Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-09-21
RURAL FREE DELIVERY
Bye O. De FRANCE in The Lincoln, Neb.,
Democratic Senators of Georgia
Claim Authorship for
7 II o M A S e. w. SON.

The service practically doubled in
| twelve months. On July 1, 1901, 0,243
petitions had been filed with the post
office department asking for free rural
delivery routes. During the year 1902,
| 12,403 additional petitions we're filed.
Thus it will be seen that the num-
| Der Of petitions received during the
| last year exceeded by over 1000 the
| total number filed heretofore This is
| the highest evidence of the increasing
popularity OF rural free delivery and
! shows universal desire from the peo-
| pie for the completion of the service
| throughout the country. The report of
the postmaster general shows that
from the beginning the demand for the
service has far exceeded the ability Of
| the department to establish it, and that
since July /, 1902, about 2,400 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 for
| 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 for the
| service and importantly for prompt
| action are now perha ps the greatest
An Established Fact.
Well has the postmaster general said
! 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 it's adoption as a perma-
nent feature of postal administration
is assured. Reports show conclusively
! that the value of isolated farms have
been enhanced because of the service.
| touch with the markets by receiving
their mails daily.
The social and educational benefits
conferred by the mail being brought
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 an
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
million square miles, or about one
third of the country's area, excluding
Alaska. The routes now in operation
cover little more than 100000 square
miles, so that almost One-third 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, and the
sooner the service is completed the
more quickly will the effect of it's in
fluence be felt upon the postal revenue
Twenty Million Farmers Served.
Should the extension of the service
hereafter be made at the rate of 10000
routes per year until it becomes uni
versal, within the next three years the
work will be completed. Then nearly
100000 farmers who heretofore have
been given little opportunity to enjoy
the benefits Of daily mail facilities
will receive their mails daily and coun-
try life will be relieved 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 $24.000,0O0 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 transpiring,
daily newspapers will find their way
into the country homes, all classes will
be 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
"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 it's lib
erty and interests by it's 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 "Well-Dirccted Efforts"
He not only knew of the disadvan-
tages under which the farmer labored,
but sought most diligently to inaugu-
rate a system that would bring to the
farmer the relief he so much sought
and deserved. The amendment, though
small. was bitterly opposed, and at
ono time WAS likely to meet with de-