Evening star., 1902-02-14
THE PLAN CONSIDERED
EFFECT OF THE BILL REPORTED
TO THE HOUSE.
The Change Strongly Opposed in Post
Office Department - Believed It
Would Prove Disastrous.

BY the operation of the. Post Office De-
partment appropriation bill as reported to
the House yesterday the many thousand
mail carriers of the rural free delivery are
to he transferred from the salary rolls Of the
Post Office Department to the contract syS-
tenn which prevails in the star route service.
AT present the carriers are appointed after
a civil service examination, draw uniform
salaries of $500 each-which recent legisla
tion increases to $6O0-and hold office as
| long as their service is entirely satisfactory
to the department They are to the coun-
try districts exactly what letter carriers
are to the cities The effect Of the proposed
legislation would be to give the service to
the lowest bidder, without anything except
a superficial examination, and permit INN
! to hold office only until the expiration of
the period named in his contract. This is
thought to be the most radical change pro-
posed in the administration of the Post
Office Department since the establishment
of the civil service commission.
When seen by Star reporter this morn
ing none of the officials Of the department
would discuss the matter. The bin had not
yet been made law they held, and any pub
lie statement they might make would seem
like an attempt to influence legislation.
But it was clear they opposed the change
practically without exception. Postmaster
free to talk of the bill in it's present form,
explained that he had been out of the city
and consequently had not noticed the pro-
vision of the bill which was called to his
attention.
A statement of the attitude Of the postal
authorities. however, was obtained this
morning from a member of the House,
whose deep interest in post Office matters
gives his declarations on the subject as
much significance as though they came
from an official of the department.
Present Contract Service
1.-THE contract system in the postal serv-
ice today he said, broadly covers the
transportation of mail on railroads. steam
boat lines. star routes, the messenger serv-
ice and the screen wagon service in cities
and towns.
These contracts involve the perform
ance Of no personal duties on the part of
the contractor. They provide for the mere
transportation or hauling Of the mail. The
only exception is perhaps, what is known
as the star route box delivery. where the
contractors are required TO deliver Ordi-
nary mail to boxes erected along the route.
Even in this case the department IS care
fui TO relieve itself Of all responsibility by
requiring patrons who desire their mail de-
livered by the contractor to leave a writ
ten order with the postmaster to deliver
their mail to the contractor. In this way
the contractor really becomes the agent Of
the patrons and not of the department.
THE rural free delivery service to which
it is proposed to extend the contract sys-
TEN Is one which only incidentally involves
the transportation of mail in bulk. The
duties imposed upon the employe (the rural
carrier) constitute the important feature
Of the service. The rural carrier not only
delivers ordinary mail to boxes and col
lects such mail may be deposited in
patrons boxes or in United States collec-
ton boxes, but he delivers registered let
ters, also registers letters on route. CIV
ing receipts for the same; he accepts
money for the purchase of money orders,
for which he also gives receipts on forms
supplied by the department.
He carries a supply Of stamps and
stamped envelopes for the accommodation
of patrons on his route. He is obliged to
deliver special delivery and pension letters,
as well registered letters, to the houses
of the addresses. He cancels the stamps
on letters collected by him, SO that he
may deliver such letters on route as may
be intended for delivery thereon before his
return to the post office In short, he per-
forms the functions or duties of a post
master, and when the paying Of money
orders by carriers is extended to the rural
branch of the service he VIII perform all
the duties devolved upon a postmaster at
a money order office.
Effect Of the Change.