Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1900-05-04
Rural Free Delivery.

TTce DcllyCrys
"ihe credit of rural free delivery be-
longs almost exclusively to the McHin-
ley administration" said Hon. Perry s.
Heath, First Assistant Postmaster Gem
erai. N movement to broaden the free
delivery of the mails was begun by
Postmaster General Wanamaker under
the administration of Gen. Harrison. 1t
took the form of village free delivery.
ana extended. as an experiment. the
plan OF delivering mails by carriers,
as existing in cities of 10000 popula-
tion or $4,000 gross postal receipts. to
forty or fifty selected villages of less
population and smaller postal receipts.
The experiment was IL success as far
as it Went, but the succeeding Demo-
cratic administration. fearing it's effect
IN poularizing Republican principles
ana disseminating Republican litera-
ture. ordered it dropped.
ut WAS IL Republican administration
that conceived and executed the idea
of Frightening the home OF the farm
or, educating his children, increasing
the value of his land, compelling the
Improvement of his roads, and giving
him ready access TO 1t market for his
crops by carrying the United States
mills to him OH his farm.
Since the 18th of March, 1897, nearly
100000 rural homes in all parts of the
United States have been brought into
close touch with the rest of the world
by a daily visit of the rural postman.
THE initiation of some form of free
delivery which SHOULD reach the here
tofore isolated rural communities, was
forced upon the last Administration III
its closing year by C~cnagess. I'd nsi<,
to the wishes of the eofkAA@To43SN 4
rural experiments We're reluctantly
started, some of them in communities
which neither asked nor appreciated
the service. 1t was difficult to find
such localities. but some were found,
and the service was started there, ap-
parently with the purpose of bringing
rural free delivery into disrepute and
demonstrating it's impractica5ility.
ut is possible this result might have
been achieved in time, but under the
v%ivifying influence of a Republican pos
tai policy, rural free delivefE at once
sprung into vigorous life. The appro-
priations were Increased by Congress
from $4,000 the first year to $50, 600
the second year. and S450,O0O the third
year. On the I'd of April, 1900, close
upon 1000 rural routes had been estab-
lished. some of them serving as many
as twelve or fifteen hundred peoph
daily, the average being $50 persons to
q route. Not one State which has asked
for the service has been left unrepre-
scented. The good work is still going
on. Nothing short of Il revolution can
nov check it.
"Ihrce years experience has shown
that tho rural free delivery service is
not inordinately expensive. 1t costs
very little more than the old colonial
style OF postal service, which it SUPER
sedes, and it invariably brings a large
and -compensating increase in The
amount of the mail matter handled, and
consequently in the amount of postal
receipts turned into the treasury. Bue4
eve If it does cost more than the obso-
lete old plan. are not the farmers en-
titled TO some of the benefits of the
government which they help so LIBERAL
ly to support by their taxation?
"The country can well afford to con-
tinue and extend q system which
makes better citizens. happier homes.
and contributes so largely to the mem
tai. moral and material Advancement
OF the plain people,