The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1909-02-06

some data on which 10 base perman-
ent plan.
Rural Delivery Once Called Failure.
II is not generally remembered that
rural free delivery was tried as an
experiment and pronounced a fiat fail
ure. This was during the second term
OF President Cleveland The Demo
crast In congress made small appro-
priation for the service and authorized
the postotfice department 10 make a
trial OF delivering letters from house
10 house along few routes. The re-
suit was a report from the postmas'
ter general. in which he declared that
while letters could be SO delivered tn.
cost was oat OF all proportion To the
service. while II the system should be
extended all over the country the post
office department would be swamped
with work and overwhelmed with an
enormous deficit
As a result OF this report congress
declined TO authorize the establishment
OF rural free delivery at that time. II
was finally persuaded. however. TO
make another small appropriation for
experimental service. In the mean
time. Mckinley had been elected and
new blood was injected into the post
office department with most astonish-
ing results The experiment OF rural
free delivery was given fair trial
on its merits on several different
routes The success In each case prac-
tically was instantaneous.
Becomes Fixed With People.
Congress was appealed TO Tor a
a "a "a nd
within an extremely short time con
gresham who would have proposed 10
mis- constituents to have their rural
delivery routes abolished would have
committed political suicide Ten years
after the inauguration Of Mckinley,
the rural delivery service was supply.
ing something like 100000 people
and the annual cost Of the service APP
uproXimated S40,000000 In the mean
while the deficit In the postoifice de-
partment steadily decreased and the
day TO day delivery of letters in the
greater yart OF the country is today
as much part OF the system as the
familiar distribution Of mail through
the streets OF great cities.
Many n<nbers of congress have re-
ceiyed letters and circulars from their
constituents protesting against the es
adjustment OF Il parcels post. Many
OF the country storekeepers have be-
come impressed with the idea that II
the government should undertake to
send packages broadcast through the
country at a cost OF IL cents a pound
apd with maximum weight OF Ii
pounds as now prescribed for foreign
parcels deliveries by mail, the result
would be that the farmer in back dis
triCts would supply himself with ev.
erything he needed through the mail
order houses in large cities.
Storekeeper's Influence 10 Felt.
This may be SO. If II is so. AT least
ten farmers would get the benefit
where one storekeeper would be hurt,
but the storekeeper is usually bit
OF politician and is apt to have the
ear OF his congressman, SO that these
protests really nave had great dea.
OF effect in delaying action, entirely
aside from the tremendous efforts put
forth by the express companies to pre-.
vent the destruction OF their peculiar
monopoly by the government.
FOR the purpose of protecting the
rural storekeepers. Postmaster Gen.
eral Meyer originated novel scheme,
which was TO have the parcels pos.
run on zone system. In other words,
his plan IL that the government should
undertake 20 deliver through the mall
parcels weighing not 10 exceed IL
pounds for IL cents a pound At the
present time the merchandise rate is
10 cents pound. and the limit IL four
pounds This new rate would or
course. carry a package anywhere
within the United States. the same
as ii is now carried TO those foreign
countries with which We have parcels
post arrung ements.