The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-09-14
Free Delivery and Population.

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Congressman Burkett, OF Nebraska,
who is generally regarded the fore
most among the younger republicans
of the west ii congress, mas brought
to the attention of the pOstoffice au-
thorities the dissatisfaction felt
throughout the west over the ruling
OF the department which makes il a
prerequisite of the establishment OF a
rural delivery route that there shall
be population of one hundred fami
hes on each route Of twenty-five
miles
Mr. Burkett is quoted by The Wash
ington Post as explaining that che
regulation requiring one hundred fam
lies on every route twenty-five miles
long is working much hardship In
numerous agricultural communities
such as many of us from the west rep
resent in congress. one does not find
Ole hundred families residing along
a road OF that length. 1t would make
necessary a farm Of eighty acres,
whereas most of our thriving ccmmu
mites comprise farms Of $50 acres.
Such regulation would do very we'll
wnerc farmers lived from raising gar
den produce, but 1t does not meet re-
quirements where the farmers raise
wheat. corn oats and crops calling
for q large acreage.
The objections which w2sterners
have to this rule or regulation Of the
department Obtain with equal force
here in the southern states, where the
lal &c farms and cotton plantations
prevent that density OF population
found In truck gardening sections in
the immediate vicinity OF the cities.
IL may have been deemed necessary
in the eatal lishment of new routes 10
lag down some basic regulation Of this
character, but the complaints already
registered show that the proportlonate
population adopted is not the correct
one, and there can be no question that
it will be changed in time.
1t Is to be doubted whether a mini
mann population is the proper basis
with which to regulate the establish
mcnt of these free delivery routes
throughout the country The adoption
of the rural delivery system was the
outgrowth OF the conviction that the
people residing in the country should
be given postal facilities relatively
eqgal to those enjoyed by the cities
For a long time the postal authorities
stood out against this extension of the
free delivery system to the rural COM
munities, although all this time they
were giving to the residence districts
of larger cities more deliveries than
they really needed or desired. This
was defended on the ground that the
bulk Of the postal rev enues come from
the big cities and SO strongly were
the postal authorities of these days
committed to that method OF the dis
tributiOu of postal facilities that CON
g1ess had to force them to make the
rural delivery experiment. Congress
took the position that the postal de
partmcnt is not a business enterprise
to De run on the principle of giving the
better facilities to those communities
giving the largest money returns, but
that the true principle underlying it
should be the extension, so far as pos
sible. of equal postal facilities to all
the citizens OF the union, without re-
gard to their location.
This should be the principle govern
ing the establishment and extension
OF the rural delivery system. 1t may
be necessary at first to adopt some
rule for putting in routes where they
will serve the greatest number, bat
there should be no rule which dis
eliminates so clearly against the farm
ers Of the west and of the south as
does that against which Mr.. Burkett
enters his very proper complaint