Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-30
Copyright, 1911 by Frank G. carpenter.)

(Copyrlgnt, lSlI, Dy FRANK w. CaTpenter)
R%SASHINGTON, D. C.-(Special Correspon-
XATk dence Of The Bee )-Fifteen years ago,
" when Uncle Sam still but little
k-x-Ss-uA than a machine for collecting
uSEHES1E taxes and paying employees, the
SMs@E1s@My outside the. city got his letters he
could once day, once a week, or, per-
haps, once month. To do so he had to ride walk
miles, and his only source of sending mail was
through the country postoffice, to which he must
Then began the of Uncle Sam, patriarch, and
the agents of the Postoffice Department commenced
to call daily the homes of the farmers. This
was the beginning of the rural free delivery which
has now spread to every part of the country, and
daily more than twenty millions of people
There are already 10000 rural mail carriers,
who are always route, and the miles they daily
travel than four times as great as from
here to the moon. In year of 800 working days,
they distance of about 800, 600 miles, or
over three times far from the earth to the sum-
and the total annual cost of the service apRroximates
the enormous sum of $40, 900.
Starting the Rural Free Delivery
Before tell you of the new plans which Uncle
Sam has for this branch of his business-plans which
Involve the parcels post and other important addi
hons-I want to say word how the Rural
free delivery was started. 1t had been in use in
other countries for years. when Uncle Sam took it
up The British sending their letters to al
most every home in the United Kingdom, and So
before began to consider the matter. Then about
me 800 our postmaster generals began look
into it, and in 1898 of them reported to congress
against IT, saying that 1t mpractcable and that
It would cost at least $40 900 900 per annum and
would bring little back A year later congress was
willing to test the matter and made an appropria-
tion of $4,000 for the purpose but Postmaster
General Bissell refused to spend the money fool
ashly, and when, year two later the appropria-
zion was increased to $4,000, Postmaster General
Wilson said that the plan was impracticabe and it
was not until 1895, when congress gave him $780,
900 that he made the first test The business was
then started in forty-two places, but it was badly
managed and It did not succeed
The following year it tried again, but this
time at the request of the then first assistant post
master general, Mr.. Perry s. Heath who got con-
gress TO appropriate $3.50 900 for the purpose Mr.
Heath urged the matter but some of the senators
objected, and of them said:
"Mr. Heath, you acting very -unwlseIy The
first thing you know will have all our farmers
demanding a daily delivery, and they will cause us
no end OF trouble"
Perry Heath replied that the farmers had the,
right daily mail we'll the city people; that
they were taxed just heavily and that they had
Just great part In the government At any rate,
the appropriation granted eghtythree routes
established that year. The next year the num-
Der doubled and years thereafter the carriers
were more than $1,000 in number. At that time the
mileage 500, 900 and the cost had risen to
be than s26 .0OO,O 900 per annum II is now
100000 more and the length of the routes, all
told, is just about 100000 miles
Talk With p v. De Graw
the fourth assistant postmaster general. Mr. P. v.
De Graw, concerning the plans for the extension
Of the service. He tells that the applications for