The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-01-03
INCREASING THEIR PAY
Trade Unionism May Become an In
teresting Problem.
WHERE WILL RISE OF COST END?
Mr.. Loud OF California Taking a
Hand in the Pending
Discussion.

! among government employees may become
one of the interesting problems OF the
future. The latest illustration of Its de-
velopment and one suggesting wider pos
sibilities than any before, Is the organ
ization of the rural mail carriers into
what is known as county associations
for the purpose of procuring from con-
-gress an increase Of pay. @
Since it has always been assumed that
the rural carrier, in going from house TO
| house throughout the country districts
| would exert a particularly potent political
| influence, it would appear that the mem
| Der Of congress who did not vote accord
| ing to the wishes of the rural carriers OF
his district, after their first gratitude Tor
appointment has passed, would be In some
danger. The city letter carriers have long
exerted a strong influence, and one which
! would have carried them further but for
| the fact that so many congressional dis
tricts were without cities and SO without
representatives who cared anything about
| these organizations Now, comblna-
! ton of postal employees, urban and rural,
will be able to make an appeal which may
be noted with interest.
For Students Of Government.
There are some peculiar aspects to the
| rural free delivery service which should
invite the attention Of all students OF gov
eminent, particularly in its soclallstlc
endeavors When the service was started
| the compensation Of the rural carrier was
placed at $500 year, all the statistics
as to cost of operation, economies IN the
service through cutting off small post
| offices, ETC., were made on the $500 basis.
| It was gIibly stated in congressional de-
| bate that farmers, with barn .full OF
| horses and a house full of boys, would
eagerly seize such an opportunity to in
| crease their family earnings. 1t was
| pointed out that by prompt work the
route could be covered in about four hours
| day, and perhaps the farmer could COM
| bine this duty with good deal OF actual
agriculture. This view, at least, and this
estimate Of cost prevailed during the ex-
| detrimental and statistical era. Probably
! it will continue in the statistics, for OF all
! forms of shameless mercenaries, govern
ment statistics take an easy lead.
| But the rate of compensation was left
| at the discretion of the postmaster gen.
| eral He soon found $500 too little and
raised it to $500. Pressure began to grow
| harder and he raised it. to $500. This
year the pressure has become SO strong
! that he has asked to be relieved of the re-
| sponsibility of fixing salary and will
| throw that duty upon congress. Some
hearings will be given soon after the re-
| cess. .
| E. ]. Hill of Connecticut has had fifty
| three rural carriers Of his district pre-
pare statement showing the costs of the
| service to them, feed and care of horse
| or horses, repairs to vehicles, etc. These
facts Mr. Hill will submit to the con-
gressional committee. He believes the
| rural carriers compensation should be
| made $3.50 a year, and he will ask, In
whatever figure is made for the next year,
| that it be made to apply to, a deficiency
bill for the rest of this fiscal year. Rep
| resentative Foster of Vermont new con
| gresham, has been quoted in the Wash
! ington Post, as in favor of: establishing a
scale Of salaries for rural carriers begin
| ming at $500 and increasing by $1O0 year
till $1,000 is reached. AS carriers would
be, under the new civil service classified
! ton Of President Roosevelt, rather per-
manent offices, this would practically
mean 1000 basis, or a cost Of more than
three times that upon which the service
| was entered into.
| Mr.. Loud in It, s. 4....@
Nor are Mr.. Hill and Mr.. Foster by any
| means heading the procession of friends o.
the rural messengers. 1t is a matter O.
humorous jest in congress how high the
rural salaries will go. General Harry
Bingham Of Philadelphia, who opposed the
| rural delivery experiment, predicted al
the time that the two sets Of carriers BY
marching in solid phalanx to the United
States treasury would yet receive $1,000
year each for their services. Mr. Loud
who Is opposed to raising the recent
figure higher than 5000, predicts that We
shall yet be paying $1,000 for this service
II hos ;pSo
! ing some rather picturesque comments
on government operation. He once sale
| that he opposed rural delivery, wher
| only $3.50 was asked for, but favored il
when the appropriations go up in the mil
lions, realizing that a thing that costs
| only few thousand dollars would have
little strength, while one that costs
quadrupling, possessed such momentum
that it was useless to resist it.
| Some amusement was occasfoned here
a few weeks ago by a letter which he
wrote to the Rockland, Mass. Independ
ent, newspaper published by his sister
Miss Huldea V. Loud. Somebody had in.
quired in regard to the postal deficit, ani
Mr.. Loud replied, explaining the differ.
ence between the real and the nomina
deficit in the postal business, concluding
| with these words: IT have noticed tina
every man who makes failure Of his own
business is particularly anxious to run 6
business for the government
Trouble With All.
The trouble with the rural mail pay
question is one that affects all forms Of
! government service. The government
cannot adapt itself elastically to loca
conditions. 1t must select a rate high
enough for the most expensive places ant
apply it to the entire country. Wages ir
! private life follow other economic condi.
lions. Street car conductors get SIZE
in Charleston, S. c., and So day in Butte
Mont.
For the $500 year which the govern.
ment now pays on rural routes, In the
south and the agricultural west, men coul6
be secured in very great abundance The
pay is already excessive In the blizzard
region of the northwest, In the factory
regions of New England, and in those
points on the Pacific coast where hay ane
grain are high, $500 is not enough, ant
there is a decided tendency for men te
''give up their jobs" Some Massachusetts
| routes have never been started because
| it was impossible to man them. One
could cover good part of Tennessee al
5000 year each for rural carriers. 1r
the Philippines, the United States govern
ment has made difference in compensa.
/ ton according to the cost of living of the
two races, giving 4e scale Of salaries te
! the rice eaters, or natives, and another
to the bread and meat eaters, or Ameri-
cans.
w w Jermane.
All but Saloons.
+ - Tx 49, 70 = = 4