Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-23
RURAL FRER MAIL DELIVERY.
Eject of the Present overhaulins on
the System.
Roston TranHcrlpt.


Boston Transcript
The postofice scandals that have arisen
in connection with the free rural mail de-
livery system, unlike most that spring up
in this department or that, possess
definite and concrete interest for a great
many individuals in this country. They
have started the question of what the eff
feet will probably be on this new and popu-
lar branch Of the postal service. Its trans
fer to the supervision Of Fourth Assistant
Bristow means that It will receive con-
servative treatment as far as he is con-
cerned. He has already announced that no
more free delivery routes will be est b.
lished before July 1.-the end of the current
fiscal year. After that the policy he adopts
will probably depend largely upon circun-
stances. Tho history of development for
this system has been history of rapid ex-
pansion 1t began in 1897 with an appropri-
alton of $4,000 on an experimental basis,
and the next yearIthis appropriation was
made $4,000 larger. The results were suf-
ficiently and definitely gratifying to war
rant an appropriation of $4,000 in 1899.
The following year $4,000 was allowed
and the routes In operation had increased
from "A to 1,276. In 1901, $1.75O.00O was pro-
vided and in 1902, So 993, ,74O. with S,466 routes
laid out. Fon the year beginning next July,
S1262, 100 is available. This record would
make the service of large public interest II
for no other reason than that Of its rapid
growth. In six years It has expanded from
a to over 1900 routes the carriers on
which travel 275OOo miles daily and deliver
mail matter to about 100000 people in the
strictly rural districts, serving almost 10
per cent of the entire population Of the
country, and class that was never served
before. The area covered by these routes
Is equal to the whole of the New England
states, with New York, New Jersey, Della
ware Maryland. Pennsylvania. Ohio. In
diana and West Virginia thrown in. The
administrative skill and energy which have
organized and developed this comprehensive
business in that comparatively brief period
are admirable, whether the system receives
further extension or not.
The advantages claimed for the service
have not been fanciful in themselves. but
genuine. Many of these routes have been
self-supporting through increased postal
receipts. which in itself has been a dem
onstration that the people living along
them have received and written more let
ters, taken more papers and magazines and
| therefore been in touch with more practical
educational forces than they were before
The laying out OF these routes has made foI
better roads and has raised the value OF
rural real estate, in some sections very ap.
preciably. II is not difficult to prove thai
the benefits derived have been large and
general and that the portion of our popula
| tion which has been so long sidetracked By
the amazing onrush of Industrial forces
that has characterized the last forty year.
is being once more brought into touch with
the worlds life and the worlds work, to III
own advantage. and in no small degree
through the agency OF this system.
II the service now fails to fully justif!
expectation, and thereby makes some con
siderable contraction necessary. 1t will no
be because OF intrinsic defects but rathe
Of betrayals by those who should be IT.
stanehest defenders.