The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1904-08-12
INCREASED SALARIES
Tie Rural Carriers to be Remunerated
by q Graded Scale.
CONGRESSMAN LEVER NOTIFIED
This wnIBe Beneficial to the Greater
Number OF tho Rural Free
Delivery Carriers I'm this
SeotIop
Section.

Number OF the Rural Free
Delivery Carriers I'm this
Section.
Congressman Lever passed through
Columbia Tuesday on his way to
Branchvllle to keep an appointment,
says The State. He had just received
from Mr.. j. l.. Bristow, fourth assist
ant postmaster general, an interesting
letter relative to the pay of rural
mail carriers. Heretofore these car
riers have been receiving 5000 per an
mum, regardless OF the number OF
miles or the number Of families in
their routes. There has been change
80 that a graded scale Of pay will go
into effect. MIR. Bristow says:
l beg to say that the law fixes the
maximum salary for rural free delivery
carriers ut S120 Fer annum. The only
change was the increasing Of the
amount from 5000 to S72O. The law
has always given the postmaster gen
eral the authority to regulate and
grade the salaries. On July lst there
we're about "a, 500 rural routes. The
aveiage length Of these routes was
about "a miles. Many OF them we're
~ and 30 miles long. Formerly most
or tbe carriers whose routes were over
~ miles long received the same pay.
There was great complaint by carriers
having routes from "A to 30 miles
that they were given no more pay
than carriers having routes but 20
and, ,21 miles. 1t was thought euuita-
BILE to take about the average length
OF the routes and make that The
stankaad route, and IS miles was Sc
lected. There were were between
1000 and ~, routes "a miles and
over In length. 1t takes the clrries
on an average Of from six to seven and
a half hours to deliver route "a miles
long.
"A salary of S72O per annum for a
route "a miles in length is equivalent
to $50 per annum per mile But it
was thought that rather liberal al
lowance should be made for the cost
of the carriers equipment, SO instead
of deducting $50 per mile for each
mile5 less than "a trayelel, only S18
per mile Is deducted; According to
this schedule carriers whose routes are
"a miles and over receive 1920, % to
"a miles receive $7O2, 90 to 23 miles
receive 1854, 81 to % miles receive
S666: 20 to 81 miles receive S64S, is
to 20 miles receive $6l2, l6 to Is
n'''' 'rsHeive $h7S, IA to l6 miles re-
$50 su1O, r. 10 IA miles receive
s504, 10 TO II miles receive $46S.
Under this schedule Of the "a, 500
carriers nearly 10000 Of them get an
increase Of over a hundred dollars per
annum, and the remainder get in
creases from S4S to S84 per annum.
The complaints you speak OF probably
come from those having roureS 20, 2l
and % miles long. They would prob
ably prefer full "a mile route and
get the maximum pay. This dissat-
isfation can in many instances be ad
justed during the fiscal year by the
eXtensien OF routes SO as to take In ad-
ditional territory. In that way q
larger number of people can be served
on the same route where the carriers
can without difficulty deliver the mail.
Complaint has been made from
the south that the roads are sandy
and that during the hot months it is
much more dillicult to serve their
routes than in other parts of the
country. In the north the complaint
is made that--durng the SHOWS of
winter the hardship OF the carrier IN
this region Is much more severe than
in other parts OF the country. In the
west 1t is claimed that the black mud
Is very heavy aud makes travelling
difficult during seasons If rain. And
in Virginia and parts OF New En-
gland complaint is made OF the hills
and rocks making roads difficult of
access. In the rich and fertile parts
of the country carriers deliver much
more mail per route than in the rough
and hilly regions. These carriers COM
plain of the mileage basis, stating
that the number OF pieces OF mail
handled should be taken into consid.
Grafton. But as a rule, while there
are exceptions, it is quite general,
however, the carrier with the good
roads delivers more mail than the
carrser with bad roads, SO that the
mileage basis is beyond question the
most equitable upon which the com
pensatiOn can be fixed OF the "a
800 carriers in the service on June 30,
more than 5000 Of them had routes
20 miles and over in length, and do
not think 1T equitable or just to pay
the carrier who travels but 20 miles
as much as the one who travels 81
miles.
There was another feature which
the department. had to consider,
namely, the money available for rural
delivery. Congress appropriated $40
1900 for the salaries OF rural car
riers. Under the schedule as fixed
there was but $3, 900, 900 left on July
| for the installation OF new service
during tile present fiscal about
as much as the department had last
year. although we have % additional
agents examining routes. The sche-
dule as fixed in addition to being the
most equitable to all the carriers In
the various parts OF the country that
could be devised by the departments
will also. enable it to proceed promptly
with the establishment OF additional
service which is now in great demand.
This could not have been done If a
Hat increase to $720 had been given
as some OF the carriers expected.
Petitions have been coming in since
the lSt Of January for the establish
ment Of rural delivery at the rate OF
ABOUT thousand month and 1t is
almost impossible for the department
to make any headway toward reducing
DF