Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-11-28

justilles the belief that the revenues In
the rural districts will increase iivefold
over what they have under the condi-
tons heretofore prevailing.
THE department IL unable even with
the liberal appropriations made by the
Congress, TO meet the pressing and Jus
tiilable demands for the service.
I'm fact, the Appropriation for the
year ended June 80, 1908, Will be 30 far
used by Jan. next that no new routes
can be established after that date, un-
less an additional appropriation Is
made by the Congress that win be inn
medlately available.
IT MAKES PROGRESS.
Five years of experiment In this
service added to several months ex-
perlence under permanent organization
controlled by the civil service regula-
lions governing other branches OF the
postal service, have demonstrated that
all the claims heretofore advanced In
advocacy OF the extension Of rural free
delivery and its adoption as perma-
nent feature Of postal administration
have been sustained.
INCREASED POSTAL RECEIPTS.
1T was said that its development
would increase postal receipts. Every
route established with one or two eX-
cepti0ns, land these have been recent
~ ordered discontinued), has shown u
marked and continuous Increase OF mail
matter delivered and collected, attrib-
| utable solely TO the facilities afforded.
In this connection II will also be in
| terestng to note that rural free delivery
| carriers received applications during
| the past year for 625. 946 money orders.
1T was claimed that rural delivery
| would increase the value OF farm lands.
| Official reports indicate that In com
| munites served by rural free delivery
| Isolated farms have been enhanced In
| value because OF that service at an ay-
| erage rate of at least per cent In the
| older settled states, and In the more
| remote states and territories, where
postal facilities have heretofore been
| few and far between, the increase Of
value has been much greater.
FARMERS AND THE MARKETS,
| 1T was asserted that to bring the
| farmers into close touch with the mar
| kets would enable them to obtain bet
| ter prices for their products. Specific
| instances have been brought to the at
| tention of the department where the
| prompt delivery of livestock quotations
| indicating a temporary glut In the mar
| ket, to farmers intending 10 ship to the
| stockyards, by enabling them 10 hold
back their shipments till the markets
| resumed their normal conditions, has
saved to individual cattle raisers more
| than the total cost OF one years rural
/ delivery over the routes on which they
| lived On the other hand, In many in
stances, information Of an advance In
the prices Of particular farm products
has reached the grower, by means Of
rural free delivery, In time to enable
him to make a much more profitable
bargain with his commission merchant
than he could otherwise have done.
EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS.
Lastly, the claim was made that all
these material advantages would be
equaled If not surpassed by the social
aud educational benefits conferred In
relieving the monotony OF rural life, by
bringing city and country into close
connection, and giving the farmer an
opportunity Of keeping abreast with
the rest of the world, through the daily
receipt Of his newspapers and CORE"
spondence, as had hitherto been en-
ioyed exclusively by the city man. How
thoroughly these features OF the service
have justified the claims made In their
behalf is known to all who are familiar
with the operation Of the rural free de-
livery system,
| IN SMALL TOWNS.
with the extension Of rural free de-
livery thss actively progressing COM
plants arise In otner communities.
Cities of 10000 population, or $4,000
gross postal receipts. receive free de-
livery service at least twice day, IT
many cases Oftener. Residents OF re-
mote rural districts to which the rura
ct''fice hpo hncn extended have a free
delivery of mail brought within reac
VI tnein Cace u day. residents of towns
Of less than 10000 population or $4,000
gross postal receipts. have no free de-
livery at all. There Is popular de-
mand, which is based on equity and
reason, that the space which now in
tervenes between city and rural service
should be diminished by extending free
delivery to towns Of not fewer than
5000 population, or not less than $1,000
gross postal receipts.
POSTAL CHECKS.
millions OF our people live more or
less remote from any postofiice, and a
very large proportion Of them are not
able to buy money orders or bank
drafts without great inconvenience. II
is not unreasonable TO expect from the
government that it will provide an
easy, convenient and safe method 10
transmit small sums, say 81 or less in
amount. without putting the sender to
the inconvenience and expense which
now obtains In the purchase Of a draft
or postoffice money order
~ urge upon Congress the impor-
lance of passing some law. so that our
people may have the advantage OF II
at as early a date as possible. Hun
dreds Of thousands OF letters carrying
small amounts in silver or postage
stamps are transmitted every year
through the mails These letters are a
constant temptation 10 those handling
them, as Il IL easy to identify letters
inclosing currency.
with the extension OF the rural free
delivery service 10 the remote parts OF
the country, the use Of the proposed
postal checks would go far 10 provide
the relief so urgently demanded. as II
would conveniently serve those sections
Of the country not heretofore covered
by or adjacent 20 money-order offices
or the banks OF the country"
The largest items OF expense ms
shown by the report are: Railway
transportation, s3l, 100000; compensa-
ton OF postmasters, s2O.7S9,s 1887, and
free delivery service. sl7 ,i23 5000.
LEGISLATIVE RECoMMENDA-
TIONS.
"The following recommendations fol
legislation, some Of which have here.
tofore been made. are submitted for the