New-York tribune., 1905-07-27
RURAL FREE SERVICE.
Most Popular and Useful Feature
of Government System.
IrRoM THE TRIBUNE BuREAu.I

Washington, July 26-The popularity OF The rural
service continues unabated Hardly day passes
that the mails do not bring letters of high COM
mendation of the effects OF the establishment OF
this that route. Some of these comment on
the fast conversion rural towns into Cities others
dwell on the enhancement of values by the in
creased convenience, while still others lay great
stress on the educational advantages derived from
the rural service.
In a communication from Macon. Ga. a patron OF
a rural route starting from that city proudly an
nounces that he largely instrumental In us
establishment. and desires 20 impress on the de-
partnent the Importance TO which the route has
grown. and especially to emphasize that view Dy
instancing the fact that property values along the
lines of the route have greatly Increased IN the
short time the service has been rendered Inc
writer submits proof of his assertion the laet
that the route passes a cattle and fruit farm Of
his own and says: 1T really has increased the
accessibility and convenience of the place so much
that the property is now considered decidedly more
valuable"
In another communication from Southern city
the suggestion is made that no higher comph1neht
be paid the rural service than that which IL Is
receiving as a factor in education throughout the
land. This communication suggests that whoever
may take the trouble TO spend few momenfs IN
the county where it was written. with man VINO
owns land in that section and who invar1aoy
spends his time the farm. Will find him hishy
praisng the rural service means OF keeping
the ruralite abreast of the times, however distant
he may be from the people with whom he is trans
acting business.
quotation from a prominent Southern publica-
ton has reached the department through an en-
thusastic correspondent who enjoys the Dement'S OF
rural service in Bibb County. Ga. He says:
Much can be said of the improvements that have
come TO the farms of this and other counties IN
Georgia through the rural mail service alone.
There are few farmers who cannot get out early
and see through the morning papers before th the
hour for duty what has happened throughout me me
world during the last twenty-four hours Inc
thrifty farmer has learned mat the ouboem Oh th s
out the needless expenditure OF time 1ourneyhs h6 70
and from town There are few farmers or Bi5p
who have not the opportunity 70 communicate WITH WITH
the business people of towns nifty to one nuhHred
Single day Perhaps that which causes the
broadest smile on the face of the farmer and and
ANYTHING else IS the fact that the telephone and
land from so to 800 an acre.
correspondent from the Middle West the
subject OF rural towns fast becoming cities in their
general appointments. accommodations. etc, sug-
gests that through investments and improvements
the country is getting nearer to the city nearer 10
the myriad advantages Of comfort which human in
genuty is devising. all Of which is attributed to
the modern conveniences which are being constant
ly installed, including great factor in the case
that OF rural free mail delivery.
An interesting result of the installation OF county
rural free delivery service is on exhibition in the
Office of the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General,
IN the form OF the nrst completed service IN the
United states SHOWN by the departmental map lOI
the County of Lancaster, Penn. In this county
the conditions were particularly favorable 10 the
operation OF rural free delivery service, as IL is
densely populated well equipped with good roads
enabling unusually large proportion OF the pa
their mail directly in front of their
homes The routes rearranged and established
in Lancaster County will conveniently serve 11Si3
families, a annual cost of S6T014. While this
county is exceptional work is under way in many
other sections Of the country which will give equiv
alen service at cost not in excess OF that quoted
The department finds il difficult 10 convince rural
ties OF the business of the policy which il en-
deavOrs 10 follow requiring loo families each
route established. Petitions received daily for
the establishment of service routes which after
inspection, to have less than fifty families,
would-bs patrons in Of establishment In these
circumstances the work of the rural agents be-
comes essential before action can be taken on pc
tions for routes I'm different sections of the
try In the last year there have been nearly forty
nine thousand applications received for the establish
ment Of rural service Up to the close of the fiscal
year nearly twelve thousand Of these had been re-
ected because OF the fact that the proposed routes
in the matter of percentage, etc. fell below the
standard required or the forty-ive hundred Pc
ttOns pending at the close of the fiscal year. nearly
one thousand have been assigned for establishment
while the remaining thiTty-ffve hundred being
examined with that end in view
On July there were 3205S rural routes in opera
tion, or 1892 more than the corresponding period
last year.