Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-03-20

Is entitled to have its interests guarded
as the similar interests of the population
of our cities and larger towns are safe
suarded by the government.
If the contract system were q good one.
there is no reason why it should not be
ADOPTED In the cities where free delivery
exists. No one questions for moment that
the adoption of this system would result
In large saving to the government, but
no one would question for momens the
effect upon the people Of the adoption of
the proposition to substitute the contract
system for the one nov in vogue.
suppose that the gentleman from Cali
formal had included in his bill a PROPOSE
tion affecting in this way the free delivery
in his own city How long do you think
IT would have taken the storm Of protests
from every class in that great city to reach
his ears? Tho salary system is retained in
the cities because it insurcs the best SER
vice; let us continue it in the rural COM
munties for the same simple but potent
reason,
The gentleman from California says it is
Impossible To equali2e the pay of these
carriers on a salary basis; that under the
present method these carriers must all be
pald $500, whatever may be the length of
their routes. This Is simply absurd, and
shows how little he knows of the adminis-
ttation of the system. Before the law
went into effect en- the list of March, Civ
ing slight increase Of compensation to
them, there were carriers in my district re-
c"lving Sl25 per year. others who were re-
cclVinS $50 per year. and still others who
were receiving $500 per year. according to
the length of their routes The pay OF all
these carriers has been slightly increas d
10y the action of this House, and | take
pleasure in extending the hanks of those
carriers to those members who assisted 50
earnestly and effectively IN securing for
them this modest increase
Where IS no more difficulty in adjusting
the pay Of these carriers on salary basis
than that OF the letter carriers in our
large cities. The carrier on a 20 mile route
works as long as does the carrier in the
city 1t is none too much to pay him for
eight hours work after he has cared for
his horses and his vehicles, driven over his
route. and made his daily report.
Now, MIR, Chairman. one thing more. |
disagree with the gentleman from Califor-
mia when he says it Is now or never
when he says we must change the system
now or not at all. | disagree with him
when he says it is a question of so. 900, 0O0
or 100000. ] say that first of all this is
a question of establishment, of progress,
and If in a year fl ON now the members of
this House. having watched the progress
of this system under the care and guild
ancc of our new postma ster- general. think
| 1T best to make Il change, 1t can be doDc
as readily as to-day.
| | say the gentleman from California j.
hardly candid when he says in one breath
that il is a question of $40. COO 900 or of $50,
O0O COZ and in the next moment, when asked
by member of this House whether he be-
/ lieves the contract system would reduce
! the expense to the government, says h
does not know He says there are routes
| in this service which ought to receive $9Ot
and there are those which ought to receive
less than $500" and when asked to give
his judgment to this House upon the broad
question whether this system would reduce
/ the expense of the government he says, 81
do not know" | think his statement is hon
est. | think that respecting other features
of this measure which he proposes and
many other features OF this service which
he Is attacking attacking in the garb OF
friendship-he simply does not know"
Now. Mr.. Chairman. l say in conclusion
what ! said at the outset-I stand here tc
represent the patrons of this service. Scat.
tered all over the civilized world is a grca,
peace army. It gathers the news; il
! flashes 1t across continents and under
oceans; it cystalizes it in the daily papers
For years il has been the pride of this
great republic that so complete is our pos.
tai system that every citizen of our larger
communities has been able each morning
! at breakfast to read of what transpired III,
day before throughout the civilized world
1t was the idea of the fathers of this sHs
TEN, it is the idea of the friends of thi;
system to-day. that it will give similar
advantage to the residents of our rlra
communities, and stand here to appeal II
behalf of these communities.
| could read you scores of letters received
/ by me during the past weeks by the pa
irons of this service in my district, re-
! counting its advantages, telling how i
brpadens the horizon of the farmer, On
I.t IL.