Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29

William Hunter as joint Deputy Postmaster
General for the colonies under the English
crown. At that time there was only nominal
excuse for the existence Of q postal service.
The roads, or trails, were so wretched that there
was little travel and almost no intercourse be-
tween the several colonies. The fact that the
inhabitants Of no two of them were drawn from
the same class, the same sect or the same
geographical division Of the mother country was
largely responsible for the absence of incentive
for INSTRUMENTATION. Virtually the only
thing in common between them was the inter-
mittent warfare waged against the Indians. II
there was feeling of relationship at all it was
one of jealousy and envy. Each colony traded
directly with England, and, except for the fact
that each paid allegiance to the same King.
they were not unlike Is independent nations.
Franklin changed all this Despite the miser-
able roads and the hardship Of travel, he i'm
medately made . tour Of inspection on which
he visited every post office under his jurisdiction
save that Of Charleston, s. C. The extent OF
this undertaking. Is difficult to comprehend in
these days Of fast trains and automobiles but
some conception Of the rigors Of his arduous
journey may be had when it Is recalled that
often six weeks were required for the post rider
to forge his way from Philadelphia to Boston.
Many faults Franklin found with the service
and these he instantly sought to remedy. His
first step was to inaugurate the penny post in
large cities. Then he increased the frequency
OF trips between New York, Philadelphia and
Boston from once week in Summer to tri-
weekly and from twice month in Winter to
once q week. Everywhere he Strengthened
routes and sped up post riders, cutting the dis
lance of travel, as well as the time, in some
cases as much as in half. Newspapers were adj
ndtted to the mails without discrimination and
unclaimed letters were advertised.
Under his watchful eye the service grew 10
dependable efhciency-something unknown be-
fore. The assurance of delivery brought an
added incentive to letter writing and commit
tees on correspondence were formed later In
various colonies to foster it.
It was four years, however. before the in
creased efficiency brought the postal revenues
to the credit side OF the ledger, and during this
time Franklin, instead Of drawing a salary for
his labors was paying the deficit out of his own
purse, a deficit that amounted, by 1857, to $500.
Then the tide turned, and in 176O, with all
previous Indebtedness paid, Franklin proudly
turned into the British treasury a surplus OF
f278, followed the succeeding year by E494.
But of far greater significance was the i'm
mediate effect upon the colonies. Franklin's
cheap postage and dependable service had en-
couraged communication and communication
had encouraged intercolonial trade, which
brought with 1t a closer relationship, better
understanding, and the realization that the well
fare of the different communities, no matter
how diverse their interests lay very much along
the same course.
Roads, which before had been but blazed
trails, became well travelled highways, over
which Franklin's mounted couriers galloped with
intercolonial mail, stagecoaches moved with
travellers who had previously preferred the safe
ty OF home surroundings to journeying over the
lily marked forest paths, and freight vans car
ried commodities from one colony to another.
Roads sprang up where there had been no
roads and the colonies gradually but surely be"