Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1919 — FREE MAIL DELIVERY [ARTICLE]

FREE MAIL DELIVERY

CITY MAIL DELIVERY A WONDERFUL ADVANTAGE TO „ MANY HOMES. Our neighbor, Winamac, is soon to have free mail delivery. This will add expense to all matter mailed at the l postoffice in that town. Letters must have two cents instead of one cent stamps and additional postage must be paid for newspapers and other matters. But what of the service to the people in their homes? Is it an advantage to which the people of this city or any city are entitled? Take the home where the father is employed from 7 o’clock in the morning until 6 o’clock in the evening, the mother in this home may be busy with household duties and may not have children old enough to send to the postoffice for the mail.

Take the home where the members are anxious to get their mail but must wait until noon or even night time before they have an opportunity to go to the postoffice. We believe the members of this home appreciate the free mail delivery and that there are a great many of the people of Rensselaer and other towns and cities who appreciate this service very much. When the telephone was installed, bitter complaint was made and it was said that it would be a great loss to the merchant and that the housewife would buy lbss.‘ It was predicted that the free rural delivery would be ruinous to the merchant and the business man. Nothing of the kind has happened, and the merchant continues to prosper. He adjusts ,his business to meet new conditions and rejoices that the homes of his patrons, whether in city or country have these advantages afforded by these institutions which are earmarks of progress. Free rural delivery and free city delivery of mail are movements toward better homes, better education and better *>cial conditions.

Tfce advantages of the service are of such a nature that people are willing to pay the extra expense incurred. To look at the matter fairly r 4&-iL better that everybody in this city shall have to make a trip to the postoffice to get their mail or is it not a matter of economy for two carriers to deliver the mail? How much time, energy and expense is saved by having the carriers deliver the mail rather than compelling each family to make a trip to the postoffice. The matter must be considered from the standpoint of the greatest good to the greatest number. From. that standpoint the matter of free mail delivery is one of very great advantage to the public. This is a government of the people, by tbe people and for the people, and in establishing free mail delivery the government has in mind the rendering of service -to the peonle We must not be selfish about matters of this kind, but should be i broad minded and considerate of the conveniences of others. We must not attempt to turn the curtain of time backward. Automobiles are a disadvantage to church attendance, but the use of' automobiles will increase. Picture shows make people difficult to interest in public gatherings, but this business increases by, leaps and bounds. The person who gets in the way of progress will get run over. The world moves and daily humanity strives to better its condition. The thing that will make the home (better will make the world better. Some of the swift changes may give us a knock hut to others it may be a boost. We Tmist meet these new conditions in the best way possible. If it costs the merchant too much to mail statements each month, he might overcome this by going to a cash basis, which would be an advantage to him and to his patrons. The merchants of the city have a right and should ask for a sufficient number of deliveries in the business part of the city so that they, too, could profit by this modern method of convenience and economy. Four deliveries a day would be a great advantage to the merchant, and but few would fail to use the free de-

livery on that basis. y Another change needed in the postal service of the city is the op- | portunity to mail a letter later than 7 o’clock in the evening. The local postoffice should receive and send out during the evening mail placed in the postoffice as late as 8 o’clock. That there should he a change in the time of from the great amount of mail taken to the hotel. If additional help is needed at the postoffice to give this better service, the help | should be supplied. And if the present carrier is to make tins extra ] trip to the depot with the mail he i should have proper pay for the serv--1 ten render 01 '* -The pittance paid -tO- , Mr. White, who carries the mail to and from the depot, is a disgrace

to the government and its failure to adequately remunerate him for the great amount of service required is out of keeping with the large salaries given by the government to other employes. How a man can support his family and keep up expenses on an automobile which. is rused from 5 o’clock in the morning until 7:30 o’clock at night on fifty | dollars a month is a miracle that | passes all understanding. Great as lis this miracle it is not to be compared with the iniqitjce done by . the. Svernment in allowing such a condon to exist.