The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-05
FEW FLORIDA
RURAL ROUTES
State Far Behind Her
Sisters.
POPULATION IS TOO SMALL
However, Present Service Adds to
Growth.
Astonfshing Record OF Increase I'm
Postal Business shown Since
First Route Was Estab-
lished I'm 1900

OF the Southern States. Florida has
with one exception, a fewer number of
rural routes in operation than any
other says The Washington Herald.
The records of the Post-Ofice Depart
ment show that this is due to the fact
that q great many rural sections in the
State have not sufficient population to
warrant the establishment of the SER
vice.
On 500 petitions which have been FL
ed at the department for as many
rural routes in the various sections
of the State. ISL have been established
at a total annual cost to the govern
ment Of about s149.345. Florida Is one
of those States that did not avail of the
advantages of rural delivery until a
number of years after the experimental
rural delivery service was put in opera
ton.
The first rural route in Florida was
established out of Sanibel in April,
1900, and from that date until 1904
there were but three routes establish
ed throughout the entire State. Ser
vice in Florida now covers some 1000
miles of roads, and accommodates a
population of about $4,000
Growth Has Been Rapid
A comparison of the statistics COM
piled in 1905, showing the amount of
puSAHCSS tAdhSdttCa III tOobOS ~
Florida, with similar statistics COM
piled for the months of March, April,
and May of tho current year, shows
an astounding growth, and that the
people are appreciating the service and
using it more and more. In the sale
of stamps and stamped envelopes there
has been an increase of forty-ntne per
cent over 1905, and in the value of
stamps on small matter collected an
~ - aAA n~tx feyh N
In 1905 the average number of appli-
cations for money orders received
annually by rural carriers was TAI.
and during the fiscal year 10000 the
average was $50. or an Increase of
nearly 100 per cent. In 1905 the aver
age number OF pieces of mail matter
delivered and collected by each carrier
a month was 2.515; for the fiscal year
10000 the average was 3,619, or an
increase of about forty-three per cent,
and the increase in the amount of re-
gistered matter handled for the same
period is thirty-nine per cent
Newspaper IL Benefited.
In response to an inquiry sent to one
of the leading newspapers Of Florida
the department is advised that during
the past Ave years-the- tetaI circulation
of the paper has increased a little
more than 100 per cent. and the pub
cent of the increase in circulation is
due to the rural delivery service in
the State, and that there would be
very much larger rural circulation II 1t
were not that there Is no mail SER
vice in a number of towns in tho State.
Department officials are greatly
pleased at the increased use of the
mail facilities Afforded by the rural
carriers in Florida, as shown by the
reports, and believe that the value of
rural delivery to the orange growers
and truck gardeners of Florida is in
estimable. For through the medium of
carriers patrons of the service are able
not only to take advantage of the
best market quotations for the sale of
their products, but receive daily
weather reports advising1themo of. an
impending freeze sufficien flss tai re gh
in advance of its corntna tot permit
crops to be protected 49,