Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-08-02
RURAL FREE DELIVERY
and Extensions
Given 0 Additional Families

the value of the postal service to the
people to a greater extent within the
past three years than for any similar
pei iod during the last decade. Mail
facilities have been established and
extended on mail routes in more than
ten thousand localities, giving service
to approximately 2,500,000 patrons
heretofore denied this benefit Six
hundred and fifty-eight thousand fam
lilies were added to the list from April,
1913, TO April 1916. The elimination of
useless and wasteful methods have
made it possible to do this and also
pay out 100000 more to employees
at an actual increased cost OF less
than $1.500,000 per annum.
For 20 years there has been no re-
adjustment of a vast amount of rural
service 1t was allowed to remain eX-
actly as experimentally established.
Consequently all sorts of special priv
ilege has crept in and was found eX-
listing, such as double daily service to
favored localities, unnecessary re
traces to one family and not to all,
duplication of travel by two or more
carriers over q single highway, only
one Of whom performed service there
on, and many other similar forms of
waste and extravaganza. There was
also neglect shown as to the value of
the work performed by the carriers.
They were paid solely upon the miles
of road covered, regardless of the
character thereof, the equipment nee
essary, the amount Of mail carried, or
the hours of service rendered This
was as unjust and discriminatory in
the payment made as it was in the
distribution of mail facilities. Both
needed remedy and the remedy was ap-
Mi J1yhn no Iat mi
/ was done to anybody?
Measures Of Reform Introduced.
The introduction of any measure so
nearly allied to the people and whose
growth has been so surprisingly rapid
: must naturally be attended with more
or less imperfection, which only prac-
teal inquiry into operation could fully
disclose. If this practical inquiry,
carefully made, developed irTegulari-
ties which needed correction and the
application Of the just and equitable
rules of proper administration, tenn
pOrarily Inconvenience some and per
! haps gave rise to criticism in others,
it was but an incident to all Teforma-
tory processes and could be expected
to disappear when the wider benefits
sought and the greater advantages to
be obtained made the object and the
Of the action taken. For instance, if,
by the change of conveyance and the
Encouragement Of routes, more and
better service could be given, should
il not be done? Whenever and
wherever such changes have been
made it has been found possible to ex-
tend service TO additional patrons
heretofore denied this accommodation
from 500 to l, 900 in number. Sure
/ ly the slight delay it might occasion
TO one or several patrons should meet
with little or no objection when it
was shown that this had been the
means OF obliging many others with
at least single delivery who previ-
ously had none whatever
! In the nature of things. the great
desire of the people to obtain a ben
eft which it's government could pro-
vide and the willingness OF the govern
ment to give it and give it rapidly.
conditions would develop which de-
manded both attention and considera-
/ ton If, therefore, it became evident
/ in operation that by careful inquiry
more could be accomplished than was
/ being rendered, it. was clearly the
I duty OF those in control TO investigate
conditions with a view TO possible bet
/ terment- The greatest good TO the
greatest number must ever be the
motto or wise and successful admins
: tratlon, and officials can only hope to
I WIN pubic approval when such motto
governs their administrative acts
/ Policy and Purpose OF the DEPARTMENT
1t has been the policy and the pur-