The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-09-02
THETR'U'I'H
The MATTER
sCowlicrd Goes Into History OF
Free ID Delivery to- Farm
ing Communities. s
WAS BEGUN BY DEMOCRATS e. Ml!:l.I, |! \. s


First Apr priation Made BY.
Democratic Congress and S,ys-
TEN Instituted by Democrat.
(Fronk! our Regular Corrcspondcnt.)
WASHINGTON, y. G., September .1l4.. --.i
Chairman Cowhrd, Of the Democratic no !. e. 4,t
i National Committee. and member \, OF Y q no
House Committee on Postoftices ana Post
Roads, to-day gave out the folio 'l' wing W 9,
statement: s9Sis
Among the numerous Measurements
Of the Republican campaign book, 10 the
ono claiming for that party, the oTigina-
ton OF rural free delivery for the benc-
& 1T or farmer communtie lea. w. T here lwas
no rural free delivery prior 70 4 Posi-.
4 master General WanAmaker had recon- M
n mendcd its extension to smaller cities
Il and villages, but had not recomtn tended
Il free delivery TO the farming COMMUNE ~
Z ties. III w y
si..The first augg cstion OF that kind wa:
& proposed by 4s L. r. livingston, Demo-
" cratic member from tho State OF Georgia.
Y when he offered the following amer.frlent
10 the post tfice al opriation bill on June
;5 Amend line 10, page 8, by striking
out the word rs and inserting the
II word Sgs rs, and II also # after the
/ word dollars. . III line Ii. these words.
..proyided that 500 900 shall be used for
& experimental free rural delivery OUTSIDE
the towns and villages ~ lsee8 cc:a sfcs-4
sional Record. first session f 1l cond
Il Congress, pages ~; 52) i s-is 8Ss;
what amendment was ruled out on g
spolnt OF order. and other similar am end
ments ffered by Der nes 3at ne he
4 Same fate 8s
Watson's Amendment
IN the following session o. the sue 4
q ceedng Congress. February y, 1889, an
s amendment wnz offered by Thomas Y -.
Watson, 1t that time a Democrat tic mem M
II Der from The State Of Georgia, TO the
4 postoft,ce appropriation BILL. providing
that SIC, coo be expended by the Post
n mast Ter. General as an expe eminent for
Il rural free delivery to the farmers. This
II being y a N Democratic Congress-. that
amendment was adj pted. and the bill PHI
az amended became a law. Mr.. Harri-
& son wa then President and Mi W ana
4 nj kor q Pos mast err General. The II appro-
! ,priation, however. was not used during,
II their term Of office, nor during the: first 81
two years 81 nde r Mr.. cleyeland ads Demo
Is cratic Congresses, however, tInued
81 making approprta ions, and Ia n 1872.
8 10000 was appropriated for this purpose
Il and during the fiscal year 1s9e-l under
Fl Pos tmaster-Gen wilson. Democrat. 4
Y The first eighty four rural rohtes we're es-s
&tabll5hed, the first route being establish ed
IS ~ =, i. =, irrtir1t ~ IN
AZ 1896. s 4sss s8s aS
..In the record 81 March IS, 1901. in-
ciudeG in the remarks OF g, r.. Thomas.
x Of .Norti, Carolina, will be found e let
Ter from Postmaster-G General Payne.
dated February %. 1904 addressed to the
81 Hon. u. B. Livingsto = ouse OF Repre-
A gentatyes, containing the ollowing g: Sir
.5s replying TO your letter Of the 18th In
slant, making certain inquirie rela i've 70
the history OF rural free II deliver SER r.
Il vice, 81 would refer YOU 70 the acts max
i ing 8appropria Il ons for the postal service
for the fiscal ears 1894. 1894 s5. 1880
1sss-,s7. from which i quote as follows:
!. slsss-1s97, for free delivery ser
'yice IN s ali, 81, Sls $50. AZ vided
further thai e SO, 600 of this amount may
IA used to defray. the expenses OF & ex-,
Sneriments In Il rural 4 free delivery. under
the direction OF the Postmaster-G General
4 md that the amount fore appro-i
pria ted for this purpose and still unex-A
pended DC available for said experime rlts.' e
During this fiscal year, eighty-four55
rural routes were blished on the
x order OF Postmaster-G General w ilson."
fsigned) ;3...IENRYsG. PAYNE
81 Postmast Gener al l.'''s
Originated BY Democrat.
.This was, therefore. the inceptio OF
srural free delivery to the q farmers. Il
was originated BY a Democrat, first ap-5
propr.atrt by q Democratic Congress-.
ana Instituted by a Democratic exc GU W
tive. g. fs'5
5"LiKe all reforms OF that kind In tho
4 postal scr So. It began, Of course, in a.
4 small way, ais an expert ent. y
was continued san experimental SER
vice, the appropria tons ra pidly increa sed. 3
received in the House IA ways a. pra ctical-s
IL, unanimous Democra tie vote, cMd sew
eral h times tho approprian tons. were in-$
Il creased upon the y motion u OF a Demo
cratic member. Having demonstrated It's
usefulness to the farming communities.
the service was; a fter two years ago..
4 placed upon a permanent footing
4 q These facts can be- easily ga thSred
from the official record in the 9Po ftlc6'
Department..
TURN TO PARKER,