Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-08-03

loved and whose loss he so greatly
deplored. r
The Beginning Of Rural Delivery
and Its Progress.
William l.. Wilson was the father
of rural delivery, whose benefits
no one can fully describe. for il
is without question he most pop-
litar administrative measure of
the government. For wears there
had been a growing discomfort
among farmers and The people i'm
the smaller towns al HE postal
advantages afforded The cities and
the more pnpulous communities.
They felt themselves deprived of
the opportunities and benefits
which others enjoyed. and The de-
sire for recognition was out
spoken and insistrnl and could ne,
longer he denied. on june .,
1896, the sum OF 100000 was
made available. and on October 1.
500, The first experimental rural
delivery was put into operation
lin jefferson county,. West Win
sinia. Service WAS established on
three routes simultaneously, one
from Charles Town, ono from
Uvilla, and one from llalltown.
AT the close of business june
30, 1915. there We're i'm operation
lfrom 1888 post offices through
Tout he country 1851 rural
lrouics. Up 10 and including june
1870, 1915. 26.OS0 pos! offices We're
discontinued ON account OF The rs-
Establishment OF rural delivery.
representing Il saving to lle pos
tai service OF Sl.GI3.OOO per am
mum and also a saving OF S3.lS2.-
600 ON account of The discomIn-
|uancc OF star-rolle service. The
|prrind OF greatest activity in-ihr
|rural service was from 1900 To
1905, The appropriations running
from SA5O.OOO i'm 1900 io s2l.-
10000 i'm 1905.
Steps Taken to Extend and I'M
prove the Service.
This administration has rccog-
niZrd The value OF HE postal scrN-
ice to the people tn a greater cN-
tent within HE pas three years
than for amy similar period dur
ling he last decade. Mail facili-
ties have been established and en-
tended ON mail routes i'm more
that ten thousand localities. Civ
ing service to approximately p
100000 patrons heretofore denied
this benefit. Six hundred and
Ififty-right thousand families We're
Iadded to the lisl from April. 1919,
To April 1916. The elimination oi
useless and waslrIl!l methods
have made il possible 10 do This
land also pay out 100000 more
tn employees ut an actual cosl OF
less than si.50O,OO0 per annum.
For twenty years there had
been no REIMBURSEMENT of vast
amounl of rural SERVICE. II was
4 allOWcd to remain exactly as OK
|perimentally established. Consr-
uucnIly all sorts of special privi-
lcge had crrpt i'm and was found
eNisting. such as double daily
service To favored localities. UNI
necessary rctraces To one family
and moi to. all, duplication oil
travel by two or more carriers
over single highway. only one
IOr whom performed service here
ON, and many other similar forms
,of waste and rxtraNagancc. There
was also neglect shown as To The
value of the work performed by
the carriers. 1 lry were paid
solely upon the miles of road COW
Tered, regardless OF the character
thereof. he equipment necessary
the amount of mail carried, OIL
1.-The hours OF service rendered
This was as unjust and discrimi-
nalory i'm tho payment made rs
lii was in the distribution OF mail
facilities. Both needed remedy
land the remedy was applied. amd
who shall say that injustice was
done to anybody?
Measures of Reform introduced
The Introduction OF any meas
lure so nearly allied To he people
and whose growth has been 50
surprisingly rapid must naturally
HE attended with more or less inn
perfection. which only practical
inquiry into operation could fully
disclose. II this practical inquiry
IcarefulIy made, developed irrcgu-
llaritics which needed correction
and the application of the just
and equitable rules of pepper adj
ministratiOn. temporarily neon
lVenipncrd some and perhaps gave
rise To criticism i'm others, il was
lbut am incident To all reformatolN
processes and could be expected
to disappear when the wider bene-
lifts sought and HE greater adj
INanlages To be obtained made the
|Objerl and The purpose clear and
justified the wisdom of HE action
ltaken. For instance. III, by the
Exchange of conveyance and the
lrparrangemrnl of routes. more