Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-07
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
It's Success by Proposal to
Make IL = Contract system.

MAKE II - CONTRACT Syetems
Salt AXE Tribune.
II is greatly to be feared that the rural
free delivery system. so warmly appre-
ciated by those who have received its bene-
hts. 30 earnestly desired by all rural COM
munities TO which It has not hitherto been
extended. is in danger. Worst of ALL the
blow aimed at this great postal reform
comes from its alleged friends.
Ever since rural free delivery Of mail
was galvanized into active life under the
administration Of President Mckinley, in
1897. Its great strength has lain in the fact
that 1t has been a service for the people
and by the people. The rural carriers Sc
lected have been those whom the people
have chosen, and who have had the entire
confidence Of those whom they served. How
necessary this is in a delivery OF this kind
can be readily seen from the fact that all
the duties Of city carriers and more have
been gradually. conferred upon the rural
postmen. They register and deliver regis
tered letters, give receipts for money or
ders, make special deliveries in the same
way and for the same fees as the city
men, and undertake the personal delivery
Of pension checks.
The close community Of interests be-
tween the people and the rural carriers
mas been shown in numerous instances by
the farmers clubbing together to buy the
carrier an approved postal wagon and a
uniform, and by voluntary contributions for
the increase Of his insufficient bay. The
last point, which has been go large a sub
ject Of complaint, has been relieved by tia
action OF congress itself, which has added
to the deficiency appropriation for the
rural free delivery service for the current
year q sufneient amount to enable the de-
partment to increase the pay Of carriers
from $500 to $500 or s625 a year.
When everything was in this satisfactory
condition and the whole service was pro-
crossing most prosperously, with the proe-
pect OF an appropriation Of eight or tan.
millions Of dollars for it's continuation and
extension during the next fiscal year. a hug
aboo was started. Some carriers in the
little town Of Meadville, Crawford county.
pennsylvania undertook to advance their
interests by starting a Rural Carriers as
ISOLATION, with the avowed purpose Of ask
ing congress to increase their pay and
regulate the length Of their routes. Be-
iore this circular had been brought to the
attention OF the department these enter
prisiDg rural postmen had addressed LET
ters to a number of representatives in con-
gress and had ELECTED from them more ar
"a ~
Just as soon as the department cot %
know Of the organization and the uur-
poses for which It was designed. Il ISSUED
peremptory orders to the carriers to cease
their lobbying efforts, and they imme-
oiately complied. President Roosevelt. i'm
mediately upon the matter being brought To
MS attention, Issued an executive order
prontpiting any organizations of govern
ment employees for the purposes Indicated
In this rural carriers organization: hit In
the meantime, the chairman Of the com.
mittee on the postofices and postroads
Hon. Eugene Loud of California. taking
alarm at this project, so promptly nipped
In the bud, and fearing that the Increasing
rural service might bring down upon mem
Ders OF congress pressure which they would
Dc unable to resist, has succeeded In per
suading the committee of which he Is chair
man 10 include In the provision for the
maintenance Of rural free delivery for the
coming year q proviso that all rural mail
service shall hereafter be let out by con-
tract to the lowest bidder.
In the opinion of those most familiar
with the administration Of the rural free
delivery service. the adoption Of this pro-
vision VIII be destructive to the whole
system. 1t Will simply place the mail
service OF the country back under the in
eficient methods Of the star route service.
which was originally started by the con-
tinenta1 congress and has been changed
very little in efficiency since. 1t is public
history that the contract service has been
productive Of the greatest scandals which
have ever disturbed the postal admins
tration Of the United States. 1t is equally
a matter Of notoriety that the recent effort
OF the Washington authorities to reform
Il that annkHnnN 9awuN.l - -
contractors must reside in the communities
over which the service they bid for extends.
has really left the condition OF the con-
tract service unchanged. Bids are pre-,
sented by a nominal resident Of the dis
trict. who, under the provisions Of the law,
promptly sublets his contract after It has
been awarded to him to some other per-
son, and the records of the department
show that in the great majority OF cases
all letters and communication In regard
to the service continue to be addressed to
start route contract agents living in Wash
ington.
To throw the rural free delivery service
back into the chaos which has characterized
the contract service ever since its in
stallation, means that the personnel of the
service will be deprived Of the esprit de
corps which now animates IT.; that the
people themselves will lose interest in the
extension Of rural free delivery. and that
= great moral revolution, for which the
republican party is responsible and from
which 1t was reaping such great results.
will be retarded, II not absolutely thrown
back.
The contract provision in the pdstonice
appropriation bill should not be passed by
| congress. No member who will take the
trouble to look into the history Of the
contract service on the one hand and the
rural free delivery service on the other
will venture to vote for 1t. II he should do
so, he can expect speedy retribution at the
hands Of his constituents.