The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-04-23
RURAL FREE DELIVERY
NEARLY 100000 COUNTRY HOMES
NOW SEE UNCLE SANS POsTMEN.
First Assistant Postmaster General
Heath Tells of the Develop
ment of the System.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, April 22-''The credit of
rural free delivery belongs almost exclu-
sively to the Mckinley administration
said Hon. Perry s. Heath. first assistant
postmaster general tonight "A move
ment to broaden the free delivery of the
mails was begun by Postmaster General
Wanamaker under the administration of
General Harrison. 1t took the form Of viii
lage free delivery. and extended, as an ex-
pertinent, the plan of delivering mails by
carriers. as existing in cities Of ten thou
sand population $4,000 gross postal re-
ceipts, to forty or fifty selected villages Of
less population and smaller postal receipts.
The experiment was a success as far as II
went, but the succeeding Democratic ad-
ministration, fearing its effect in popular
izing Republican principles and dissemin-
ating Republican literature, ordered it
dropped.
.It was Republican administration that
conceived and executed the idea of bright
ening the home of the farmer. educating
his children, increasing the value of his
land, compelling the improvement Of his
roads. and giving him ready access to a
market for his crops by carrying the
United States mails to him on his farm.
'Since the 4th of March, 1897, nearly one
hundred thousand rural homes in all parts
of the United States have been brought
into close touch with the rest of the world
by daily visit of the rural postman.
The initiation of some form of free de-
livery which should reach the heretofore
isolated rural communities was forced
upon the last administration in its closing
year by Congress, responsive TO the wishes
of the people. Forty-four rural EXPERT
ments were reluctantly started. some of
them In communities which neither asked
nor appreciated the service 1t was diff
cult to find such localities but some were
found. and the service was started there,
apparently with the purpose of bringing
rural free delivery into disrepute and
demonstrating it's impracticability.
1T Is possible this result might have been
achieved In time. but under the vivifying
influence of a Republican postal policy
orous life. The appropriations were in
creased by Congress from $4,000 the first
year to $4,000 the second year, and $450. 900
the third year. On the I'd of April, 1900
close upon one thousand rural routes had
been established, some cf them serving as
many as twelve or fifteen hundred people
daily. the average being $50 persons TO a
route. Not one State which has asked for
the service has been left unrepresented.
The good work Is still going on. Nothing
short OF revolution can now check IL.
Three years experience has shown that
the rural free delivery service is not inordi-
nately expensive. 1t costs very little more
than the old colonial style OF postal service,
which IT supersedes. and II invariably
brings large and compensating increase
in the amount OF mail matter handled, and
consequently, In the amount of postal re-
ceipts turned into the treasury. But even II
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 literally to support by their
taxation?
1.-The country can we'll afford to continue
and extend system which makes better
citizens, happier homes and contributes so
largely to the mental. moral and material
advancement of the plain people"