New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-08
FREE RURAL MAIL DELIVERY.

The report Of First Assistant Postmaster
General Heath on the recent free rural mail
delivery experiments that were mnde In ac-
cOrdance with an act Of Congress has becV
published. In order 10 make the trials OF free
delivery cover all the conditions of the mail
service they were made In Twenty-Five States
and on forty-four different routes. There Is
little doubt that free rural delivery will be a
success in the dcnsely settled regions Of the East.
But it was essential to find out what would be
It's cost In the sparsely settled communities OF the
South and West, where there are few railroads
and where the transportation Of the mails Is
comparatively expensive. This has been done.
Experimental free rural deliveries We're estab-
liShed in the mountainous regions OF Arkansas,
in the back settlements Of Illinois along the
rough banks Of the Missouri. in the unsurvcyed
districts of Southwest Kentucky, in the rolling
uplands of Michigan and IN the negro settle
mcnts of Virginia Such diversified tests ought
certainly TO include all the problems OF rural
mail delivery. and naturally. therefore, they
ought to throw light on the question whether
any general system of rural free delivery Is
practicable.
According to Mr. Heath. they indicate that
the time has come when n free delivery for the
the results Of the experiments, he says:
According 10 the varying conditions OF the
country traversed, the rural carriers perform
their services on horseback or riding in buck
boards buggies. two-wheelcd carts or on bicy
Ces In some States they have 10 cross farms
and pull down bars and ride over fields to de-
liver and collect their mails. In nc instance has
any serious complaint been made Of this inva-
sion OF private rights. ON the contrary. the
corporation OF the communities served has In
f,,gf 1aap Oh
given. The farmers, ut their own cost. have put
up boxes at the crossroads and ut all other con-
vencnt places for the reception OF the malls
The general results obtained have been 20 sat
isfactory as to suggest the feasibility OF making
rural delivery q permanent feature ot postal
administration IN tho United States. not i'm
mediately or In all districts at once, but In some
gradual and graduated form
Az Congress authorized these experiments
simply in order TO test the possibilities OF n gen
cral free delivery before establishing II, the
practical success Of the experiments will prob
ably result In the Introduction OF n rural free
delivery bill at the coming session Of Congress
Whether such n bill, however viii become a
law Is somewhat uncertain There = no doubt
Of course that free delivery would be- cordially
welcomed by the farmers. Nor is there any
doubt that general free delivery would help
10 promote civilization and intelligence. But
the Introduction OF free delivery In every part
OF the country would make n very large annual
deficit in the Postofcc Department for many
years 10 come. and 1t is not clear that the people
are prepared TO shoulder this burden, especially
as many Of the large cities including New York
need much larger postal appropriations than
they now receive, and which the establishment
OF rural free delivery would make II impossible
for them 10 receive. 1t would, however, he On
tirey feasible 10 extend free delivery 10 all
communities where I. would entail little add
tional expense, with the understanding that II
would be still further extended when possible.
This would be simply carrying out the present
policy Of the Department, which is 10 give free
delivery to communities whose population In
sures n certain amount Of postal business. In
this way n general free delivery OF mall would
be reached gradually without inoriinately In
creasng the deficit Of the PostOfiice Depart
mcnt.