Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-12-21
Tho Eree-neliverv Svstom.

We have again and again declared in
favor Of the passage of q law by Congress
providing for the free delivery Of letters
and papers in any town IN which the let
tiers and papers 10 be delivered are so nu-
merous as that their delivery would daily
occupy the time of even one carrier. II
would effect a saving IN any community to
have one man perform a task which other
wise from two to five hundred men would
be called upon TO perform. Letters are de-
livered free even in the rural districts in
England; and there Is certainly no good
reason for not delivering letters free in
any such town as the one We have de
scribed above.
A free delivery is an educating feature
of the postal system. We recollect that
when the list OF letters remaining in the
Richmond post-oflice. which list was pub
lished weekly, filled column or a column
and half of our paper; and Richmond
then had not more than half the popula-
ton she now claims, and perhaps not one
third as many regular patrons of the post
Office. A person who receives letter not
more than once month on on average
dislikes to call for letters at the pOst-oiiice,
and so correspondence between friends
and relatives often ceases because of the
failure OF the Government to provide the
facilities of INSTRUMENTATION which
would relieve such correspondence of all
distinctions.
We are glad 10 learn, as we do from the
Congressional Record. that on Wednesday
last in the United States Senate, Mr..
MITCHELL from the Committee on Post
Offices and Post-Roads, TO whom was re-
serrcd.the following resolution, submitted
by him on the 18th instant. reported it
without amendment; and it was considered
by unanimous consent, and agreed to;
Resolved That the Postmaster-Gene
be. and he is hereby. direc[d TO transmit
10 the Senate an estimate of\the increased
cost required to extend the free-dolivery
system of the Post-Oilicc Department to
all cities and towns having not less than
1900 inhabitants. or where the post-Ofices
show gross revenue OF ut least $1,000 for
the past fiscal year; also further estimate
of the increased cost in case such system
were extended to oil cities and tOWnA
having not less than 5000 inhabitants. or
where the post-oflices show gross revenue
for the last fiscal year OF 1000 or more
The increased cost " is not all that is 10
he considered. II the Government loses
nominally thousand dollars year in de-
liverinc letters and papers in each of the
towns say Of Farmville. Winchester. Lex
$ngton. Abingdon, and Harrisonburg the
people OF each of those towns will gain
Aluch more than thousand dollars worth
,n the improved service. and even the
Government will in the end be none the
worse of for having contributed TO the
comfort aud convenience Of so many of its
epholders. Nobody can doubt the untold
benefits of the free-deliveFy system who
has carefully watched its development in
this city-how 1t has opened houses which
before scarcely ever heard from the out
side world, and enlightened even tho most
densely-populated neighborhoods in Jack
son Ward. and caused every man 10 feel
that he was a part of the lct,er-writing
public. Let every town IN the land enjoy
these advantages, say we; but we shall not
be content 10 cease our efforts in favor Of
free delivery when all the towns are pro-
Nided for. All the people eyerywhere-in
the country as well as in the towns. cities,
aud sillaees~should be furnished with
Tree letters and papers. There is that
seattereth and yet increaseth; aud there is
that withholdeth more than IS meet, but il
tendeth to poverty"