New-York tribune., 1911-11-29

government and cents 10 the postmaster
in whose district the delivery is attempted
Ihese cents are used TO cover the ex-
P'"se "a special messengers although a
special appropriation is made for carfare
ana picHcles. Only one effort at special
oehNery Is made in each case. and if the
auuressee cannot be reached the letter is
turned IN for delivery IN the ordinary
manner. The last appropriation for this
service was x.235,2O2
The rural free delivery system is one of
the latest adjuncts to the postal service.
put' Notwithstanding its youth 1t promises
10 outgrow many OF the older branches of
the department. II was established under
president Mckinley. I'm 1897. and forty-four
routes were put into operation that year.
Inc service grew so rapidly that in 1903
congress appropriated for the maintenance
or this branch of the postal supply the
enormous sum of sS.054. 400. TO make possible
the operation OF l5119 routes.
Since that time the service has been more
than trebled. and to-day It covers routes
extending over eeS.06S miles with an annual
expenditure of s36. .92S. .737 From SC carriers
in the first Year Of rural free delivery. the
force distributing mail on these routes has
grown to 1927. by far outstripping the
number OF city carriers. of whom there are
only 2S,7l5, distributed over more than I 400
cities
The question of a parcels post has been
agitated for many years. The rate Of 16
cents pound. with the provision that the
package should not exceed four pounds i'm
weight. has been found unsatisfactory. and
pressure has been brought upon the Post
office Department to change the regulation.
Parcels Post to Have Trial.
Postmaster General Hitchcock will sug
gest in his annual report this year that
parcels post service be introduced imme-
diately on certain rural free delivery
routes. This Mr.. Hitchcock said. is only
a first step toward the general Introduction
Of the parcels post The change will be
q gradual one, to give the postoflces and
the railway service an opportunity to ad-
lust themselves gradually TO the enormous
increase i'm the volume Of mail matter that
will have 70 be handled.
The Dead Letter Office has tho important
function OF trying to restore to their send
ers letters that could not he delivered. Up
ward Of twenty-five thousand letters. con
tanning anywhere between $500 % $3.50
in money and thousands Of letters with
incosed drafts amounting TO more than
81 10000. are restored annually 10 their
senders because the addresses cannot be
found.
In the seventy years, from 1sii 80 1911.
the postofice has grown into one Of the
most important factors in the industrial.
intellectual and social life of the country.
There are no figures available TO show how
many pieces Of mail matter of all kinds
were carried in 1s1 the earliest count hav-
ing been made in 1885, when the service had
ALREADY branched out considerably. Then
g. 474. Oco0 pieces were carried and distrib-
uted. and IN the last twenty-one years this
number has steadily increased 10 the as
founding figure of more than l5,WocCcO
last year.
With all this huge volume OF mail mat
ter the service is generally admitted 10 ne
prompt and cheaper than the mail service
of any other country. The speed with which
our domestic mail travels IS a source OF
wonder to the visitors from foreign coun-
tries.