The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1909-08-27
RURAL MAIL DELIVERY
18th Anniversary Of Its Inaugu-
ration Approaching.
4O,9l9 ROUTES in OPERATION
Some of the Good Influences That che
Rural Free Delivery Routes
Have Had.

Washington, ID. Con October /,
1909, the thirteenth anniversary OF
the installation of rural delivery in
the United States will be reached In
commemoration Of the event some
suitable recognition Is suggested, as
no branch of the postal service has
had SO recent beginning with equal
ly remarkable results.
The honor of the first attempt to
test the practicability OF such radi-
cal broadening Of the. operations of in
dividNal delivery rests with Ave routes
from three postoflces in West Vir-
ginia.
The innovation was so great that
1t took some time for the people to
be benefited to realize the advantage
in store for them. BY the end Of the
third fiscal year after this service be-
gan but 391 routes were established,
at an annual expenditure Of $150,012.
The convenience, as well as ethical,
economical, commercial and educa-
tional benefits incident to this par.
ticular public utility were now so
forcibly demonstrated that expan-
sion went on rapidly, the cost aggre-
eating up to the present time no less
than $170,000,000. The 40,804 car
riers in covering their 40,919 routes
every secular day Of the year, except
Ing New Years, Washingtons Birth
day. Memorial or Decoration, Inde-
pendence and Labor and Thanksgiv.
ing days, or the Monday following
should those days fall on the Sab
bath. In making their daily round,
more than 20,000,000 rural residents
are served.
| In looking back over what has been
accomplished during the brief period
Of its existence, 1t is apparent that the
rural delivery service Is a great pub
lie convenience. Results are the best
commentator and these are sustain
ed by unanimous expressions of APP
prevail of patrons.
From an ethical point Of view the
utility of the service Is evident in
many ways. 1t brings the rural pop
ulation into neighborly relationship
and promotes intercourse with near
| by communities, and through them
with cities, great and small.
AS a commercial proposition facili-
ties are afforded to keep tab on the
markets as to prices of products and
| i LOI 3bhlS .OI puICuhSG. III
this respect farmers especially find
themselves greatly benefited by con-
slant knowledge Of the conditions Of
trade. 4.rs
In an economical sense the public
has derived advantage from the Inn
provement and maintenance Of roads
over which rural delivery routes. are
laid, this being condition precedent
to the establishment OF mail facili-
ties. In addition good roads insure
greater frequency and regularity Of
mail delivery. With respect to roads,
since the inauguration of this serv-
ice, 1t Is estimated that more than
$75, 900, 900. has been expended in re-
building, repairs and maintenance.
AS q means of education, the widen
|. ing Of the utilization of the mails by
rural free delivery has largely ex.
tended the. lciTculaticn Of local and
metropolitan newspaper, magazines
and general literature, besides hav-
ing proved a stimulus to more ex-
tended personal correspondence.
The popularity Of rural delivery
among. farmers and others living away
from communities having city mail fa-
cilities is shown in a summary OF
this service that Postmaster General
Hitchcock ordered prepared in the Of
Ace Of the fourth assistant postmaster
general up to August, 1909.
This exhibit gives 40919 routes in
operation served by 40,804 carriers. OF
the total number. of: routes 622 are tri-
weekly In bringing the service up
to its present high state of organiza-
ton and efficiency 6O180 petitions
were received and investigated OF
this number 1873 were reported upon
adversely. At the close Of this report
1,432 petitions were pending, of which
202 have been assigned for establish
ment between August 16 and October
i, 1909, leaving 1890 Enacted upon.
The seeming discrepancy between
the number Of rural routes and car
riers is accounted for by instances
where there exists tri-weekly service
on more than one rural route out Of
an office, one carrier serving two
routes alternating each day.
The state having the largest num-
Der Of rural delivery routes at this
date is Illinois, 1884 There are seven
states with more than New York a.
SAL first in population, and four with
more than Pennsylvania (2,16S) Sec
ond In number Of inhabitants.