The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-05-11
WOULD GIVE TOWNS
MAIL DEL YER
Senator Bailey Of Pennsylvania In
PRODUCES Bill Before Congress Prov
ing Service for All Places of LOCO
TO APPROPRIATE $4,000, 900
Says That 1,709 Cities Are Now
Taken Care of While Residents of
5000 Communities are Ignored
BY Congressman C. H. Tavenner

BY Congressman G.. H.. Tavenner.
Washington, May 11.-Represen-
tative Warren Worth Bailey of Pen
nsylvania has introduced bill pro-
viding for the extension of the free
delivery mail service to all towns in
the United States with a population
exceeding 1000 which are not en-
titled under existing laws to such de-
livery. The bill carries with it an
appropriation of ten millions of dol
lars, to become Immediately avail
able on the passage of the act
Mr.. Bailey takes the ground, that
the present postal service is anomal-
, Gus, in that while residents of the
cities and of the rural districts are
given free delivery service. residents
Of something over 5000 communities
with an average population of 5000
are compelled to visit the post Of
fices to deposit or to receive mail. H.
believes that this is an injustice to
tn residents of towns and villages
and he proposes by his bill to cure
this. I
City delivery service is now in op-
Grafton in 1903 towns and cities,
serving approximately a. population
of AZ millions at cost of thirty
eight millions. Experimental viii
lage delivery is in operation in ia
communities at a cost of ninety
thousand. Officials of the post Of
flee department estimate that there
are 1904 communities with an av-
erage population of 1900, where
there is no carrier delivery service.
Estimating that it would require an
average of two carriers at 5000 per
annum to serve of each of these COM
munities, should delivery service be
established, the cost would be ST.
924,800 per annum.
Il do not mind admitting that
have double motive in proposing
this BILL" said Mr.. Bailey. "Primar-
lily of course I want to equalize the
benefits Of the mail service l. be-
lieve that patrons of the post offices
in town and villages are as fully en-
titled to the best facilities which the
service can afford as patrons of the
post offices in the cities and the ru-
raj districts. There is no function
Of the government more important to
the welfare of the people than that of
the post office, facilitating COM
munication and making for freedom
of exchange. This is the first con-
sideration, but there is second con-
sideration, hardly less important If
ten millions of the available rev.
enue be appropriated for bringing
the postal servire close to some mil
lions Of our people, that amount will
not be available for wasteful expen-
diture on warships and Notifications,
on big guns and militaristic exploita-
tion. I have called frequent atten-
ton to the pledge of economy which
the Democrats made in their Balti-
more platform and I am not forget
ting that pledge now. I am not an
advocate of parsimony, do not believe
in cheeseparing, as far as the next
from Wishing to impair any of the
servicable activities of the govern
ment, except as they may trench up
on the rights and duties of the states.
I am therefore quite consistent in
the proposition to increase the eff
cheney of the postal service, especial
ly as believe that this increased ef-
ficiency will result ultimately, if not
at once, in a corresponding increase
in the postal revenue. Certainly the
extension of free delivery to the
country districts has greatly aug
mented the postal revenue from
those districts; and no one will Ques-
tion that free delivery service has
enormously stimulated the use of
the mails by the residents of our
cities. That the same facilities ex-
tended to the towns and villages OF
the country will have a like effect
is hardly to be doubted
1t is the intention of Mr. Bailey to
make every effort to have this bill
favorably reported and he believes
that the residents of towns and vii
lagos all over the United States will
y take an interest in his proposition
and lend him their support.