Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-02-12
NEW RURAL DELIVERY SCHEME.
House postotfioe Committee Wants De-

| House Postoffice Committee Wants De-
livery Let to Lowest Bidder.
| Washington, Feb. 12.-It was agreed
Mt a meeting of the house postoffice
committee yesterday to abolish the ru-
raj delivery carrier service as now or
ganized and to let contracts to the low
| est bidders for rural mail exactly as
is done in the star route service. An
amendment to the postal appropriation
bill having this purpose in view was
adopted unanimously by the committee
yesterday, but fear was expressed on
the part of some members that before
the measure was reported to the house
this amendment might be eliminated.
which would leave the rural free carrier
service on the same basis 1t now rests.
The amendment provides that a con-
tract for carrying this mail shall be let
to the lowest reputable bidder, who
must live on the route and deliver the
mail himself These contracts will be
let at the same rate as Is paid In the
star routes, which is s24 mile per an
nun. This would make the service cost
the government $500 year where the
route is twenty-five miles long.
The action of the committee came as
a great surprise to the members OF the
house, few of whom knew this propo-
sition was under consideration. The
members of the committee themselves
are not by any means certain the
house will look with favor upon this
new move. There is always the sus-
picion that when a contract of this
character is let there is likely to be
fv.aY nd, otto
gagged in, whereas If the government
delivers the mail itself and employs
the carriers, these employees are paid
q stated sum and there is practically
no possibility of any fraud.
In the frauds practiced in the star
route contracts the government as a
rule seldom loses anything, but it be-
comes party to frauds perpetrated
by contractors upon persons to whom
the contract Is sublet.
Another objection urged by some of
those who are opposed to the contract
scheme is that the rural free delivery
carriers will be displaced and will be
succeeded by persons of no experience
and under the contract system there
will be n constant change in the per-
sonnet of this force. which, 1t is
claimed, will operate to the detriment
of the mail service.
There is also political side to the
question, and members who have been
responsible for the appointment tf the
rural delivery carriers do not look with
favor upon a proposition which will re-
suit in their appointees losing their po-
sitions.
Since congress has increased the pay
of the carriers to $3.50 year these po-
sitions have become more desirable,
and consequently the men occupying
them are unwilling to give them up For
these reasons 1t is said il the scheme
to deliver the rural mail by the contract |
system ever reaches the house there
will be a great opposition to 1t, and Mr.. |
Loud. the chairman of the postofflce
will have great deal more
trouble than usual in securing the
adoption of his bill
Every member of congress, except I
those representing city districts, is in
terested in this subject, and 1t is be-
lieved there will be an overwhelming |
vote against the proposition to change
the system.
An appropriation Of s7,5o0,o0o for the
extension OF the rural free delivery /
service was Incorporated yesterday in !