The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1883-11-28
a Word with Cen. Gresham

cen. Gresham has made an excellent
postmaster general. That We believe,
= conceded on all >idv>. Leaving ttL.i
out. i.e ilas administered hI- Office - n
Il, sin general Communications lleTe
j.. however. Il matter which s..ousd
claim his particular attention. i lie
wishes 10 he A rciormeT thu presents an
opportun+ty for him 10 achieve tame
A great evil i TO be corrected. and ten
Gresham l. IN a po~ tiou 10 : { that the
,orr.-t.ve : applied. We refer 10 the
practice uf suJ-lytt - contracts Ter car
rlIns the mail ou sian routes these
routes are not properly served ~ THIS
state. and doubtless our Conditlon : no
worse tl,au that Of olIIer States We
lave often ventilated subject. but a.
Republican testimony may weigh more
at the department than ours, we prefer
70 lav before the Postmaster General
what the Winston R~epudhcaA has -
say about it. That paper, speaking OF
the horse routes fits section. says:
.-rherr Il not a line unless. perhaps.
ne except the NJ. AIRY hack thai
.oes gu from tins clty ttiat i not. IN
,,quipment. q disgrace - he's service auG
a r~eproach 10 The government and tlc
people. These horse lines. Or star
routes as they are termed, are bid oil al
remuucrative lrce- To the contractors
originally. but the trouble i the contrac-
tor suU-luts and the are again re-suhlet,
until. by Tie in they yet int The
~ Is III those who actually carry the
mail. middle m,.l have al the profits
there are ii The work. The consequence
is lust such d condition o. the service a
we see every day-old, worn u con-
veyanceo drawn y poor. halt starved
horses. Indeed. 50 reduced las t..~
service become last winter on the Dan
bury route that the mail Lad 70 be ear
ried a great portion OF the time by boys
on foot
Generally we may say the above pic
ture well represents the horse routes O.
| North Carolina. Now what i the de-
partment going to do about ii: What
| can it do about it. Have the people
! any remedy independent Of the depart
ment, and if 50, what: At all events
here is a field of action worthy OF Gen.
| Gresham's fine ability. If he IS the re-
former which his friends claim he is. let
him apply himself to the correction oi
the abuses that underlie the existing
condition OF the mail service that sup
plies three quarters OF the people 81 thus
State. Such Il service would not be toll
Grated a week III any Northern State.
1t is no less a disgrace to the govern
ment than IA hardship on the people
DAILY NeUS- ObSerrer.
We endorse, and emphasize each and
every word of the above. There Is no
doubt that postal affairs are administer
ed to-day better than ever before ex-
cept i'll one OF two particulars. The
main routes, and main offices, are served
more regularly, efficiently, and hottest
", than at any time since the WAT; but
there are abuses. on country routes,
which ought to be corrected. Here ~ a
sample: The po%st-route to Eagle Rock
was '.let'' to some one; and then sub
let to Mr.. j.. ii. Renfrow, who after
wards got a Revenue appointment, and
sub-let to a colOred carrier. Meantime,
n postotiice was established at Blake's
store, to supply a numerous and lntelll-
gent community but as it does not suit
the carrier to g by that office Ga shorter
route, and better road, we hear,) the
mail has to be sent out from Raleigh by
hand, until the Rejecting Of Mail Con
tracts in January prOx.