Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1904-09-16
Democratic Senators of Georgia
Claim Authorship for
THO M A S e. Nv A T S ON.

The service practically doubled IN
twelve months. On July 1, 1901, l0,243
petitions had been filed with the post
Office department asking for free rurai
delivery routes. During the year l9oz,
IL, 4O3 additional petitions were fled
Thus it will be seen that the num-
Der of petitions received during the
last year exceeded by over 1000 the
total number fled heretofore. This Is
the highest evidence Of the increasing
popularity of rural free delivery ana
shows a universal desire from the peo-
pie for the completion OF the service
throughout the country. The report OF
the postmaster general shows tnat
from the beginning the demand LOT the
service has far exceeded the ability OF
the department to establish 1t, and that
since July /, 1902. about 2,40O petitions
have been received-about 600 per
month. The demands are growing
every day for the completion OF the
service.
The postmaster general informs us
that the requests for this service are
usually accompanied by the expressed
expectation of the petitioners that the
routes will be established at once
Nothing short of immediate action by
the department satisfies them. They
know their neighbors are enjoying the
service. and can not understand why
it is not extended to them at once. he
further tells us in his report that every
part of the country is clamorous Tor
this service: and from those sections
where the least interest was formerly
manifested, and the people, from lack
of proper understanding Of the matter.
seemed loath to accept the benefits OF
free rural delivery, and were even an
tagonistic to it, the demands Tor the
service and Importantly for prompt
action are now perh,os the greatest.
An Established Fact. -,
Well has the postmaster general saiu
that free rural delivery is no longer In
the experimental stage, but has be-
come an established fact. Experiments
thus far made have been most salts
factory and its adoption as perma-
nent feature of postal administration
is assured. Reports show concluslVeiy
that the value of isolated farms nave
been enhanced because OF the service.
Farmers have been brought in close
touch with the markets by receiving
their mails daily.
The social and educational Dement'S
conferred by the mail being Drough'
daily to the farmers home are meal
cuable. The city and the country are
brought into close connection and the
farmer is somewhat relieved from the
monotony of rural life and given ar
equal opportunity to keep abreast with
his neighbor in the city.
1t has been estimated that the ter
ritory of the United States available
for rural free delivery embraces about
n million square miles, or about one
third of the Country's area, excluding
Alaska. The routes now in operation
cover a little more than 300 900 square
miles, so that almost one-thlrd OF the
available territory has already been
provided with the service. Within the
next three years the service can be
completed and there should be no halt
in this work. for the people are de-
handing it with earnestness. ard the
sooner the service is completed the
more quickly will the effect of its in
Twenty Million Farmers Served.
Should the extension of the service
hereafter be made at the rate OF 12.OO'
routes per year until it becomes uni
versal within the next three years the
work will be completed. Then nearly
20. goo coo farmers who heretofore nave
been given little opportunity to en'o''
the benefits of daily mail facilities
will receive their mails daily and coun-
try life will be relieTed of isolation
and the farmer will be put upon an
equal footing with his city neighbor
The farmer will receive more direct
benefit from the $24.O00,000 annually
appropriated to carry on the system
after completed than he has received
heretofore from the vast sums appro-
priated annually to defray the ex-
penses of the government. Country
life will become more attractive, the
farmers will keep in daily touch with
the events of Importance TRANSFERRING.
daily newspapers will find their way
into the country homes. all classes will
he brought into close touch with each
other. the farmer will be quick to avail
himself OF every opportunity to i'm
prove his condition, to take advantage
of the new and improved methods OF
cultivation of the farm, to make home
life interesting and attractive and
such methods will tend to make our
sons content with rural farm life. Mr..
Jefferson said:
Jefferson's Tribute.
1.-THE cultivators of'the earth are the
most valuable citizens. They are the
most vigorous, the most independent.
the most virtuous. and they are tied
to their country and welded to its lib
erty and interests by its most lasting
bonds"
The distinguished Georgian who in
troduced the first resolution which was
adopted providing for an appropriation
of $4,000 to experiment looking for
ward to this great work. had spent
his boyhood days upon farm; he
knew the disadvantages under which
the farmer labored in regard to his
mail facilities.
Watson's "WelIDirccted Efforts"
He not only knew OF the disadvap-
tages under which the farmer labored.
but sought most diligently to inaugu-
Il 4 II.