346 COUNTRY LIFE CONVENIENCES 



the proposed route; and if the conditions are favorable, an order is 

 finally issued for its establishment. The regulations of the Post- 

 office Department require that the roads be in good condition and 

 that there shall be a possible patronage of one hundred families 

 for every twenty-four miles of the route. The postmaster at the 

 distributing office is also required to certify that not less than 

 three fourths of the possible patrons have provided the form of 

 mail boxes approved by the Post-office Department. 



The Parcels Post. For some time the postal authorities have 

 been urging the establishment of a limited parcels post to be con- 

 fined entirely to rural delivery routes. To protect the small dealers 

 it is proposed that no merchant or dealer not a bona fide resident 

 of the town in which the distributing post office is located or on 

 the rural route shall be permitted to have goods delivered at the 

 proposed special rate, and packages shall not be accepted from 

 any person acting as agent for a concern located outside of the 

 delivery limits of the rural routes. Postmaster-general Meyer, in 

 speaking of the proposed service, says: " The special local parcels 

 service will enable the farmers to have small parcels delivered at 

 their gates, to live better, and to obtain easily the necessaries of 

 life. The increased consumption will in turn increase the business 

 of the local merchant, and benefit the jobber by the additional 

 orders transmitted through the commercial traveler." 



In all countries where a parcels post service has been in operation 

 it has been found very satisfactory and popular, besides being a 

 source of large revenue to the Post-office Department. 



Postal Savings Banks. In 1908 the United States Comptroller 

 of the Currency reported that there were more than three and a 

 half billion of dollars on deposit in the various private savings 

 banks of the United States. For the same period it was estimated 

 that there were fully half a billion of dollars not placed in any 

 bank, due to a want of opportunity or lack of confidence. In all, 

 then, we have about four billion of dollars that might be placed in 

 postal savings banks if such institutions should be organized. 



One of the plans proposed is that the national banks are to pay 

 not less than 2\ per cent for the deposits, the government in 

 turn to pay the depositors 2 per cent, retaining one fourth of I 

 per cent in order that the system may be self-sustaining. 



