The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-07-13
REFUSED TO INSTALL
ADDITIONAL RURAL ROUTES
sidVhslB'iTTsas1TyS3OO,OOO
Inle1ted fol Free Delivery
Service ss
Special to Daily Leader.

Special to Daily Leader
Washington, D. G., July Bon
June 30 II was proclaimed that Post
master General Hitchcock turned back
into the United States treasury about
sl0,0O0,500 OF unexpended money.
Congress had appropriated for the
postoffice department for the fiscal
year just closed $2l7,792. exclusive OF
the estimated deficit OF $l6.0O0,0OO for
the year. OF this sum $l0,0O0,000
has been returned to the treasury and
II Is estimated that the annual de-
ficit viii be cut down by about that
amount.
Tell Tale Item.
In the absence OF undisclosed de
tails the figures Indicate flattering
economy in the postal service, but one
item Of the aggregate $4,000, 600
which Mr.. Hitchcock has sent back
to the treasury would suggest that the
whole showing OF economy made by
the fragmentary report of the post
master general will bear close scrut-
my. Nearly one-third of $l,000,000 Of
the $10000000 which has been turned
back into the treasury is money APP
pr0priated by congress for the puf-
pose of maintaining and extending
the rural free delivery system. In
stead OF the sum exceeding 100000
being used to establish new routes
IL was sent back into the treasury un-
expended to help make show OF
great economy in the pcstolfice de-
partment under the administration OF
Mr. Hitchcock.
Refused New Routes.
The postmaster general persistent
ly refused TO establish new routes
with this money. Notwithstanding
that on June 30, 1910 there were "ap-
proved aEd ready for establishment
as the official report reads, 1,115
rural free delivery routes. Most Of
these routes on which the money was
intended TO have been expended are
In Democratic states, and in 'lnsur-
gent territory, seyenty-six being In
Texas and ninety-nine in Oklahoma.
A rural route in Democratic state
or insurgent congressman district
is no help TO the political machine
which Postmaster General Hitchcock
Is building up. II helps politically the
insurgent or Democratic congressman
who obtains It fer his constituents
and 1t usually abolishes one small
postOffice, the postmaster of which IS
generally some protege of the Repub
llcan patronage saint of the state: a
very useful man at precinct, county
and district conventions. The aver
age cost of 4 rural route Is $50 per
year, and the 100000 or more of the
rural free delivery appropriation
which Postmaster General Hitchcock
has sent back TO the treasury would
have established more than three
hundred and fifty rural rontes, there
by giving daily mail service to fully
10000 families living in the agricul-
tural districts. Only 511 rural routes
were established in the last fiscal
year, Jut there was money appropri-
eted, and available for at least $50
such routes.
Hitchcock Dodges lnterviewers.
petition from their constituents to
have as many OF the approved routes
established as the unspent money
permitted that toward the end OF the
session Postmaster General Hitchcock
persistently lodged interviews with
all congressman whom he had occa-
sion to believe would insist on the
establishing OF approved rural routes.
The attitude OF Postmaster Gener-
al Hitchcock toward the establish
ment OF the new routes has been so
perplexing that the report has gain
ed circulation that he plans an ulti-
mate abolishmert OF the whole rural
free delivery system.
In the last number of the K. II. ID.
News, the organ OF the rural lever
carriers, this charge Is openly made,
but at the postoffice department It
is denied that the postmaster gen
eral plans 10 abolish the rural free
delivery SYSTEM