Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-22
POSTMASTER MURPHY RECEIVES
 RURAL DELIVERY BULLETIN Over 43,0O0 Rural Routes in Country at Close of Business in 1915.

Postmaster Murphy has received Q bulletin from Washington which states that the rural free delivery service measures of reform will benefit G5O- GOO additional families.
 The bulletin follows:
 On the 17th of October, 1900, there died in the city of Lexington a man who had made his mark in public life and left the impress of his personality upon the records of his time. William L. Wilson was the idol of his party in West Virginia and a great and com manding figure in the arena of nation al fife. The people of his district de- lighted to do him honor, as successive elections to Congress testified, and President Cleveland rewarded the splendid fight he made for tariff re- form by a seat in his cabinet, the po- sition Of Postmaster General.
 When the body of this distinguished man was laid to rest at his home in Charles Town, eX-President Cleveland paid him the distinguished honor of attending in person the funeral Cere- monies at his grave.
 The Begnning of Rural Delivery.
 William L. Wilson was the father of rural delivery, whose benefits no one can fully describe, for it is without question the most popular administra- tive measure of the government. For years there had been Q growing dis content among farmers and the people in the smaller towns at the postal ad- vantages afforded the cities and the more pOpulOuS communities. They felt themselves deprived Of the OppOrtuni- ties and benefits which others enjoyed, and the desire for recognition was out spoken and insistent and could no longer be denied. On June g, 1896, the sum of $40,00 was made available, and on October 1, 1896, the first exper- mental rural delivery was put into operation in Jefferson County West Virginia. Service was established on three routes simultaneOusly one from Charles Town, one from UVilla, and one from Halltown.
 At the close of business Jun e3O, 1915, there were in operation from l8,813 postofffces throughout the coun- try 43,877 rural routes. Up to and in cluding June 30. 1915, 26,O80 post offices were discontinued on account of the establishment of rural delivery, rep- resenting a saving to the postal ser vice of 1,6I3, 900 per annun and also a saving of $S,482,00 on account of the discontinuanCe of star-rOute service. The period of greatest activity in the r!aTal service was from 1900 to 1905, the appropriations running from $450,0O0 in 1900 to $21,116,000 in 1905.
 Steps to Extend che Service. This administration has recognized the value of the postal service to the people to a greater extent within the past three years than for any similar period during the last decade. Mail facilities have been established and extended on mail routes in more than ten thousand localities, giving service to approximately 2,50O,O00 patrons heretofore denied this benefit. Six hundred and ffty-eight thousand fam flies were added to the list from April 1913, to April, 1916. The elimination of useless and wasteful methods have made it possible to do this and also pay out $4,000,0 900 more to employees at an actual increased cost of less than $1, 800, 900 per annun.
 Measures of Reform Introduced.
 The introduction of any measure so nearly allied to the people and whose growth has been so surprisingly rapid must naturally be attended with more or less imperfection, which only prac- tical inquiry into operation could ful- lY disclose If this practical inuuiry