The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1910-05-24
OF RURAL
DELIVERY RESIGNS
H. Conquest Clarke, Who Raised Sys-
tenn From Infancy, Says Hes
Entitled To q Rest.

WASHINGTON, May 24--Within a
few days the postoffice department is
going TO lose one Of its valued officials.
III. Conquest Clarke, assistant super
intendent OF the rural delivery ser
vice, described by Fourth Assistant
Postmaster-General p. v. De Graw, as
'the real father OF the rural delivery
service" has rendered his resigna-
ton, to take effect June /. Robert II.
Prender, for some years chief clerk To
the fourth assistant postmaster-gen-
eral, has been appointed to succeed
him.
Mr.. Clarke, In rendering his resig-
nation to Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General De Graw, wrote as follows:
Il regret to sever my connection
with service with which have
been associated since it's inception,
but after more than forty-five years OF
active work in newspaper and official
life | feel am entitled to rest and
take 1t easy for the balance OF my
time"
The letter closes with an expression
OF thanks for much courtesy shown
the writer Mr. Clarke's separation
from the service Is entirely voluntary
and comes after many years OF active.
efficient and resultful service. Fourth
Assistant Postmaster-General p. v.
De Graw paid him a high tribute for
faithful and efficient work.
Mr.. Ciarke's connection with rural
delivery has been coincident with Its
growth and development" Mr.. De
Graw said. He has successfully
filed the positions OF special agent.
chief special agent. division superin-
tendent and superintendent. When he
entered the service In 1897 the Office
force assigned TO rural delivery con-
slated of himself and two clerks; the
field work was carried on by two spe-
cisl agents and forty-four rural car
Iiers. with an appropriation of only
100000 available for the development
OF the service.
The clerical force now engaged In
the postofiice department on rural de-
livery work exclusively numbers more
than one hundred; there were 41,0S0
rural carriers in the service on the
LIST OF April last, and the appropria-
ton for the maintenance and exten
sion OF the service hast year was $751;
100000.
Prior to 1897 M favorable mention
OF the possibilities of rural delivery
had been made In any Official report
since the abandonment of Postmaster
General Wanamaker's plan of village
delivery. Mr.. Clarke, as special agent,
prepared and laid before Postmaster
General Gary an abstract of the re-
ports received I'm regard to the forty
four original routes and submitted
that the results obtained proved con-
clusively that the experimental ser
Ilce mad rendered benefits far In ex-
cess OF the expenditure involved, and
that under wise restrictions II could
be continued and extended with great
advantage
He added the prediction that
sooner or later the United States
would have TO foll1w the lead of the
more densely populated countries as.
ISOLATED with II IN The universal postal
union and establish delivery service
over all the settled portions of its vast
domain. The postmaster-genera
adopted this report and laid IL before
congress, which responded by raising
the appropriation for this purpose TO
$4,000 for the next year, $3.50. 900 for
the year after. and thereafter, by sue
cessive increases ranging from one to
four millions each year. the service
was extended till It's present proper
tons we're reached.
I'm all the subsequent development
and in shaping the regulations for the
early government OF the service Mr..
Clarke took an active part. so that he
has been regarded by his associates
as practically the father OF the rural
free delivery service"