The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-07
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
ITS REIfIRKaBEE GROWTH AVID
BENEFICIAL REsULTS

| Assistant Postmastcr-GensraIH Heath says
| II Can No Longer lie Considered ns u.
Experiment, hut Hss to be Dealt with
ms nm Established Agency of Progress.
WASHINGTON. Nov 5.-First Assistant Post.
master General Heath. 10 a special report o,
| the free rural delivery service. says there has
been nothing in the history OF tho postal
service Of the United States so remark.
| able a. the growth OF the rural free
| delivery system. within the past two years.
largely by the aid Of tho people them
selves who. In appreciation OF the help NJ
hand which the Government extended to them,
had met these advantages half way. II had
implanted itself so firmly upon postal adm n
istration that II could no longer be considered
In the Light OF an experiment. but had TO 10
dealt with as an established agency OF prog
ress. awaiting only the action OF the Congress
to determine how rapidly It should be de-
vsloped. He thinks the facts set forth in the
report demonstrate that the FREQ delivery Of
malls in rnral com munitics can be widely c1-
tended with great benefit to the people and
with little cost to the revenue. and that whom
ever the system had been iudclously inaugu-
rated. with purposb to mako It n success. ID
had been followed by these beneficial results:
j. Increased postal receipts More letters
are written and received. More newsparers
and magazines are subscribed for. 50 mark ed
10 this advancement that quite a number Of
rural routes already pay for themselves BY the
additional business they bring.
=. Enhancement OF the value OF farm lands
reached by rural free delivery. This increase
Of value has been estimated at as high as IS
per acre In some States. A moderate estimate
Ia from So to 50 per acre.
.. general improvement OF the condition OF |
the roads traverssi by the rural carriers. In /
the heHtern Str'ea pspscialiy u
o' good roads has been prsreIuisite for the /
establishment OF rural free delivery service.
10 one coun ~ Indiana a special agent rel
over $1,000 TO grade and gravel road In orierI
to obtain rural free delivery.
e. Better prices obtained for farm projucts
the prolucsr. being brought into daily toucn al
with the state OF the markets. aud thus being
en,soeu 70 take nnvnntage OF Information here
.; To these material advantages may BE-
added the educational benefits conferred owl
relieving the monotony OF farm life through
ready access TO wholesome literature. and the /
se,n.ng 81 Al rnra! res,irntS the Young people
stirring events Of the day The moral value OF
i hies, e,t,li%'ng influences can not be too
Mr. Heath traces the growth OF the rural free
delivery system from lis beginning In 1885,
iablsh.d, under an appropriation Of si0'OpD.
down to tho present. With :lS} routes IN opera:
Msss.pp Montan ana and TWi somngy are rsn IN.
SSh', tuue Juns 81 last Sl.pWO was u
pended: the pieces Of mail matter coIIsct.i
and distributed numbered agl2Do7 aud tns
population served aggregated 2i3tjOI in
mbbI square miles AZ the date named
3ol carriers were employed In ~.
service. and the length Of their
com hined routes was S.0s' IN les The appro-
prlhtinn Tor the current fiscal year was
S3uOUV. the Increase permitting the e.tab-
Ishmsnt OF 2f3 new routes for the beneht oil
nearly $4,000 persons. or at an annual cost oil
~ cents per capita. without taking into ac-
count the great Increase m postal receir'.
averaging between So and a. Der cent or the
saving by discoHiinuance ~ minor Post Offlc.s Il
This Is contLa''"i with free urban d-liveryt
in towns Of 1000 inhabitants. where tho ysnr VI
cost Ia o. 20 PER capita. with no Increase in rel
mas already bscn hrlo TONED. and the depart.I
mont Will he unable to act on the multitude ~
Dstitions Tor service until Congress provides
further funds.
The only hostility to the establishment Of
rural ftee delivery, sny> the report comes |
from fourth c'ass rOstmastrra and st,r
route contractors, The former obIect-
ing because II decreases their receip,s,
and the latter because OF tho conse.
guent scontinuance OF routes. On the other
hand. the state oranges OF Patrons of Hus-
bandry Fave strongly urgoi the extension Of
the service as being greatly to the pcusnt ~
the farmer One Missouri farmer estimated
that In the Inst flteen years he had walked or
driven 21.OEl miles to md from the Post Oiilcs
to get his mail, but he was saved any further
trouble no n 10y Tree rural lpliyefy