Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-08-28
OF iNESHMABLe VALUE.
Free Delivery Gives the Farmers The Oppor
tunities Of those Living in the Cities.

1T is one Of the greatest benefits the
farmers can have" said b. Walker
McKeen, secretary Of the State Board
Of Agriculture. when asked what the
effect of the rural free delivery would
have on the farming sections. and IFS
influences. one of the most import
ant results II that il gives the farmer
a chance tl get q daily paper every
day. ana that is Of the greatest benefit
not only to him but also to every mem
Der of his family.
No. the farmers do not take daily
papers unless they live next door to the
pOstotiice. You see that If they should
ana do not have opportunities for re
CeiVing a daily mail they lose interest
in the current events as they occur and
do not care TO read of something tina;
the papers say will happen, day 81
two after it does happen. a weekly
paper meets their requirements much
better. There they have everything
summed up ana there Is no necessity
for their taking a daily paper which
they do not want when it is old With
the free rural delivery they can have
the papers every day.
l
tends to keep the young people as well
as the old acquainted with the doings
of the outside world by causing the
young people To write more letters. II
often happens now that after letter
is written it is necessary to walk sev-
eral miles to get to the postofiice or they
must get the neighbors to carry thu
letter Then it may be that there Is
not a stamp in the house. The letter
writing is put off and put off in conSa-
quence t. more convenient day with
the result that many Of the intended
letters are never written. In that way
the children lose an interest in the out
side world and their minds are con
fined wholly to the limits of their own
neighborhood.
Eut give them an opportunity to mail
ana receive letters every day ana ii
will be but short time before they
will have as much interest in their
friends who live in other states as in
those in their own neighborhood.
Yes there is ana has been for some
time something like a free delivery. bul
ID is taken advantage of by only very
few from necessity They are the peo-
pie living On the route of the mail car
ricr. In my section of the State We
have private mailing bags which are
made up through the courtesy of the
postmaster. He is not allowed To take
any pay for his work and if mora
should make the same demand on him
he would be obliged to stop the prac-
tice. The mail carrier is paid s. a year
by the patrons for making the delivery
of the bags. A person may live but a
hundred yards off from the main road,
Yet he is forbidden the use Of the mail
privileges as granted to US.
Given the free rural delivery ann
the boys will be more content 10
stay on the farms. They will have aC-
cess to the outside world. They will
have opportunities for knowing every
thing that is going on in the outside
world and will be brought in touch
with their friends living in other
states They will have the same on
portunity to hear from their friends
as their brothers in the cities do. Jus;
stop and consider. When a place IS
offered for sale one of the first things
put in the advertisement is that Of the
distance Of the place from the post
office. That alone shows how much
the postoffice means to the farmer.
II have heard just one person object
to the rural free delivery. He is Il
postmaster in the western part of the
State whose postoflicc will be abolished
if the system is in operation. He open
~ acknowledges that his is a selfish
opposition, and says that except in his
own personal case the rural free de-
livery will be a good thing