The Savannah morning news., 1903-02-28
WATSON WORKED
| FOR RURAL DELIVERY
The Part the Georgian Played in the Undertaking
While in Congress.

Tree delivery In towns and villages,
but the experiment had not been made
for free delivery OF country mails.
Who would have thought that tho
good work begun by this distinguish
ed Georgian ten years ago would have
grown to such magnitude in so short
period of time? When this amend
ment was introduced, the public mind
had not grasped the importance OF
this subject, and few comprehended
the great good that would flow from
this humble beginning in so short d
period.
In 1897 the appropriate grew TO
$4,000, and only forty-four routes were
established. In 1899 the appropriation
was increased to $3.50, 900, and the
routes had grown to 391. In 1900 $780,
00G was appropriated for this purpose,
and the number of routes increased to
4,S01. And in 1902, $S,99,740 was Gppro
priated for the same purpose. and the
routes laid off and put in operation
had increased to SAG. OnENov. /, H.,
GEO routes had been established and
the carriers engaged in taking the
mails to the farmers Travelled 275, 600
miles Of country roads to Serve about
1000, 0e02of the strictly fufdl popula-
ton of the United States The area
covered by these routes is fully 100000
square miles. F
"The popular demand for the further
extension of this service has been so
great as to force Congress to appro-
pirate $12,000,00Q during the present
session to further extend this service.
There is no reason to expect a de-
crease in this popular demand for ru-
raj free delivery until all available
sections Of the country have been COW
cred by the service. Wherever this
CarNipa 70 hIichaH hoe
been a sturdy and healthy increase in
the gross receipts of the postoffices in
the locality in which free delivery has
been put in operation, and there has
also been large increase in the rev.
enues and, in all probability when the
system is thoroughly established the
increased receipts will more than meet
the increased expenditures.
The popular demand and the mar
velous growth of this great work dem
onstrate that the farmers are bene-
fitted by the service. On July /, 1901
4,301 free delivery routes were in OPP
GRAFTON, and during the year 4165
routes were established, an average
Of 347 a month. The service practical
ly doubled in twelve months. On
July l, 1901, 10,243 petitions had been
filed with the Postoffice Department
asking for free rural delivery routes
During the year 1902 u, 403 additional
petitions were filed. Thus it will be
seen that the number of petitions re-
ceived during this last year exceeded
by over two thousand the total num-
Der filed heretofore. This is the high
est evidence Of the increasing popu-
larity of rural free delivery and shows
a universal desire from the people for
the completion of the service through
out the country. The report of The
Postmaster General shows that from
the beginning the demand for the serv-
ice has far exceeded the ability of the
department to establish it, and that
since July l, 1902 about 2,400 petitions
have been received-about 500 per
month. The demands are growing ev-
cry day for the completion of the serv-
ice. The Postmaster General informs
us that the requests for this service
are usually accompanied by the ex-
pressed expectation of the petitioners
that the routes will be established at
once. Nothing short of immediate
action by the department satisfies
them. They know their neighbors are
enjoying the service and can not un-
derstand why it is not extended to
them at once.
HE further tells us in his report
that every part of the country is
clamorous for this service; and from
those sections where the least inter-
est was formerly manifested, and the
people, from a lack of proper under
standing of the matter, seemed loath
to accept the benefits of free rural de-
livery, and were even antagonistlc to
it, the demands for the service and
Importance for prompt action are now
perhaps the greatest. Well has the
Postmaster General said that free ru-
raj delivery is no longer in the exper-
mental stage, but has become an es-
tablished fact Experiments thus far
made have been most satisfa Glory and
its adoption as a permanent feature
or postal administration Is assured. Re-
ports show conclusively that the value
of Isolated farms have been enhanced
because of the service. Farmers have
been brought in close touch with the
markets by receiving their mails daily.
The social and educational benefits
conferred by the mail being brought
daily to the farmers homes are incal-
culable. The city and the country are
brought into close connection and the
farmer is somewhat relieved from the
monotony Of rural life and given an
equal opportunity TO keep abreast with
his neighbor In the city. II has been
estimated that the territory Of the
United States available for free rural
delivery embraces about million
ffNsr1 0Fsh MsrIIasS~ nature's Great