Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-05-12
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
Nearly 100000 Country Homes See
Uncle Snlu,s rOstmau.

Nearly 100000 Country Homes See
Uncle Sans Postman.
Washington-"rhe credit Of rural
free delivery belongs almost exclu-
siyely to the Mckinley administra-
tion," said Hon. Perry S. Heath, first
assistant postmaster general. "a
movement to broaden the free deliv-
cry OF the mails was begun by Post
master General Wannamaker under
the administration Of President Harri-
son. 1t took the form of village free
delivery, and extended, al an expert
ment, the plan of delivering mail by
carriers, as existing In cities of 10000
population, or 10000 gross postal re-
ceipts, TO forty or fifty selected viii
lagos of less population and smaller
postal receipts. The experiment was
IA success as far as il went, but the
succeeding democratic administra-
ton, In p%opularizing republican prin-
ciples and disseminating republican
literature, ordered it dropped.
ut was a republican administration
that conceived and executed the fdea
of Frightening the home of the far
mer, educating his children, increas-
ing the value of his land, compelling
the Improvement of his roads, and
giving him ready access to n market
for his crops by carrying the United
States mails TO him on his farm.
''Since the 4th of March, 1897, near
~ 100000 rural homes in all parts of
the United States have been brought
into close touch with the rest of the
world 10y n daily visit of the rural
postman.
"The initiation of some form of
free delivery which should reach the
heretofore isolated rural communities
was forced upon the last administra-
ton in its closing year by congress,
responsive to the wishes of the peo-
pie. Forty-four rural experiments
were reluctantly started, some of
them in communities which neither
asked o appreciated the service. Ii
was difficult to find such localities,
but such were found, and the service
was started there, apparently with
the purpose OF bringing rural free de-
livery into d%isrepute and demonstrate
ing its impracticability.
1T is possible that this result might
have been achieved i'm time, but under
the v~ivifying influence of n republican
postal policy rural free delivery at
once sprung into vigorous life. The
appropriations were increased by con-
grcss from $4,000 the first year to
$l50,000 the second year, and to $780,
600 the third year. On the I'd of April,
1900, close upon 1000 rural routes had
been established, some of them serv-
ing as many AS 1900 or 1900 people
daily, the average being $50 persons to
a route. No one state which has
asked for the service has been I'M
represented. The good work is still
going on. Nothing short of a revolu-
ton can now check it.
"Thrcc years experience has shown
that the rural free delivery service is
not Unfortunately expensive. 1t costs
very little more than the old colonial
style of postal service, which il super
scdes, and il invariably brings a large
and compromising increase i'm the
amount of the mail matter handled,
and consequently in the amount of
postal receipts turned into the treas
ury. But even if il does cost more
than the obsolete old plan, are not
the farmers entitled to some of the
benefits of the government which
they help so literally to support by
their taxation?
"Thc country can well afford to con-
tinue and extend n system which
makes better citizens, happier homes
and contributes so largely TO the ma
~terial, mental and moral advancement
of the plain people"