Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-01-17
RURAL MAIL SERVICE
Some Pertinent Observations by One
of the Carriers.
ALWAYS KEEP THE ROADS OPEN
Assist the Carriers i'm Every Way
Possible if You Would Get
the Best Service.

branch of public service that has
reached so many people and given
such general satisfaction.
The service started only Is years
ago as an experiment with S3 routes,
serving about 10000 people; and it
was given such a hearty welcome,
that it was rapidly extended until
now there are almost $4,000 routes
serving about 21,000,000 people.
Formerly the farmer who read a
daily paper must either farm by
proxy, or live in the shadow of the
post Office. Now almost every farm
er takes from one to three dailies
and is better posted on the news of
the day than any other class of men
on earth.
This great change has not been
brought about without vast eXpend-
iture of money by the government,
and energy on the part of $4,000
carriers who make it possible. It's
cost in money is about S42,000,00O
per year or about $2.00 for each
patron served.
What an extravaganza do you say?
Let us see. Suppose the same result
were brought about by each family
getting their own mail, not once a
week as formerly, but every day,
rain or shine. The average carrier
serves from 60 to 100 families for
$500. How much would it cost for
from 60 to 100 men and teams to
wend their way to the post office each
day to get their mail Do you think
they could do it for cents per FAM
lily or twice what the carrier re-
ceives? No! You know they could
not. You must admit then that this
service is done for you for at least
half what you could do it for your
self or hire it done otherwise. You
must also see that you are indebted
for the service. If a person does a
service for you at half the price you
would otherwise be obliged to pay
Others, or for half what you could do
it for yourself, you are indebted to
that person for the amount that he
has saved you. And thus it can be
easily seen that you are indebted to
the service for at least as much as
it saves you, or four cents per day
or $1,000 per year. How much are
you in arrears, dear patrons, for one,
two, five or ten years? Now if every
patron would pay up his obligations
what a grand service we would have.
You are not expected however to pay
this obligation in cash, but by show
ing proper interest.
What, dear patron, do you owe
this service?
First. You owe it the best roads
that your county, state and the auto
owners are willing to pay for. You
elect the trustees and the law COM
pels them to have all the mail roads
in good condition, and dragged after
each rain, but forbids their doing the
work themselves, in fact, they could
not collect one cent for it by law.
Then when the trustee tries to do his
duty by getting you to drag the
roads you inform him that you are
too busy and cannot do it. l know at
least one good trustee who refused
to stand for reelection on account
of the obligations that were put on
him of which you, dear patron, re-
fused to do your share and thus pay
your obligations to the r. F. ID. SER
vice.
Second. You owe to the service a
good, we'll broken road after each
snow storm, and to have it broken
to your box also, so that the carrier
can not only reach your place, but
can also reach all the patrons on the
route before dark. The writer has
| travelled the same road four days in
succession without another team 60
ing over it, and it had to be broken
each day, as the snow had complete
| ly filled the tracks. A carrier can
not keep up to his regular time nor
keep his horses in decent condition
on such roads. The writer meeting
an Irish patron on the route the
next morning after hard storm in
which he travelled all day was asked:
And how far did ye go yester-
day?"
The carrier answered, Twenty
miles," when the man from Cork
answered very promptly, And you're
a dom fool" and perhaps he was
right in his estimate.
In some places the farmers have a
regular system of breaking the roads
after a storm. Each farmer starts at
his home and goes to the third
neighbor in the direction the car
rier goes, then turns around and
goes back home in time to meet the
carrier there. IL you would do that
way you would be pretty sure to get
your mail every day, and would not
need to work nearly as hard as the
carrier or his horses either.
Third. You owe to the service the
best box you can buy, and TO have
it put up on a good smooth, painted
post. Just think sometime, how much
quicker you can fix up that old rick
ETY. mail box and make it thing ol
beauty as we'll as convenience, than
you could make trip to town foI
your mail even once.
Fourth. You owe to the service
to buy stamps and put them on the
mail yourself. not because the car
rier is a crusty, unreasonable crank
but because it will better the servict
and cost you nothing. 1t is no cas-!
matter for the carrier to pick up pen
: nies with his mitten on, or to take
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