Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1898-03-24

Special Correspondence of Gazette and journal
Washington, March 10. --One feature
of the bill to make appropriations for
postotlices and post roads will be of
marked interest to all Dslawareans
who take an interest iu politics. The
Postofice Department has, Of late,
been making experiments in the matter
of rural FREQ delivery. For this pur-
pose, the last Postofflce Appropriation
bill carried $50, 600 to be expended
at the discretion of the Postmaster
General The Postmaster General estab-
lished rural free delivery at so or 60
places in the United States. In order
10 do this work, he appointed five
special agents, and paid them fat
salaries. One Of the i've special agents
thus appointed is +. Eden Bach,
formerly privata secretary to ex x-Senator
Anthony Higgins and racently one of
the most conspicuous of the anti
Addicks Republicans in Delaware. Mr..
Bach's position and duties keep him
employed here, and gives him a salary
of something over 81. 900 a year. In
the postoiiice Appropriation bill, which
is now before the House, the committee
has reported a liberal enlargement of
the froe rural mail delivery system.
Instead of $50, 000 the bill, as reported
by the committee, carries $3.50, 600 for
this purpose, but the committee was
very much dissatisfied with the large
portion of last years appropriation
used to pay the special agents, OF
whom Mr.. Bach is one. The com
mittee. therefore, added this proviso to
the appropriation, that no portion of
the above sum provided for the sup
port of the rural free delivery service
shall lie used for any other purpose
than for the payment of carriers and
horse hirs allowance. This proviso will
prevent the Postmaster General from
employing or paying special agents
next year, which means that Mr.. Bach
and the four other special agents will be
legislated out of office after July 1st
next. They will either have to hunt
something else in the government EN-
ploy or retire into private business
pursuits.
The Postmaster General made a
vigorous fight, ON the floor of the
House, to have the Objectionable
proviso struck from the bill. The
matter came up yesterday afternoon.
Congressman Babcook, chairman OF
the Republican Congressional campaign
committee, led the fight to save the
Congressman Loud of California, chair
man of the House postoffice committee,
did some very plain talking about the
matter. He said that the Postmaster
General had spent, last year, over
33 1-3 per cent OF all the money appro-
priatsd for free rural mail delivery in
paying these five special agents; that,
il his discretion were not limited, no
one could tell how many special agents
the Postmaster General would appoint
and how much OF the $3.50, 600 provided
for in the bill be would expend in pay
ing the salaries of political favorites,
who would figure on the public pay
rolls as special agents. The Democrats
in the House responded to Congressman
Loud's appeal, aud, with his ReDnbli-
can following, defeated BahcocK's
motion by a vote OF nearly two to one.
One result of this action will prob
ably be that Mr.. Bach's connection
with the Postoffice Department will
cease on July 1st While the temper
of the House was plainly in opposition
to the expenditure of the rural free mail
Ielivery's money for the pay of special
agents. il was very favorable TO the
coat itself. This was shown by the
action of the House when it increased
the appropriation, proposed by the
COMMITTEES, from $3.50, 600 to $500. 600
for next year. This will give the
Postmaster General six times as much
money for free rural mail delivery as
he had last year, and all of this in
creased sum must go directly to the
payment Of carriers and horse hire
allowance. With this impetus given to
the system, it is probable that frse
rural mail delivery will be established
at half a dozen different points in the
State of Delaware. The chagrin which
Delawareans may feel at having Mr..
Bach turned out of Office will be offset
by the satisfaction of Delaware farmers,
who will have the hitherto unknown
privilege of receiving their mail at
their own front doors from the hands
of a mail carrier.