The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-04
HOW TO IMPROVE RURAL MAIL SERVICE
People More at Fault Than They Think Follow
Simple Instructions as Given Here and
Get Better Results
BE SLOW TO CRrrICISE CARRIERS

Since the editor of the Republican
got to probing for information re-
garding the best ways to operate
rural mail routes, little more mat
ter comes to light from sources that
seem reliable, and we pass it on ito
our readers to help them in their
part of improving the service. We
are indebted to rural carriers and
postal workers from Shelley to
Aberdeen for much information.
What the Government Requires
The government does not care to
establish rural delivery unless there
is q route of as much as twenty-four
miles, with an average Of five fam
lilies to the mile, and no retracing or
doubling back excepting to get out
of town and back into town. 1t does
not care to revise route IL it takes
the service away from anyone, unless
it gives service to at least two others
in his place. .q,s
Trouble With Autos
Rural carriers who have used
horse-drawn vehicles and tried motor
vehicles generally give it up and go
back to the horses. They find that
the starting and stopping, the care
needed to stop a car at the exact
spot to reach into mail box. the dis
advantage of having to turn out Of
the road and make such stops and
starts on sideling places and on
places where they, have to pull up
grade at the start, all tend to take
from the speed they can make, and
add to the expense Of operating. On
slippery days It is harder to stop and
start the car at the exact spot, and
the depreciation on the car is usually
more than one would expect even
tho accustomed to driving cars. The
constant switching from one side of
the road to the other to get to mail
boxes increases the danger OF col
lisions with passing cars whose
drivers do not signal or who do not
know that the mail car is Just about
to turn toward the box ahead. To
eliminate. this danger, all boxes
should be placed on the right side OF
the road--the. right hand for the
rural carrier.
Mall Posts and Tie Posts z.
The post on which the mail box ia
located should be slanted toward the
road at an angle Of two to one. The
box should be four and q half feet
from the level Of the road on which
the mail wagon rests, and the slant
throws the box out two feet from the
foot Of the post. The box must set
level. and when q mail box is placed
3 hitching post SHOULD also be
planted 80 visitors will not use the
mail box to tie to. Carriers are der
layed almost every day by their in
ability to drive to some mail boxes,
and II they drive on and deliver to-
days mail to such boxes next day
he driver gets q bad name for that.
Money In Lid
People should not place coins In
!. sealed envelope or roll them up in
paper, or leave them in anything that
requires fumbling to get at them.
The driver should be able to pick
hem up at one grab and not have
% tear open an envelope. The best
hing to put money into il the cover
Or a Mason's fruit par. One grab
md q turn puts the money into the
balm. Leaving unstamped letters In
he mail box and money to pay for
stamps to put on them is not sat
sfactory. The driver should not
lave to stop and stamp letters, tho
le usually does 1t and gets behind
line doing it. The patrons should
,uy stamps in such quantity that
hey will have them on Shand and
hen they will be able to stamp the
nail matter themselves. Every mo-
nent the carrier spends doing the
work Of the individual delays him
md makes for poorer service by
leeping him, from making his sched-