The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-11-04
MAIL TO FARMS.
tgitati0n for Free Postal De-
livery in Rural Districts.
Postmaster.G General Wanamaker' 5
Views on the Subject.

An organized effort is under way among
farmers to secure from Congress free mail
delivery in country towns. The Farmers
Alliance, Patrons of Husbandry and other
orders are canvassing the matter. Letters
are being written to Congressman in favor
of the project, and petitions to Congress for
free delivery are being circulated in many
parts Of the country.
Farmers assert that a daily mail delivery
at their door would add perceptibly to the
money value Of their farms, and would be
worth still more becauseit would keep them
in touch with markets and the outside world,
and rob farm life Of its isolation and mo-
notony. The farmers are writing to the
agricultural press that this convenience
would enable them quite generally to take
daily paper, as we'll as to subscribe for the
local papers more literally
In the American Agric1tlturist for No
yember Postmaster General Wanamaker
states definitely for the first time that the
experiment. made by the Postoffice De-
partment for free delivery in farming dis
tricts shows that the increase Of revenue
more than pays all the increased expenses.
He believes that universal free delivery
would, therefore, be self sustaining.
Mr.. Wanamaker's article also contains
this statement Of the case:
!'When town grows to 10,0O0 population
and puts down footwalks and puts up num-
bers on the houses, the Postofflce Depart
ment is authorized by act of Congress to es-
tablish carrier service to deliver mail mat
ter at the doors Of houses and Offices. As
the town increases postal stations are estab-
lished.
"Thus the postal service keeps pace
with the growth of the town. While all this
postal work is going on at the thickly pop
ulated points, the farmers, quarrymen,
blacksmiths, millers and artisans, all paving
the regulation rates of postage, are left to
get their mail as best they can from the
postoHice in the village or at the railway
station.
I'm hamlet of 100 houses perhaps sixty
persons from the village and the vicinage
make a daily pilgrimage of a distance of
from one block to two miles from the
home 70 the postoffice, to find out
whether there is any mail or not;
and a hundred more persons within
the circle of the Office do not find it
convenient to 60 to the postoftice oitener
than once a week. One hundred or more
persons each day, in all weathers. are max
ing trips to the postoffice. often at greatpsr-
sonal Inconvenience and discomfort, when
single carrier could oncs or twice
O. day make tna ROUND Oh Ine VII
lage and distribute the mail, and
save the hundred a daily unnecessary
tramp. collecting at the same time from the
letter boxes, located at the street corners,
the mail to be forwarded. A newspaper
brought every day to the door Of the farmer
or workman who has no one to go to the
postoffice for it would find thankful sub.
scriber and light new lamp in the house
hold.
True enough, the village or crossroads
inhabitants, or the dweller on the farm,
chooses his home for his family and might
live in the city, where gas and water and
mails are brought to his door; but when
people everywhere pay the same rate of
postage, why should one portion Of them
have mail facilities denied to other
portions? Is it fair to the rural locai-
ties to refuse postal service equal to that
provided for the cities? Is it not reflection
on the intelligence and aspirations Of the
farmer and the artisan to ignore his need OF
the conveniences Of correspondence and OF
supplies of newspapers and magazines? Does
it not retard the settlement Of country dis
tricts to neglect to provide, in some form or
other, means for at least daily intercourse
with the rest of the worlds"