The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1908-12-09
THE RURAL mail
NOW NUMBERS NEARLY FORTY
THOUSAND ROUTES
And Mail Delivery is Now Establish
cd Over One Million Miles OF
Public Highways.


Public Highways.
That the people OF the United
States now thoroughly appreciate
the advantages of the rural free mail
system is shown in the annual re-
port of the Postmaster General Of
the United States for the present
YEAR. On November 10, 1908. there
were in operation 39,516 routes,
with a patronage OF more than 1S,-
100000 people. In many States
practically the entire area available
for rural delivery is now covered
with a network OF rural routes.
Rural delivery is now established
on nearly 100000 miles of roads
throughout the country. During the
current fiscal year the rural car
riers will be required to travel moro
than 200,O00,O00 miles. Thus the
necessity of good roads becomes
most apparent.
The policy of the department ia
sisting that all roads covered b.
rural delivery shall be maintained
in traversable condition throughout
the seasons has resulted in greater
advances toward universal good
roads than ever before in the his
tory Of rural delivery. The Legis-
:atures of the several States have
enacted progressive road laws and
made liberal appropriations for road
building and improvements.
An evidence Of the growing use
fulness for rural deliver is the III.
creased quantity Of mail delivered
and collected. While no exact fig
ures are now available giving the
amount of mail handled by rural
carriers. it is estimated to be nearly
2.0Q0,0OO,o00 pieces for the last
fiscal year
The expenditure for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1907, was
s14.S4O, while for 1908 it was s34.-
361.463. What the expenditure will
be ten years from now it is startling
to consider.
Rural delivery is now in operation
on e43,0S7 miles of road, over which
carriers are required to travel daily.
OF these roads $4,000 miles are
macadam, the remainder being earth
sand, or gravel. Since the service
was first established s70,632,16-
has been expended cn roads travers-
ed by rural carriers. Road officials
and patrons are notified whenever
renairs are necessary on rural routes
More work has been done on such
public highways and more expendi-
lures made =: their improvement
during the past year than in any
previous year in the history Of rura
delivery, and the Official report r..
ceived clearly indicates that interes;
in road improvement is being gen.
orally manifested throughout tn
country.
The estimate Of appropriations
necessary for this service for th&
next fiscal year, as submitted b!
Assistant Postmaster General DE-
G1aw is s36,246,0O0, an increase o!
S673,0O0 over the current appropri
alton. Of this estimate s34,953,1 15e
is for continuing the service on So
PIT routes in operation on June 81
last, s626,S41 for continuing the
service on 723 routes, which it i:
estimated will be established during
the current fiscal year at an estimat
ed average salary for carriers OF
1857 per annum, s179,000 to inaug
urate new service during the fsca
year ending June so, 1910, S1,S60,
900 to pay substitutes for 39,e3S
carriers Of 1857 per annum less 81,
per cent deducted on account of car
riers not in service twelve months
$4,000 to pay clerks in charge o1
stations of rural delivery service
and $4,000 to pay tolls and fer.
riage charged for carriers who
traverse toll roads OF turnpik u
cross streams over toll bridges OF
ferries.
During the past year there wer
1872 new routes established, II
routes discontinued prior thereto
were re-estabMshed and 40 routes
discontinued, leaving net increase il
number 1919. During the year
1865 postofEces were discontinue
and the patrons rendered service
by rural carriers. On only little
more than 10 per cent Of the rural
routes the quantity of mail handled
was less than 5000 pieces per quar-
ter, which heretofore has been con.
sidered fair average for q standar
route. Included il this number ar
$50 tTi-weekly routes serving re-
stricted territories.