The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-01-04
TO r. F. D. PATRONS.
Carriers Are Asked to Report The
Condition Of the Roads.-The
Penny Nuisance.

delivery has had a great deal to do
with improving our public, roads IN
the past few years, but there are
still those who take little if any IN
terest in the roads. The postmaster
general has announced that no new
routes will be established until the
treasury is in a more healthy condl-
ton. The deficit in the postofRce
department is very great and the cry
is oconomize. This may mean eur
tailnaeut in r. F. D. service. With
in the past few days every postmas-
ter in the country has received a let
ter from the postmaster general,
Hon. P. V. DeGraw, asking for a
report on all roads traversed by ru-
raj carriers. The following is copy
Of letter:
GAS result Of general and special
letters sent out by the department,
and the cooperation Of postmasterss
and carriers, there has been great
Improvement in the highways on
which rural routes are established.
There are, however, many Localities
where road conditions are bad and
improvements imperative
>"You are directed to inform your
self with reference to the condition
Of roads and bridges on the rural
routes out Of your Office, and if you
fnd that they require improvements
you should present the matter in the
strongest and most positive way to
tie patrons and road officials, IN
forming them that improvements
nust be made as soon as practicable.
IF, aftef\a reasonable time has clap
Sed, the improvements have not been
made or started, you will report the
fact to this Office in order that action
may be taken looking to the dlscon-
tinuance Of the service.
ssT6e department is not Immediate
" concerned in elaborate road i'm
provement but in the interest of the
best service to the largest number
of patrons it must insi~t upon roads
being kept in good repair, the lack
of which is usually due to improper
drainage, and unsuitable grading and
surface work, which can be easily
and cheaply accomplished by timely
work and the regular use Of the
split-log drag or similar device.
About the same date, all the post
masters received another letter from
the postmaster general IN regard to
the penny nuisance. We have seen
some carriers come in with 40 and
so. Here is what. the postmaster gen.
eral has to say:
E'From a recent e>nnt made by
sural carriers in one Of the counties
in the State Of New York Of coins
deposited by patrons in their boxes
FOR the purchase Of stamp supplies,
it was found that each carrier IN the
county was collecting an average OF
lis one-cent coins each week. This
average applied to all the routes IN
operation would give the enormous
total of about 3OO,OO0,000 one-cent
coins. As most of these coins are
deposited loose in the boxes, it Is,
desirable that you and the rural car
xiers, in 8 tactfu1 and polite way, put
forth your best efforts to induce the
patrons to provide themselves with
stamp supplies in advance of their
needs, and to equip their boxes with
suitable coin holding receptacles. 1t
should be explained to patrons that
the picking of loose coins from the
boxes not only results in needless
hardship and suffering to carriers In
winter weather, delays the delivery
and collection of the mails, but fre-
auently results in the actual money
loss to the carriers, for if, in collect
ing coins from boxes, they drop them
into the snow or mud without reeov-
cry, they replace them"
In this connection we wish to add
the following which fits most Of our
carriers:
I'm Uncle Sans most favored pet,
I'm hearty and I'm hale;
I've nothing in this world to do
But glide around with the mail;
But one thing almost breaks my heart
And my nervous system shocks;
Its the everlasting pennies
That I'm fishing from the box.
I carry stamps and envelopes,