Star routes facts for kids

Star routes was a special name for how mail was delivered in the United States. It meant that private companies were hired to carry the mail. This term isn't used anymore since 1970, but sometimes people still use it to talk about today's Highway Contract Routes (HCRs), which are similar. Star routes are mostly remembered because of a big scandal in the 1870s. This scandal involved people taking bribes to give out mail delivery jobs.

How Mail Was Delivered Long Ago

Before the year 1845, if mail wasn't going by train, it was usually carried by stagecoaches or horse-drawn carriages. The government would ask companies to bid on these jobs. This meant companies would say how much money they wanted to deliver the mail.

In 1845, a new law changed things. It said that the Postmaster-General (the head of the postal service) had to give these mail delivery jobs to the company that asked for the least money. The only rules were that the mail had to be delivered quickly, reliably, and safely. These new contracts were called "celerity, certainty and security bids." On the official lists, they were marked with three stars (***). That's how they got the name "Star Routes."

The Star Route Cheating Scandal

The Star Route Frauds were a big cheating scandal in the 1800s. Postal officials were taking secret payments, or bribes, to give out valuable mail delivery contracts. These contracts were mostly for areas in the southern and western parts of the country.

Investigating the Cheating

An investigation into this cheating started in 1881. This happened when President James A. Garfield was in office. There had been two earlier investigations by Congress in 1872 and 1876. These happened during the time of President Grant. The 1872 investigation didn't work well because some people involved were bribed. The 1876 investigation did manage to stop the cheating for a little while.

However, the cheating started up again in 1878. It continued through the time of President Hayes and into President Garfield's term.

Who Was Involved?

Some important people were part of this scandal. These included large companies that got the contracts. Also involved were Bradley Barlow, who used to be a US Representative from Vermont, and the Second Assistant Postmaster-General. Some workers in the postal department were also involved.

A key person was Arkansas Senator Stephen W. Dorsey. He even became a leader in the Republican Party during James A. Garfield's election campaign in 1880.

Bringing Justice

After President Garfield was sadly assassinated, President Chester A. Arthur continued the investigation. A big court case happened in 1882. This trial finally helped to stop the group of people who were cheating the postal system.

Even though the cheating was widespread, not many people were found guilty. A famous lawyer named Robert Ingersoll successfully defended many of the people accused in the Star Routes trials. People were very upset about the Star Routes cheating. This anger helped push for changes in how government jobs were given out. It led to the Pendleton Civil Service Reform Act being passed in 1883. This law made sure that government jobs were given based on skill, not on who you knew or if you paid bribes.

Mail Delivery Today: Highway Contract Routes

Since 1970, Star Routes are now called Highway Contract Routes, or HCRs. Today, HCRs are often used to deliver mail directly to homes and businesses. In the past, HCRs were rarely used for home delivery. They were mostly used in very rural areas where there weren't many customers close together.

Today, HCRs can be used anywhere to deliver mail directly to people. They are often used in new neighborhoods or growing areas. Some of these routes are even started where there are only about 20 deliveries a day.

Contract Delivery Service

Since the year 2000, the US Postal Service has added something new called "Contract Delivery Service" (CDS). This is their newest version of the old Star Route idea. These CDS routes are set up to serve new areas in cities and towns. CDS carriers do not transport mail between post offices. The Postal Service uses them to find drivers who will work for less money than regular USPS carriers. By 2007, thousands of these CDS routes had been created, and many more were planned.

Many companies now bid on multiple mail delivery contracts. They then hire workers to cover these routes. This means they pay their workers less than what the US Postal Service pays them for each contract. The Postal Service is still trying to find a balance. They want the reliable service of their regular postal carriers. But they also want to save money by using contractors.

There is some discussion about how much control the Postal Service can have over these contract routes. It's not always clear when a person working an HCR is still a contractor or if they should be considered a Postal Service employee.