The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-11-06
Mr.. HEATH'S GOOD WORK
RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF THE RU-
RAJ FREE-DELIvERY SYSTEM.
Indiana Second I'm the List Of States
of the Postal Experiment.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 5.-First Assistant
Postmaster General Heath has been kind TO
his own State Indiana) in the establishment
Of rural free delivery routes and in the ex-
tension of that branch Of the service has
taken care that fair share of fayors went
there. Out Of 3S3 services Indiana has A,
being second on the list. Ohio leading OF
with 80: Iowa is third, with 23. The pop
ulation served is 22.S34;- area Of square
miles covered. 63s; number of carriers en-
gagged 30; aggregate length Of routes, SoS
miles.
The underlying reason why Mr.. Heath
has given Indiana and Ohio such an excel
lent show i= the high average conditions Of
the roads. Good iodds are a requisite to
the establishment of a rural free delivery
service and Indiana can truthfully boast
of higher standard in that respect than
any State in the Union. Such being the
case, she has a right TO expect continu-
alton of the departments favor as Con-
gress makes additional provisions for the
extension of the system.
Mr.. Heath, in an exhaustive report on
rural free delivery made public to-day, an
nounces with pride that 1t is a grand sue
cess and that it has been found far more
beneficial than its promoters and cham
a country district have been furnished the
service they have felt at once the advan-
tages of a closer communication with near
by centers of population and the world at
large. The quickening life is reflected in
the e.value of farm lands, more intelligent
disposition of farm products and enlarged
social and business activity. The people in
areas served by ruraI free delivery take
more papers and periodicals and are placed
on a par with city folks in the essentials
that make existence endurable.
Rural free delivery is one of Mr.. Heath's
pet specialties. He has watched its de-
velopment and assisted in the process to
the very best of his ability ever since he
entered on the discharge Of his dudes as
first assistant postmaster general. The first
year he only had $4,000 to spend in expert
ments this year he had 100000, and the
demand for the establishment of new SER
vices grew TO such proportions that months
ago he had to shut down further en-
largements of the service. 1t has long since
emerged from the experimental state and
has become recognized one of the indis-
pensable adjuncts of the postal work. Con-
gress may have to appropriate sl.000.O00 for
next year. The pressure upon country
members will be heavy.
1T is small matter to a resident of
town." says the report, Ito be saved
walk of few hundred yards to the post
office, while, on the contrary, it is a great
| accommodation 10 the farmer to be spared
a drive of five or ten miles over country
| roads to get his mail. In a recent public
discussion advocates of the system who
took the value OF the time thus lost in the
| busy farming season at only so cents per
rAot nai-
many millions OF dollars lost TO the agri-
cultural interests through being obliged to
| send TO the village for the mails. Rural
carriers are shortly to be authorized to re-
ceive and receipt for letters for registra-
| ton. as city carriers do now.''
The report recommends the adoption of
| some uniform style of mail box for the
| rural free-delivery service with two COM
| partments. one for delivery and one for col.
| lection. with one key for the carrier to
| open the collection compartments of all the
boxes and a key for the delivery COM
partment TO be furnished to each patron
| OF the delivery. These boxes are TO be put
| I'D and kept in repair by the Postoffice De-
| partment for rental al moderate prices.
which would not only pay the government
| interest on its investment, but yield a re-
enue. The rural mail boxes would thus
/ have thrown around them the undisputed
protection of the United States laws. BY
| illustration IL is shown that the rural serv-
| ice at West Chester, Pa, not only paid for
| itself, but left in the nine months of its
| operation, up 10 Sept 80, balance Of 1893,
after delivering l55.s05 pieces of mail mat
ter at the doors OF the farmers.
The reports Of hostility OF postmasters
| and from star-route contractors are dis
missed as having no substantial grounds.
/ and as animated by no desire for the public
| good.
| A modification of the postal laws is rec
commended to permit star-route messengers
under special appointment and oath to per-
| form rural free-delivery service. -Four ad-
ditional postal wagon routes. with auxiliary
carriers in the travelling rural postofice.
whose experimental operation in Carroll
county. Maryland. has attracted general in
terest. is recommended