The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-12-25
Not Charity But Justice.

1t is conceded on all sides that the
compensation of the rural route carriers
is not commensurate with the ardu-
Gus duties they are called upon to per-
form, and that they are entitled to an
increase in salaries no one will deny.
Newspapers have discussed this matter
of increased pay for the carriers and
have explained why congress should act
favorably upon the application. The
st. Paul Pioneer Press says the re-
quest of the rural carriers for an in
crease has evidently appealed to the
sense of Justice or the business sense of
congress. Seven bills in the house and
one in tie senate were introduced at the
extra session, the salaries proposed rang
ing from 500 to $1,000, some providing
for fat increase and others grading the
salaries on the basis of length of service.
At present the rural carriers receive only
5000, and out of this. as The Pioneer
Press said the other day, they have to
provide a horse-often two horses-a
wagon, proper clothing for al sorts .of
weather and other equipment, the total
cost of which the first year amounts to
$500 to $4OO The keep of their horses,
feed and shoes, repairs on wagon and
harness and other maintenance expenses
constitute an annual charge of from 5000
to $500, so that even after the equipment
is paid for, and if no horses are lost, or
wagons irremediably smashed, the net
earnings amount to only $500 or $500 a
year. Yet these carriers must be intelli-
gent and reliable, and have to cover every
day, regardless of the weather or the
condition of the roads, an average of
twenty live miles, task that is wear
ing on horsfesh and horseshoes.
The question of Increased pay is, as
has been heretofore pointed out, not
merely one of justice. Because the city
carrier gets from $3.50 to $1,000 a year,
is not required to pay for anything but
his uniform, and does not have to be
more intelligent and honest than the
rural carrier, would constitute no bust
ness reason for raising the pay of rural
carriers to $500 or even 500 year if
plenty of satisfactory carriers could
be had at 5000. The fact is, however,
that they cannot be had at such a price.
There is evidently going to be difficulty
in keeping the best men if congress fails
to increase their pay. Thousands of
them are merely hanging on in the belief
that congress will see the justice of their
appeal and raise the salary. Men of the
character and intelligence required in the
rural service can earn better wages at
something else in almost every case, and
are not likely to sacrifice themselves and
their families merely to accommodate
Uncle Sam and his postoffice patrons. In
other words, there is reason to believe
that if Uncle Sam is not willing to pay a
salary that will net more than 5000 to
$500 year he will soon have to be
content with 5000 or $500 men, which
means men who are of lower grade OF
intelligence or reliability than is needed
if the rural routes are to serve their pur-
pose. Business considerations rather
than the desires of employees ought to
govern congress in the fixing of salaries
but in this case the desires of the EN-
ployes and business considerations seen