Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-29
Effect of Rural Delivery Is To
Encourage Reading Habit
Among Farmers
THUS BECOMES GREAT EDUCATOR
Carriers Say Not Only the Number of
Daily Subscribers Has Increased, But
the Weekly Papers Have Increased
circuIation-State Fair Managers
Had a Strenuous Time.

l)eS MONIES, Aug. ZS.-lne CoHNeH-
| ton of rural mail carriers in this city
last week was not largely attended but
and entertaining of the rural carriers
attended and made of the convention
an interesting one. Conversation with
| a number of the members of the con-
vention developed that one good result
of the establishment of rural carrier
system in Iowa has been to greatly in-
daily into the hands of residents of the
farms. A majority of carriers would
estimate that since the establishment
of their routes the number of daily
papers being delivered is about double
what it was before the routes We're
established, or In other words that the
farmers who live on rural routes ara
taking twice as many city papers as
they formerly received. There was
some apprehension on the part of pub
fishers of county weekly and semi
weekly newspapers that the rural route
business would lead farmers to take
more city papers at the expense Of the
country publishers and that the cir
culation of the rural weeklies would
diminish by reason of the expansion of
the business of city papers But al
most without exception the rural car
riers present here this week reported
that the circulation of the weekly
county papers had increased on their
routes steadily and that while the far
mers are taking more daily papers they
are also taking their county papers in
increasing numbers. If this is true, and
these men are the ones who best know,
then the actual effect of the rural de-
livery service has been to encourage tho
along the routes, proving itself help
er to educational work
The rural carriers made the usual re-
solves in favor of more money for
roads. This is something on which
they also have great knowledge. A
good many of them were free to de-
clare that the new road law in Iowa
has as yet had no perceptibles effect,
and they doubt If 1t will have There
are some others of the same view. SEN
ator Hopkins. of Guthrie county who
evening that the law is no good and
that it IS having no results in his
county that could be commended.
The law is no different from the old
one" he said, save that 1t makes the
system compulsory on all counties in
stead of permissible. But we are get
ting no more money for roads. AS
matter Of fact the counties have been
;r,cr Nat y,
l mill county road levy than from the
other road taxes and even now it Is the
only tax that is yielding results. What
l wanted was a law to increase the
amount of this county levy to 2 or even
3 mills, and then instead of having
one road gang at work, we could have
three or four in different parts of the
county and we would make good roads
This with a small sum for repairs
would give us a good road system"
another law that is greatly needed
in Iowa." said Captain II. w. Greeley,
of Story county, member Of the house.
.'is n first class tile or drainage law
We need some kind of law that will
enable us to do systematic work In
building bitches. and in planning for
drainage of large areas. The past two
seasons in Iowa have demonstrated as
never before the necessity for such law
as this. Efforts were made at the last
session TO get some legislation on the
subject, but really we have very poor
drainage Law now. think the Wiscon-
sin law with some notifications might
suit us in Iowa. look for some legis-
lation along that line at the next ses-
sion"
Senator Crossley, of Madison county,
was in the city last evening. The sem
ator is ready TO make a pull for his
primary law at the next session. He
has made quite a study o. the subject
in the interim, and viii be better pre-
pared TO go into the fight this time.
II do not know what can be done with
the bill next time he said, but | am
sure Iowa ought to have good primary
law, and will have one some time. 1t
is n necessary step, and 1 do not know
of a better time to start II than now"
The state fair managers are ready for
a rest. If there are those who imagine
that the state fair business is a soft
snap, they should take note of whnt
some of the directors, officers and SUI
perintendents have to endure. There is
a vast amount OF work and worry about
it, The fair was a great success de-
spite the rain. Everyone is praising
the fair Senator Hartman was talk
ing about the changed sentiment to-
ward the fairs the other day. The
irst time l tried to get little appro-
priation thru for the fair" he said my
friends advised me to keep out, that the
fair was a dead duck anyway l told
them we should change all that. We
yot $4,000 for some needed improve
,nents and the fairs have been growing
in public esteem ever since. Whereas
formerly everyone had kick for the
airs, now everyone has good word
md a helping hand" 1t is again pre-
licted that it will be long time be-
fo~e any ouch horse and cattle show is
ever given in the state as this year.
Chairman Spence, the energetic head