Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-11-11
FOURTH ASSISTANT EFFECTS
ECONOMICS IN DEPARTMENT
/ UNDER HIS CHARGE.
BRANCHES IMPROVED
Dead Letter Office and the Rural Free
Delivery Among the Things That
Have Been OverhauIed by
Biakslee.

Postn. aster General James |. Blakslee
are said in a statement recently 49,
sued to make for greater efficiency and
economy. ".'
The bureau over which Mr.. Blakslee
presides, it is stated, has three tmpor-
tant divisions---the division Of the rural
mails, with it's army Of nearly 100000
rural delivery and star route carriers
the division Of supplies and equipment
for the entire postal service, fnclud-
ing the furnishing of the rural deliv-
cry and star route maps, and the dfvt.
sion of dead letters.
The statement recites that:
ION taking charge Mr.. Blakslee
found that during period of seven
years Immediately preceding there
had accumulated 800 petitions for the
establishment of rural delivery routes.
AT present all but thirty-six Of these
have been acted on, while 730 similar
petitions filed during his incumbency
have been disposed Of, and ZIG new
rural delivery routes, providing ade-
quate mail facilities for some 100000
patrons, have been established. OF
1852 petitions asking for changes in
existing routes, which had Accumulate
ed during the same period of seven
years. but Sc remain Enacted on, while
of 299 similar petitions filed during
, MIR. Blakslee's incumbency 112 have re-
ceived final action. OF total of 541,
cases involving charges against rural
carriers, accumulated during ten
years, 1868 have been settled.
Insures Prompt Action.
'In connection with modern meth
cd of follow-up correspondence, rig
T., system insuring prompt investiga-
ton Of all petitions has been inaugur-
ated, and a closer supervision over the
rural service has been established"
Among other things accomplished
the statement sets forth are the fol-
lowing:
Accurate statistics of the number
|of pieces and weight of all classes Of
mail matter handled by rural carriers
during the month of June last have
been collected and tabulated, furnish.
ing the first accurate information as
to increases brought about by the es-
Establishment Of the domestic parcel
post. ~. .s..e~,a -. .,r.--..
Another innovation is the compila-
ton (now under way without addi-
tional cost Of complete and accur-
ate statistical directory of the rural
delivery service, which when complet-
ed will enable the department at a
moments notice to give. regarding
any rural route. the names of the car
rier and substitute, with the type OF
vehicle used and the nature Of the
territory traversed, together with the
~Pv
number of pieces and weight Of mail
handled. w
.. Improvement Of Roads. I'D.
"A practical as well as equitable
plan has been adopted for the dis
tribution Of the 100000 appropriated
by congress to be expended under the
Joint direction Of the postofflce depart
ment and the department of agricul-
ture for the purpose Of securing &C
curate information regarding highway
improvements and the effects of such
improvements on me rural transporta-
tioh problem. f''
READERS omsetffipl Jap CNol
Russell C. Walker and wife Of o.
tumwa were in Batavia and made Mrs.
Ruth Walker. the formers grand
mother. a visit Mrs. Henry
Ogden was in Ottumwa the latter part
of the week, visiting at the home OF
her daughter, Mrs. H. P. Derr.-The
Batavia News.
Mr.. and Mrs. W. w. Lawler visited
friends in Ottumwa over Sunday.-The
North English Record. 49,. "",.
Mrs. w. s. Hammons was passen-
ger to Ottumwa on Monday. K
Mrs. Clay Philips went to Ottumwa
last Friday. x Mesdames s. "A.
Harlan and c. B. Wheatley went to o.
tumwa on Tuesday shopping.-The
Stockport News.
John Lathrop and wife have moved
to Ottumwa, where they will make
their future home.-The Blakesburg
Excelsior.
Under the terms OF the appropria-
ton act each state in which this work
is being prosecuted must furnish 81
for each dollar provided by the fed
eral government. The unit of distri-
hutton has been fixed at the approx
mate construction cost of twenty-four
niles of highway, the length of a
standard rural delivery route. Accur-
ate statistics are being gathered
winch Wnen COHlplleu VIII COFoT every
phase of the subject. .a.....
I'm the division of supplies and
equipment substantial progress has
been looking to thoroughly efficient
and economical system of furnishing
supplies to the postal service, and in
the preparation and printing of rural
delivery and star route maps. An
electric blue printing outfit. by means
of which orders for rural delivery
blue print maps are promptly filled,
has superseded the sunlight machine
formerly in use. ,... DID,.
1.-The topographic section is making
rapid Roadway. in the preparation OF
the new parcel post zone determine
ton tables, which will replace the
cumbersome parcel post maps now in
use. s-.. ."
New Dead Letter Methods.
"In the division OF dead letters
changes of methods have been made
which will result in greatly increased
efficiency at saving of about $780,
900 annually. The former practice of
sending to that division unbelievable
post cards, totaling between 100000