The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-01-03
Congressman Bowie StatesS
Facts TO the Department
THE COMPARATIVE FIGURES
Mr.. Bowie Shows That the South Is
Not Getting Its Share of Rural De-
livery When Compared
With North.

Congressman Bowie of the Fourth Ala
bama district who is exerting his efforts
to extend rural free delivery in his state,
has sent the following letter to the
fourth assistant postmaster general, I'M
der recent date:
Hon. J. L. Bristow. Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General. Washington, d. G..
Dear Sir:-When Judge Maddox raised
the issue in the house that favoritism had
been used in the location of rural free
delivery routes to the detriment of the
southern states, 1 thought he was in
error, as | remembered that the explain
alton made to me when similar issue
was raised by me in the department, was
that the reason they had SO many more
special agents in the north than the south
was on account OF the greater number of
petitions filed there. Believing that there
had been more diligence in filing petitions
in the north 1 accepted the explanation
as correct
remarked to you, however, that be-
lieved there had been discrimination in
this service prior to the time it was
put in your charge. In looking over your
reports recently, 1 found the discrmina-
ton which | suspected not only existing,
but to very much greater degree than
l had supposed. l refer to the figures as
shown in your report to the end of June
30, 1903. l do not know what the figures
will show since that date but I am in
clined to believe that since then the law
has been fairly and equitably administer
ed. think 1t right, however, to make a
record in the way of a protest against the
condition of affairs that most certainly
did exist up to the 3oth of last June
In looking into the matter, l have
classed Maryland as a northern state, be-
cause up to that time, for several years,
all of her congressman have been repub-
leans There are fourteen southern states
included in the figures which / have
made They are as follows: Alabama,
Florida, Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky,
Louisiana, Mississippi Missouri, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Tex
as. Virginia, and West Virginia I have
not made figures of the territories be-
cause conditions there are peculiar, and
besides the number of petitions filed and
routes established would not materially
effect calculations with those fourteen
southern states and thirty-one northern
states to consider.
Thousands of Petitions.
I find, that up to June 80, the southern
states had filed 1850 petitions, and the
northern states 20,934. You will see if
population were considered that the num-
Der of petitions filed in the southern
states is relatively about the same as in
the north There is no material difference.
When we come to routes established, how
ever, find there were only 1854 routes
established in the south, as against II, 1877
In the north; in other words, only 81 per
cent of the petitions filed in the south
were established, while in the north there
were Sc per cent. / find that in the south
only SO per cent of the petitions filed were
investigated, and in the north Go per cent.
l. also. notice another very striking condi-
ton. In the south. 20 per cent of the
routes examined were rejected and in
the north only IA per cent This latter con-
dftion argues Nhat the special agents were
either unduly particular in the south, or
very lax in the north, for the percentage
of adverse reports in the south is more
than double that in the north. This dis
parity can not be explained on account
CT density OF population, because a very
much greater percentage of the southern
population is rural than of the north, and
in many of the western states. where the
percentage of adverse reports was very
much smaller than in the south, the pop
ulation was not so dense.
Question of Discrimination.
When 1t comes to the county service,
there can be no question whatever of the
discrimination. II all the southern states,
there were only fifteen counties which
had the county service, seven of these
were in Brownlow's district. in Tennes-
see. and one in Jefferson county, Ken
lucky, which, at times was represented
by a republican. In other words, there
were only seven southern counties rep
resented by democrats which were given
the full county service. and in these only
212 routes were. established as against
10 in the counties represented by Brown
low of Tennessee and Irwin of Kentucky,
both republicans.
In the northern states, there were fifty
four counties given the complete service
and the routes there amounted to 2276
These added to the 210 routes in Brown
lows district, and in jefferson county.
Ky, bring total of 24S6 against PIP.
have the figures tabulated by states, and
feel sure they are correct. If the south
had been negligent in fling petitions in
proportion to population, ,nere would be,
of course. good reason for the service to
be less there. but when the facts show
that In proportion to population they have
fled almost or as many as the north
the indiscrimination becomes indefensable
do not charge this against your depart
ment during your administration, because
at this writing. / have no access to COM
plete figures to date, and l believe that
your intention is to give perfectly fair
and impartial service to all sections I
do think however. in view of the fact
and the undisputed discrimination in the
past. the average percentage of the south
ern routes ought to be brought up to a
point, at least, approximately equal to
those in the north. l am not to be under
stood as making a personal complaint,
for 1 have always thought that have re-
ceived very courteous treatment from
your department l do believe. however,
that 1t is fair to object and protest
against the condition of things in the
past, and 1t is right to urge that condi-
ton. II 1t is not already corrected, should
he done as soon as possible.
The injurious effect of this discrimina-
tion is only partially indicated above. AS
YOU yourself, remarked in personal
where service is partially
established the people adjacent and not |
receiving 1t are much more clamorous for
its extension to them than in localities
where there is none at all. Hence |
prompt installation of the service in one
section with liberal Interpretation Of the |
rules multiplies new petitions. while sex-
stious delays ard rigid inspections in an
other tends to discourage the work there. |
Notwithstanding this evident principle. |
the south has almost, If not quite. kept |
pace with the north in proportion to po,- |
ulatior in asking for the service. and the |
gross Giscrin'ina ton in acting upon the |
In, 4 no I~1&1. t..