The state herald., 1904-10-21
Rural Free Delivery Service Of IncaIcu able Ben
eft to Farming Communities.
DEMOCRATS WORKED HARD AGAINST IT
FlatIy Refused to Obey the Mandate Of Con-
gress to Establish Routes, but Are
Now Claiming Honor-Rec-
ords Compared.
population should share in the Improvement
NJ Z, kI

population should share in the Improvement
Of this service
Roosevelt's Reco m m end ation.
In his last annual message President
Roosevelt again called attention to the
importance of the rural free delivery
service, saying:
The rural ree-deivery service has been
steadily extended. The attention OF Con-
gress is asked to the question of the com
pensation Of the letter carriers and clerks
engaged In the postal service, especially on
the new rural free-delivery routes. More
routes have been installed since the 1st OF
July last than In any like period In the
departments history. While due regard
10 economy must be kept In mind in the
establishment Of new routes, yet the eI-
tension of the rural freedelivery system
must he continued for reasons OF sound
public policy. No governmental movement
Of recent years has resulted In greater I'm
mediate benefit to the people OF the coun-
try districts Rural frcc-dclvcry, taken In
connection with the telephone, the bicycle,
and the trolley, accomplishes much toward
lessening the isolation Of farm life and
making 1t brighter, and more attractive.
In the immediate past the lack of just such
facilities as these has driven many of the
more active and restless young men and
women from the farms TO the cities, for
they rebelled nt loneliness and lack Of
mental companionship II is unhealthy and
undesirable for the cities to grow mt the
thptUst pI tHt country, anu TuTdl Tree
livery is not only good thing In Itself,
but is good because It Is one of the causes
which check this unwholesome tendency
toward the urban concentration Of our
population at the expense Of the country
districts.
The foregoing quotations are sufficient
to show that Republican executives real
ized the Importance of the rural delivery
system to the farming communities and
n a ~. .l.....
it. During President McKinley's first
term establishment of routes had been
given such an impetus that by 1900 the
service had passed far beyond the expert
mental stage and Congress had approp-
rated S350.OOO for maintenance of the
routes then in operation. These routes
numbered 1876 at the close of Mckin-
lcy's first term, but many others had
been surveyed and were ready to be
established. The service became so pop
ulnr that farmers flooded the postofiice
department with petitions for new routes.
Corps of inspectors We're appointed, divi-
si0us We're created, supcrintcndents plac-
ed in charge and the service was put on
msthodical business basis.
Routes Now In Operation.
The system has been so rapidly ey-
tended under President Roosevelt that
Congress this year appropriated S21 ,O00.-
Ooo for the service. which now en-
brrces approximately 1880 routes,
either in operation or about TO he cstab-
lished. These routes are scattered over
all the States and territories. as will
lie seen by tl.' following table. which
gives The total number Of petitions r,.-
fsrred for examination aud investigation.
the routes in operation on September
II, 1oOt. and the number Of petitions
pending on the same date: