The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-04-16
AN ENLARGED RURAL DELIVERY.

Congressman Gronna is strong
advocate of the rural free delivery
system, and is one of the most ardent
advocates of the extension and i'm
provement of the system
No branch of the government SER
vice has come nearer to the rural pop
ulation than the rural free delivery,
nor has anything done more to bring
the farmers in touch with the progress
of the world, and given them the
position as leaders in all things that
appertain to the progress of the ma
ton, which is theirs by right
When the farmer depended upon the
chance opportunity of getting mail
from the postoffice several miles away,
possibly once in a fortnight, he lacked
the intellectual enterprise which
comes from contact with other men.
He had little interest in matters of
public concern because he knew but
little of them. The world is moved
by the concentration of thought upon
a certain line. This can only come
through the medium of the press.
Before rural delivery was inaugur-
ated the farmer was compelled to rely
tho WnoE1Iy Il
often poorly edited and much con-
densed.
The man who had access to the daily
press was in a position to have adj
vanced ideas on matters of public in
terest, and because of this he became
leader, not because Oh ability but of
opportunity. Thus came in a large
measure the commercial advantage
over the agricultural, the most pro-
nounced of which is that of trade and
prices. The agriculturalist for years
had had no voice in either the price
he pays or the one he received.
When the mail was brought to the
farmers door every day he began
reading the daily paper and in the
long evening by his comfortable fire
he read and studied.
While his city brother was content
with glance at the headlines, the
farmer read and pondered every line.
Naturally a student and observer and
required to think for himself. he be-
came the leader instead of the fol-
lower.
Not many generations ago the fact
that man who had surpassed his
fellows in the race of life had come
from the rural population was in it.
self enough to make him remark
able man. Now so many of them are
coming to the front that they fail to
attract even passing notice.
Much of this can be credited to the
rural delivery system. because through
it the opportunities necessary to make
the change were made possible.
What IL necessary now is the ex-
tension Of the system. Every COM
munity having a reasonable number
of patrons available to a route should
be supplied in this way. and the sys-
TEN should be so enlarged that in all
the thickly settled. portions of the
country. the mail would be delivered
daily to every residence.
1t has been argued that the ex-
penses of such plan would make
deficit in the postal department.
Probably this is true. But it should
be borne in mind that the treasury
department is the only one of the
many divisions of the government
which does not show larger ex-
pense than income.
Just why there should be demand
that the postal department should be
made to pay when the people are
taxed to maintain the others has not
been explained.
It is the only one which comes ap-
proximately near to the people and
serves their daily needs. 1t would be
we'll to take some of the funds from
other sources to make good the de-
felt If necessary.
But let the rural population have
the best mail service they can get. no
matter what the cost.
Bait your hook with fattery IL you