Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-08-02
TIME NOT FAR DISTANT WHEN
MAIL SERVICE WILL BE Ex-
TENDED TO SMALLER TOWNS.
GOVERNMENT EXPERIMENTS
PROVE VERY SUCCESSFUL
Patrons Where Service Has Been In.
stalled Show Appreciation and Post
office Rsesipts Are Inersassd-Two
Business and One Residence Delivery
Daily Under Present System.
Especial Correspondence


Washington. Aug 2--Should experi-
ments now being made under authority
granted by congress prove satisfactory,
the time will be fore Swallowed when
every village in the United States. with
scarcely any regard TO its population.
will enjoy the benefits of free mail de-
livery.
In something more than 100 towns OF
from 1900 to 1900 population. mail Is
now being delivered to residences and
business houses under an appropri-
alton of $4,000 granted by congress to
test this new plan. Towns where the
postal receipts run from $4,000 to So
900 a year are usually selected. for
when the receipts reach $4,000 year
regular city delivery Is granted. Pre-
liminary requisites before the new sys-
tenn is installed are reasonably good
sidewalks enabling carriers to get
about in any kind OF weather. the
numbering of the houses and the plac-
ing Of some kind Of receptacle TO nolo
the mall. When mail matter is proper
ly stamped carriers accept 1t on their
rounds, and If the system should pc
come permanent mail boxes Will pc
provided for 1t.
The postoffice department has oeen
establishing this experimental service
in the different states a. fast as SUIT
able towns for the test could De Sc
lected, one or two towns being desig-
mated in each state. Action u usualy
taken on APPLICATIONS for the service. IN
spectors reporting on the deslraolllty
Of the place applying, and when . Sc
lection is made, aiding the postmaster
to lay out the routes and NIX the
schedules Of deliveries, which usually
number two daily for business houses
and one for residences
Experiments Successful.
The law limits annual expenditure
in any town for this service to $1,000,
but the department IL getting along
with an expenditure ranging from ST.
900 to $1,000. A man employed for the
carrier service acts as clerk IN the
postonice when he is not delivering
mail, and 1t is expressly explained
when he Is employed that the service
is experimental and that his employ
ment may end when the experiment 10
ended. However. reports from sb per
cent Of the offices where the system
has been put in practice are favorable.
| In a very few places the public has
not shown appreciation Of 1t. Different
/ plans are being tried. such as making
delivery in a compact area, and again
| i'm selecting a few streets and making
delivery along their entire length. II
is said that in no single case has the
experiment been declared failure.
| While the expense Of this extern
/ sion Of the free delivery service VIII
be considerable. there is some offset
in increased business. just az theirs
has been on rural free delivery routes.
With better facilities. people are writ
ing more letters.
It may be too early to predict what
action congress win take on the extern
sion Of this service, but the postoffice
department IL evidently well satisfied
with it and will without doubt recon-
mend that money be appropriated fol
its extension.