The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1901-03-22
Cecil Farmers Club.

The March meeting of the Cecil
Farmers Club was held at the
beautiful and commodious home of
Robt. 7. Cameron, near Principle,
on Wednesday. The following
members answered to roll call !:
Prest., A. J. Kitchener; cor. Sec,
M. G. Reeder; Alfred Kirk, II. II.
Kirk, r. X. Rawlings, Jos. I.
Grove, Jas. II. Maxwell, Robt. T.
Cameron, A. r. Brown, M. L.
Thompson and j. p. Wilson. The
visitors present were Messrs. VIM.
R. Cameron and Frank r. Cherry.
Owing to the absence of the record.
ing secretary, j. P. Wilson was
appointed pro tenn.
The matter of extending the
membership of the club to include
the families of the members, which
was informally discussed at the last
meeting, was taken up and elected
a spirited talk. All spoke favor
ably from a personal standpoint,
but upon consulting those most
interested at home and in conform
ity to their wishes the motion was
negatived.
A change in the wording of Art.
s of the bylaws was enacted,
which limits the membership to IS,
with two thirds of the active roll a
quorum.
The committee appointed to
secure information regarding the
workings of the rural free mail de-
livtry reported having heard fav-
orably from the system In Chester
county, Pa, and Hartford and Car.
roll counties, Md. The committee
was continued, with instructions to
confer with proper authorities at
Washington and report at next
meeting.
The call for experiments did not
yield the usual number of new
ventures in hitherto unexplored
fields, this not being a season for
crop experiments. The dairy in
terest and the balanced ration came
in for due share of praise and
criticism. That conceded necessary
adjunct to dairy, bran, when in
those huge bales, known to the
trade as sacked bran, was roundly
condemned.
When called upon for his essay
the host responded with the follow
ing paper:
RURAL MAIL DELIVERY.
Because Of the interest it bears to the
farmer, present few facts for our con.
sideration on the rural mail delivery.
The system of free mail delivery in the
rural districts has passed the experimental
stage and its success is an accomplished
fact. Although for many years its insti-
| tuition had been agitated in a desultory
way. | believe it remained for Mr.. Wan
aulaker, Postmaster General under the
Harrison administration, to place il in
practical operation. Securing for exper.
iment small appropriation, he estab-
lished few routes in some of the most
densely settled rural communities in the
New England States.
Its success was instant in both eco
nomics and financial features. Unfortu-
nately circumstances prevented the ex.
tension of this branch of the postal service
at that time. Within the past three
years, however, the demand for this in
stltution has become so insistent that II
could not be overlooked. In consequence,
as available appropriations permit, free
delivery routes are being established In
many rural and suburban districts. and
not one that has not been pronounced
success. From published reports the
receipts of the newly established routes
doubled within few months of their
existence; few to the extent of doubling
their service, or establishing two deliv.
cries daily.
From West Chester, Pa, the seat OF
Chester county, four routes have recently
been established; yet within this short
time the amount of mail handled has been
doubled. The carriers cover 20 miles
each per day with team. over routes insti.
tuted by agents of the Department. The
carriers furnish their own teams, and have
recently been paid four hundred, lately
increased to five hundred dollars per wear.
The advantages of the system are
obvious. 1t practically brings the post
| Office to every mans door. With its dailv
newspaper delivery 1t lays each day before
the farmer the market of the world It
tells him where to buy best, to sell to
the greatest advantage. 1t puts him in
daily touch with the worlds pulse. It is
safe and rapid means of communication
and places the farmer beyond the neces
slty OF going to the vii age TO hear the
news 1t exhibits before the good wife
the beautiful bargains that delight her
thrifty soul. 1t facilitates business. edu.
Gates the community.
Free delivery is coming, and coming 10
stay. A bill has already been before
Congress TO appropriate large sum for
this purpose. The success or failure of its
passage rests largely on the interest or the
indifference of the rural residents
AS a consequence, farmers and all others
interested i'll the establishment of this
system, need, through their Congressman,
to demand recognition not only as to its
possibility but as fact accomplished.
In calling for criticism, there
seemed a general approval and the
concensus of opinion was that the
Farmers Club take the initiatory
steps towards procuring the bene
fits of a free delivery in this CON-
munity.