El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-01-13

| preceding u months. OF this matter,
1,674,7SS pieces were of foreign origin,
having failed of delivery in this coun-
try, and $4,000 pieces were addressed
unclaimed. OF the total number OF let
tiers and parcels received, 7,535,O44, or 81
percent, were returned or forwarded.
1t was necessary 10 open $3.50, 507
letters and parcels to ascertain a clue
to the sender, and of these 5,4SS,574, or
So percent, were delivered
Rural Delivery.
The number of petitions filed in the
past fiscal year for. rural free delivery
was 1876. OF this number 961 had
not been accepted and were pending
June 80, 1909. OF the 3,015 petitions
disposed of, 907, or 81 percent, were
rejected by reason of lack of population,
the existence Of bad roads, unbridged
streams, or other conditions not justi-
flying an Investigation
Free Delivery; More Mail
The installation of rural delivery. "a
a rule, has been followed by an in
crease in the amount of mail delivered
and collected within the territories re-
spectively covered by that service. In
1905 the average number of pieces of
mail handled per route per month was
$500 The average number of pieces
now handled per route per month is
56OO-the largest in the history Of the
service.
In 1907 % routes handled more than
$4,000 pieces of mail during the quar-
ter ended June 80, in 1909 95 routes
more than $4,000 during the quarter
ended May 81. On 35 of these routes
the value of the stamps on mail collect
ed for the period indicated exceeded
$500 On "a routes this item exceeded
the carriers salary. The three Phoe-
nix, Ariz-, routes show up splendidly
Carrier No collected 61,071 pieces,
value of postage, s240.25; No. col
lected 1882 pieces, value, s163.59; No.
collected 56,725 pieces, valued at
Cheaper Parcels Rate
The best means for the delivery of
merchandise in rural districts exists in
the rural carriers who are daily trav-
ersing their routes. The present rate
of postage on merchandise designed 10
cover the cost of the carriage of parcels
throughout the country. is prohibitive
Of the carriage of parcels from the mer-
chant located at the distributing post
office to the patrons of rural delivery.
These conditions present an oppor-
tunity for making the rural delivery
service a source of greater revenue to
the government 1 have. therefore to
recommend, in line with recommends
lions made in several previous annual
Ao5OA - lAdb the postmaster general
be authorized to arrange, experimental
ly, for limited period, for the delivery
of packages on rural routes at such
rates as may seem expedient, the result
or the experiment to be reported to con-
gress as speedily as possible after the
expiration of the experiment period
Abolishing POstoffics
During the past fiscal year, 1149 post
offices were discontinued, the patrons
of which are now served by rural de-
livery. thereby effecting a reduction of
approximately $4,000 in the cost of the
postal service.
Road Improvement
There has been unprecedented i'm
provement of the condition of roads
traTersed by rural carriers. due to the
Intelligent and we'll directed interest of
postmasters and carriers. Essential
factors in the value of rural delivery
as postal facility are speed and reg
ularity. and the attainment of salts |
factory standard in these particulars is /
absolutely dependent on improved roads. |