The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-15
Difficulties Experienced By Sub
Contractors.
BONDS AT HIGH FIGURE
OLD TIME POSTAL
TALKS.
Tells Something About the System
of Letting Contracts For the De-
livery of Mail In Districts That
Cover Many Miles-Works Great
Hardships On the Men

Uncle Sans postoffice department
may find itself seriously troubled to
deliver mail over various stage lines
in Utah if it is not SO arranged that
the men who do the work, the men who
run the stages and carry the mail,
may receive .higfner compensation for
their services. There are many sub
contractors who are only carrying mail
now because they are under heavy
bond to do so, and there is at the
White one of the oldest contractors of
the state, who spoke with Indignation
about the methods of letting mail con-
tracts.
Some contracts have, in fact, been
given up by sub-contractors One pro-
viding for the carrying of mail from
Richfield east over the mountains was
given up some days ago. and the task
of providing for the delivery has fallen
on the original contractors of the east.
There is a sub-contractor who carries
the mail twelve miles between Grants
vile and the Oregon Short Line who
might quit if he could save his bond,
for he has found that at the amount
he receives. he can make no money in
the business.
There Are Others.
toiled over hot, sandy deserts during
the summer and will drive through
bleak and snow blocked mountain
passes during the winter, who claim
that they continue because they must
do so to save their property held un-
der bond to the original contractors.
But these men are SO hardworked
that they seldom come to Salt Lake
and the details of their troubles are
unknown.
Il would recommend to suh-con-
tractors said D. E. Davis, who has
carried mail for fourteen years, that
We get together and have an under
standing. i would advise, and l wish
the men who make their living in the
business had sense enough to take the
advice, that we refuse to bid until the
eastern companies which secure these
contracts in large blocks direct from
the government are willing to pay us
decent prices.
These original contractors are grind
ing us down. and the postoffice depart
ment seems to aid them in doing it,
However, i will say that in some cases
original contractors themselves bid so
low that they cannot afford to give US
decent prices. But we must get to-
gether to save ourselves; we must !
rebel
Companies in Kentucky, Missouri |
and Kansas take these contracts and |
let them TO local men. They do moth !
ing but keep books and rake off sew
eral hundred dollars on each contract. /
They don't earn the money. l have
just finished a contract to carry the |
mail between Stockton and Deep |
Creek, 40 miles. for $3.50. I had to
employ six men and use eighteen head
Of horses Can any one figure money
m that? The passenger and freight
business brought me out even.
Now consider: The government re-
luired a bond of $4,000 signed by the
contractor, who had to be worth $4,000.
and two sureties, each of whom had to
De worth $4,000. That means that the
contractor had to control s54,0 worth
II property to secure that contract.
The original contractors, an eastern
irm, had TO give such a bond. AS a
1 got off with a bond
or $4,000, signed by myself and two
'ureties, and we swore that we were
,ach worth $4,000. / had to tie up
$4,000 of property. Mail carriers cam
lot get bonds of $4,000 for such a
Isn't it evident that this pol
cy discriminates against the man who
Ices the work?
One Specific Instance.
Here is another instance: A con-
ract was let to W.. E. Travis of Salt
AXE to carry the mail between Lund {
nd st. George, ninety miles. daily.
lie offered me a sub-contract for
:, 700. On this work there are needed ;
Eighteen head of horses and six men, ,
o say nothing of the coaches OF
curse there is the passenger traffic
'hich amounts to something, and as
here may be a rush into the iron dis
rict down there, that part of the bus /,
ness may amount to something. ,
Understand that Mr.. Travis took this
ontract for $3.50. l have stages on
hirty-fve miles of the route from J
.und to Cedar City, but the matter is G
OF fully settled.
THE system of the government is I
irectly against the men who do the [
-ork. Just figure it out: To get a J
0ntract direct from the government
on must give a bond for twice the I
mount of the contract and must swear
lat you have twice that amount of !
roperty. That makes it necessary for
OH to have four times as much prop
-ty as the amount of the contract.
wo sureties must qualify in the same
ay. Thus the government requires a
Ond of twelve times the amount of
lie contract. How many sub-con-
actors are there who can give such