The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1883-03-23
OUR MAIL SERVICE.
That Warm Springs and Phiiipsburg Route
Again.

| Our readers are familiar with the history
Of the present neglect Of service on the abov'
| route 1t will be remembered the Depart
ment ordered Postmaster Girard to wait
until March 10th for Warren, the down cas-
contractor who has never boon here, and
who has not paid his sub-contractor; then
if Warren failed to appear, to employ tenn
| porary service, at a rate not exceeding the
| former contract price. Mr.. Girard obtained
proposals from three different parties, agree
| ing to perform the said service at the price
named, provided they could have 1t for eight
months. He then telegraphed the Depart
ment, and was answered as follows:
TELEGRAM.
WARM SPRINGS PosToFFIcE, MONTANA,
March II, 1888.
Second Assistant Postmaster General, Wash
SIR-Mai carrier can be had at once on route
No. &c, 125-from Warm Springs to Philips
burg, Montana-at the rate of Sl96 per
month, providing the Department authorizes
months What shalt do? Answer.
Z. GIRARD, Postmaster.
WASHINGTON, d. q. March 10, 1888.
Postmaster, Warm Springs, Montana:
The Department cannot specify any definite
time for temporary service. 1t must stop
when the contractor takes charge.
r. A. ELMER,
Second Assistant Postmaster General
Now, this reply is, we believe, not true'
and the result is an outrage. We quote from
the official copy of the Postal Laws and
Rugulations of the United States, printed at
the Government Printing Office, and fur
nished to postmasters for their guidance:
Be il Enacted by the Senate and House Of
Representatives Of the United States of America
sn Congress Assembled, That in cases where
special service has already been placed on
new routes, the Postmaster General may, in
his discretion, extend such service until the
time when service can be obtained by adver
tisement, not exceeding, in any case, one
year; and whenever an accepted bidder shall
fail to enter into contract or q contractor on
any nail route shall fail or refuse to perform
the service on said route according to his
contract, or when a new route shall be estab-
lished or new service be required, or when,
from any other cause, there shall not be
contractor legally bound or required to per-
form such service, the Postmaster General
may make a temporary contract for carrying
the mail on such route, without advertise
ment, for such period as may be necessary,
the service snail have commenced under a
contract made according to law. And any
provision of statute in conflict with this pro-
vision is hereby repealed
Approved June IL, 1879.
This act was amendatory of section Cos,
which limited the term such temorary ser
vice might be let to six months. This law is
still in force. Now, Mr.. Warren, contractor,
has failed. At the direction of the Depart
ment, Mr.. Warren was given thirty-three
days to turn up and resume the discontinued
service, when, in case of his failure, the
Second Assistant Postmaster General author
lied Postmaster Girard to employ temporary
service at not exceeding contract price. Mr..
Girard telegraphed that he could let the SER
vice for eight months, and the Department
answers that it cannot specify any definite
time" We believe this not the fact, as
shown by the law. The Postmaster General
can let this service for year, and yet,
through the Second Assistant, who has
charge Of this Division, he practically says
IF you let this service, no matter what il
may cost TO stock the road and prepare, Mr..
Warren, or his sub-contractor, may demand
he first mail as you load it on for the first
rip Of the temporary contractor" The COM
nunities out here are not so large as those of
w ashington, New York or Boston; but the
Individual here is just as much entitled 10
he regular delivery of his mail as the in
lividual in either of those cities, and the
allure of service works him as great hard |
hip. Would the Postmaster General and all
ais Department be able TO stand up a day
against the Indignation of New York, Wash
hgton or Boston If their mail service were
suspended by the Department even twenty
our hours? And why should we, because
We live remote, be imposed upon for weeks
md months to accommodate some defauIting |
contractor? There is wrong being done in |
his matter. We believe it rests with the |
second Assistant Postmaster General. 1t is |
clear cut, well-defined case of mal-admis- |
ration, and we ventilate it with the purpose |
Of sending copies of this paper to the
President, Postmaster General and Delegate |
haginnis, and ascertaining, ifpossible, where |
he wrong rests and whether we are to have
10 redress in like cases.