The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-06-17
Beginnings
D|SCODRAG|NG
History of Development of
Rural System
INTRODUCED BY MACHEN
Will Probably Cost 20 Million
a Year
INTRODUCED BY MACHEN

Washington, June 13.-Since some Of the
most sensational developments in the pos
tai scandals have conferred around the
rural delivery service, some interest at
taches 10 the origin of that system. In
q report Of the First Assistant Postmas-
ter-GeneraI for the fiscal year 1899, Mr..
Perry Heath. who has acquired his bust
ness training as a writer of imaginative
literature for newspapers. undertook to
show that wherever the system had been
'judiciousy inaugurated, with a sincere
purpose TO make it a success it had
been followed by these venefcial re-
suits:
- Increased postal receipts. More let
fers are written and received. More
newspapers and magazines are subscribed
for So marked is this advancement that
quite a number of rural routes already
pay for themselves by the additional bus
iness they are doing.
.'C2.) Enhancement Of the value Of farm
lands reached by rural free delivery. This
increase Of value has been estimated at
as high as s. per acre in some states. 4
moderate estimate is from 81 to s. per
acre.
80 A general improvement of the con-
dition Of the roads traversed by the rural
carrier. IN the western states especially
the construction Of good roads has been
a prerequisite to the establishment of
rural free delivery service. In one coun-
ty in Indiana special agent reports
that the farmers incurred an expense of
over s. 500 to grade and gravel road in
order to obtain rural free delivery.
"a Better prices obtained for farm
products, the producers being brought in
daily touch with the state of the mar
kets. and thus being enabled to take ad-
vantage of information heretofore unat-
tainaDle.
to- To these material advantages may
be added the educational benefit confer
red by relieving the monotony Of farm
life through ready access to wholesome
literature, and the keeping of all rural
residents, the young people as well as
their elders fully informed as to the stir
ring events of the day The moral value
of these civiliziEg influences can't be too
highly rated
II is hard to say whether this catalogue
of advantages the more resembles week
ly newspaper prospectus or one Of Mr..
Austin's bouyant commentaries on the
continued increase Of prosperity in the
United States regardless of whether trade
Is coming our way or going the other.
But it would probably not have bank
rupted Mr. Heath if he had offered TO
ments that could be proved d general
truth.
The first experiment actually made in
rural free delivery was the work Of Post
master-General Wilson. Mr. Heath III
sinuates that Mr.. Wilson did not wish
the system to be a success. and that the
postoftice inspectors detached from 9th
duties to install the experimental service
were 80 stationed and so instructed as to
leave little chance for their making a
favorable report At Aileusville Todd
county, Ky Tor Instance. nobody want
ed the service Il houch three carriers
were ASSIGNED to it. Many of the lead
ms farmers on their routes had business
which took them daily to town. and some
were i'm teller homie communication With
civiiza ion. The rest of the 20 ulation
consisted chiefly OF negroes. "A large part
OF hem unable TO read or write. The
first wears mail carried through this dis
trict cost the government little less than
four cents for every piece they handled.
on a route Iail out from Har,sviiIe,
bartholomew county. Ind. the inspector
wrote II the peorle:
I find that they are not demand ng free
delivery of thei~ mail: their correspond
ence is largely social i'm its nature. and
G question OF day or two i'm the de
livery cuts no Hsure with them. While
majority Of The formers take weekly
papers. and some take mas azine<. but
few take daily papers and only those re
siding near postoHces II win therefore.
b. seen that the quantity. nature and
Importance OF the average farmers mai
Is not such as 10 make rural free delivery
an essential
After it had been running month. g
YVES discovered that the carrier on this
route Travelled twou;y-four miles "a day
70 serve thirty-cight persons. and that
The cost was six and one-third cents for
every piece of malt handled
When the rural system had fairly got
started. one of the hrst difficulties with
which The government had to con end
was inducing the farmers 20 install ser
V.csable boxes 10 receive their letters To
mato cans. cigar boxes. drainage pipes
set up on an end soap boxes. and even
sections Of discarded stove-pipe were en-
ployed at the outset. and often installed
g. hedeerows or other fnconvenient spots
out of reach of the carrier. The de-
partment met this problem at hrst by
notifying All those patrons who were
reported by Tho carriers a. having rul
into some folly on the box question that
they must put up secure and respectable
looking boxes within a reasonable time
O. the delivery would be withdrawn from
them Mr. Heath supplemented this with
E free advertisement of an Indiana pro
duct a box made Of galvanized iron and
properly painted IN letters and in every
way suitable. which would be furnished.
delivered II the cars, for fifty cents
il WAS also proposed that the govern
ment furnish an the boxes and charge
the farmers rent; but this aroused a
storm Of opposition.
. The way the postmasters I'm VILLAGES
fousht of the new system was interest
ing. Some Of them bcs'esed the derart-
ment with letters. protesting against hsv-
Ing their business taken away from
them Here are a few extracts:
To take the Office away takes rart Of
ny living away from IRE. have a wife
and two children 7 beg you for sor'e
kind o. an appointment ] am no, very