The Republican journal., 1915-09-30
Rural Mail Service Impaired.

VAoulN1IoN, oepI. a, 1910. WOen
the Post Office Department announced,
some time ago, that by changing rural
delivery routes and making extensions,
many thousands of additional patrons
were being served without any increase
in expense, there was a pretty general
feeling that when patrons had been heard
from, there would be showing of i'm
paired, rather than improved service.
Such seems to be the case.
Soon after the adjustments were made
postmasters found it necessary to placate
patrons by explaining that they were not
responsible for the changes At least
one postmaster did this in public state
ment, in which he placed the whole re-
sponsibility upon the Department. here
in Washington.
Now comes John A. McSparran, Master
of the State Grange, of Pennsylvania,
with signed article asserting that the
Post Office Department mas made mis-
take. Speaking of the changes and ex-
tensions, he says:
eff it is real economy founded upon
ability to render as good or better ser
vice, then the action can only be COM
mended; but there are several statements
that l believe show conclusively that a
mistake is being made that will not tend
either to economy or efficiency. The
lengthening of the routes is not the place
to correct the waste, for the length of
the routes must continue for many years
to be dependent upon the distance
horse can travel under average conditions
in the time allowed between the trains
that carry the mail to and from the
terminus of the route.
81 am taking it for granted, says
McSparran, ''that the routes are being
handled all through the service as they
are in this part of the country. Some of
our routes have been heightened under
the proposed changes to over thirty miles.
| Now I think that experience has shown
that horse cannot go thirty miles every
other day through average condition, sand
keep up gait that will insure service in
reasonable time. In fact, it is doubtful
if very many horses can be found that
will stand the pounding of thirty miles
every other day, at any gait, Judging
from the number that go to pieces under
strain of twenty miles to twenty five. !"
McSparran knows more about horses
than does the Postmaster General, who
has just finished IA years in Congress
after holding legal offices in Texas for IL
years. And he also knows few things
about the practical side Of consolidating
rural routes in order to use automobiles
in the summer. He says:
1.-THE attempt to substitute an auto
mobile service for that of horse is all
right for letter carrier who wishes to
make such change, but for the Depart
ment to do so seems to indicate that
either they do not value the element of
every day service in the country, or they
have in mind system of roads that has
not vet been built. 1t is true that the
auto can render an enlarged service &C.
ceptably for the summer months; but
people do not want to have their address
SEES changed fall and spring nor do they
want to be deprived of service for those
periods in the winter during which 1t
would be impossible for the auto to make
the trip. This is not the place to look Tor
economy in the postal service:
Mr.. McSparran also points out that
the farmer writes his letters at night,
and. if rural routes are heightened to
such an extent that the carrier gets back
to town late in the evening, the letters
miss the train and must lie over in the
most office until the following day.