The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-09-04

Half Appreciate the Value of tie
Postal service--The Carrier Sys-
tenn Improves the Community.
The Carrier Is First of All Citi-
zen and He Must Be Sober Man
rs Well Statistics About the Ser
vice.
Rev. G. NJ. Gimn, d. D.. made an ad-
| dress last evening i'm Elm Park church
to the letter carriers. Despite the
| heat a large congregation was pres
| ent Prof. Pennington had returned
from his vacation and presided at the
organ. Miss Duncan sang a contralto
! solo. "1f ! Were a Voice" with great
sweetness and expression.
DR.. Giflln spoke I'm opening the sub
| ject from Esther 70: For he sent
| letters" and said that it was the privi-
| lege OF the king. lie owned the high
| ways and they were made chiefly for
| his couriers. We have entered upon
| the era of the people. We determine
| who shall go and where. No one is
| so poor but that, if he can pay cent
| for piece Of pastebOard his act of
| dropping it i'm the box necessitates the
running Of trains. the dispatch of mes
| sengers and the work of an army of
| officials. It may only bear the old
| legend: 81 am we'll and hope YOU a"c
| enjoying the same blessing" but it Is
| carried with the same care.
All hail to the day of democracy
when the people and not the half mad
scions of weak race reign. The black
| mo, ,,,,, ,t-'r 1.tt
| boy in the north is taken with as
| much conscientious care and cheer
| fulness and placed in the black hand
as If it were from Teddy Roos savelt 20
| William Mckinley.
THE PAST A2tn PRESENT.
The carriers are representatives of
| the advance of the age. The original
method was when the posts on the
road were the kings officials; now the
| crown has been distributed and sur
| rounds the brow of every citizen
DR.. Gittin then stated that he would
| speak further from Daniel, 1874: MANY
| shall run to ana fro and knowledge
shall be increased" He brought
| greeting from the church to the visit
ors, welcoming them to a city which is
a type of their own advance, for no
| place anywhere in the United States
has developed more rapidly than Scran-
ton. Everyone is glad to see the car
riers: press, people. politicians are
greeting them, and said he: Even
my friend. the undertaken has in his
shop a blazing sign of Welcome
why do they have a convention at
all? is asked. They can't help them
selves. 1t is the tendency of the age
Even the WashwOmen and Kitchen
maids are preparing for a national con-
vention. They wish to belong to some
body. The letter carriers wish to get
out Of isolation and belong to some
body, not an item but one of a COM
munity.
The meancst thing on the earth that
l can think of is a bachelor floating
around like a fragment. 1t is an awful
thing to be alone. There is good sense
in organizing. 1t is to preserve what
rights they have and cndeaVor to get
others that these men meet. 1t is sell
dom that a man gets more than he
asks for. The letter carriers want their
salaries raised and their number in
creased.
LARGEST IN THE WORLD.
| lneN are Il part Ol IL great DuSiltSS'
1t is the largest concern in the world.
1t reaches more places, touches more
interests. influences more men, pro-
duces more revenue, and employs more
agencies than any other business firm
or concern in existence. There are in
America a, 600 offices. with 100000 car
riers; $4,000, 900 is expended annually;
$3.50 millions of pieces are distributed,
| % t,iA a m
ment. As these men pass tomorrow,
expect to take my hat off to such an
immensely.
The advance is marvellous. In 1866
there were 40 offices which We're al
lowed free delivery.
It is the intention of the government
TO make the rural system as good as
the city, for this country is being run
for the sake of the people, not for
Office holders.
What kind of men are the carriers?
Did you ever think what they have Ia
do? First of all they have to be citi-
zens Of our country. ! do believe il is
the right thing for every official under
this government to swear fealty before
he can obtain place. They are Ameri-
cans and they are sober men. Like the
railway companies, the government
says to the carriers YOU cannot hc
beer Puzzlers and do your work. Then
they must bo active. They deliver 1G'
pieces annually to every one to whom
they go. The wonder is that SO few
pieces go astray by negligence or dis
honesty.
30 NOT APPRECIATE TT.
The American people do not ralf ap-
preciate the value Of the postal ser
vice. Go to one Of these rural dis
tricts We're mail is distributed once a
week and see the difference in the in.
| tclliCtnce. The carrier system improves
; the community. The department does
not grant the privileges to cities wher
the streets are not paved, the. side.
walks not laid, the intersections not
marked.
The Speaker then referred to Sunset
TO1o w,