New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-23
FROM THE MALL.
MAIL DELIVERY IN THE COUNTRY.
SOME ARGUMENTS IN IT'S FAyoR-TIIE QUESTION


MAI. DELIVERY IN THE COUNTRY.
soME ARGUMENTS IN ITS FAvoR-THE QUESTION
or EXPENSE.
To the Editor OF The Tribune
Sir; II Is matter on which jewellers in the coun-
try may congratulate themselves that there Is
probability OF free mall delivery in the rural %-
gions before many years. The fact that an APP
propraton for testing free rural delivery mas peeh
approved by Congress Is one Of the encouraghg
signs OF the movement. But the real reason |hy
free country delivery must come Is that the farm
ing portion of the community needs H. ana Is
awakening to the fact that they need II, and ought
10 have IT, The local country press and the aBri-
cultural papers are advocating the movement ana
farmers themselves are asking why they shouu
not have one daily delivery when dweliers In large
cities have a mail delivery ever hour or TWO IL
Is a vast waste OF time IN the country to be COM
PEELED TO drive for the mail from one to five miles
when crops arc calling for every moment OF the
farmers spare time A man on horseback. or ri1-
ing I'm a light roadcart or bicycle. could dis
tribute over large area at no more cost IMAM II
would amount 70 for one farmer 10 neglect MS
work 1t is doubtless true that farmers would
take many more periodicals OF all kinds, including
daily newspapers. II they were delivered at their
doors daily The farmer would thereby keep In
closer touch with the world. his intellectual wants
would be better served, and he would naturally
p1tronize the mail more he would write more Ie'-
ters and be a better business man.
II may not be known how largely country people
are already using various makeshfts while waiting
for free delivery to come. Many stage-drvers who
carry bags Of mail TO country postofices have
orders from people living along the routes to Keep
their mall out Of the pouches, II being addressed
the distributing office, and deliver TO them IN
person the stage passes. Milkmen driving daily
over certain roads. carry the mail to many some
times to all. Of the houses that they pass. Mall
boxes erected by the roadside 50 that the mall
carrier need not stop, and a whistle or a shout or
a Jingle from bell notifies the HORSEPOWER OF the
malls arrival. Letters 20 be mailed are placed IN
a slit 80 as 10 be easily seen as the carrier passes.
The great bugaboo in the way Of free rural de-
livery Is the cost But many would be surprised AT
the cheapness with which the service could be made.
stage-drl vers. mlkmen and others would perform
the service for low rate. The writer mas MS man
brought daily and put in mail box by a kindly
neighbor. The latter. when running milk route
In a Sound village. carried the mail for every house
over several miles Of country road and never asked
expected any reward. unless some little present
holiday time. 1t Is not at all improbable that
rural delivery would pay for the additional cost OF
establishing 1t. Even II 1t was not wholly self
sustaining at first. this Government could well
afford to carry service that would add so much
to the webelng OF the country people. so many many
Of the year that the benefits would not accrue TO
The experiment. lately tried. of free delivery In
small villages was not altogether favorably com
Without impugnng his motives. II may BE- said that
1t IL possible that the reports he received on free
village ueUNtrN were CooIfu ny prtooHdi
prejudice or self-interest.
Many postofhces in village shops. and, the
shOp-keepers the postmasters. They would not
naturally favor free carrier delivery because II
would lessen the number OF people calling at the
store and lessen their sales. 1t Is well-known
fact that the store with postoflce in It gets more
trade than It would without the postofice. The
writer told by both the postmaster and the
carrier at village whore free delivery tested
New Canaan. Conn.-that the service was extremely
popular there. The carrier said that II the Govern
ment ceased to pay him for delivering the mail at
houses he could earn Just large a salary from
what householders would pay him 10 continue de-
llverfng the mail 1t hardly be doubted that
free delivery in all easily accessible parts OF the
country Will soon be established fact The men
who recognize this benefcent movement will find
out that they have ranged themselves on the peo-
PIES side Of the question. c. II. c.
Springdale, Conn. June Il. 1894. 6