
season. it leaves East Barre by stage Tor
West Topsham, Thursday night. 1t
STAYS over night at West Topsham and
Friday morning II leaves by X. L. d.
route and reaches Waits River Friday
late in the afternoon. This is the very
best that can be done. Ii man has a
telephone OF team, the mail will be
his last resort, as 1t Is delayed until |
ii il vaueless to these towns. This
post office ruling practically cuts off this
fertile valley from outside local COM
There is no finer valley in the whole !
state than this Waits River valley. The
people are intelligent. Woodworking men
md women. who depend upon their daily
papers and their mail for their informa
ion of the worlds events. One would
ave to 20 far to find men better posted
N the news of the day than these same
.ownsmen. They read and digest the
lays news, and bring to bear upon it
ound Judgment, which makes the read
ng farmer strong citizen and force
u the upbuilding of state, The rural
delivery was designed to be benefit
o the farmers living in outlying dis
riots, and that was the whole reason
or its being inaugurated. II was never
meant to be used as a weapon against
heir interests, nor was 1t intended to
AXE the place of the old star routes
when better and quicker service resulted
rom the continuance Of said routes.
East Orange and Waits River are I
old in their opposition to this change,
chieh is going back to the days when
he mails were carried on horseback and
was a matter of weeks. West Tops
am is divided on the subject, as the
!. +. d. is convenience to some of
he patrons. 1t does not seem possible
hat this arrangement viii long con-
niue. since going around Robin Hoods
arm is a direct route when compared