The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-08
CONGRESS AND THE RURAL CAR
RIER SERVICE.


The long contest in Congress over rural
mail carriers is gradually approaching a
right solution. That it should have con-
tinued so long when there was but one
right solution of the question. and that one
apparent at the beginning. is due partly
to mischievous lobbying in favor of other
interests than those of the public and part
ly TO lack Of courage on the part Of Con-
gress to do the right thing regardless of
outside influence. Owing to these obstruc-
tive and dilatory influences Congress has
spent a month discussing at intervals
question that ought to have been settled in
two hours.
The law establishing rural delivery fixed
the salaries of carriers at $3.50 year and
made no provision regarding their taking
other employment for pay. The salary was
too small. and in the absence of any pro-
vision to the contrary the carriers soon be-
gan to try and exc out their pay by doing
a sort of commission and peddling business
among their patrons. Then they began to
act as agents and solicitors for newspapers
for pay. There was some profit in this, but
it was a gross violation of propriety and
clearly detrimental to the public service
The practice soon became an abuse and
threatened to develop into scandal in
which a large class Of government employees
would be the subsidized agents and stipen-
diaries of private individuals. The bene-
ficiaries of the practice saw in it the pos
sibilities of large profits by securing for
small pay agents and solicitors who were
also in the pay of the government, and they
formed combination to have the practice
protected by law. There were millions
in it.
This was the situation when Congress
met Everybody admitted that the car
riers' pay was inadequate. and the ques-
ton was whether it should be increased
and the right to take private employment
be cut off. or whether the pay should re-
main at the old figure and the right to
work for private employers remain undis-
turbed. The public interests. the welfare
of the postal service and the dignity Of the
government clearly required the former
solution Of the question, but strong infiu-
ence was brought to bear for the latter
and many congressman yielded to it, thus
subordinating their duty to the public
service to the hope of gaining favor with
the carriers.
After more than two weeks discussion,
in which the hand of the lobby was visible
and the line of cleavage was clearly de-
fined between those who wished to rescue
the rural delivery service from a practice
that was sure to develop a great scandal
and those who were willing TO prostitute II
an amendment increasing the pay of car
riers to s720 a year and prohibiting them
from acting as agents or solicitors for hire
When the postoffce appropriation bill
with this amendment reached the Senate
the lobby that had been working on the
House began to work at the other end OF
the Capitol 1t was successful to the ex-
tent of inducing the postoffice committee OF
the Senate to reject the House amendment
and report one of its own. 1t increased the
pay of carriers to $50 year. and added:
Said carriers shall not solicit business
or receive orders of any kind for any per-
son, firm. or corporation, and shall not
any merchandise for hire, provided. tina,
said carriers may carry merchandise fol
hire and receive subscriptions for and de-
liver newspapers. magazines and Other
periodicals for and upon the request OF
patrons residing upon their respective
routes whenever the same shall not inter
fere with the proper discharge OF theil
official duties ard under such regulations
as the postmaster general may prescribe
and not otherwise; and, provided further
that no carrier shall refuse to deliver or Il
take orders or subscriptions for any mer
chandise. newspapers, or periodicals re
| Guested by any patron on his route, subjec
| 10 the laws of the United States and thu
regulations of the postmaster general.
| 1t would take a committee of lawyers t.
| tell what this means. and then there would
| be several disagreeing opinions. The phrase
ology is discreditable to whoever drafted
| it, and no senator has undertaken to tel
| just what it means. The preponderance o
| opinion is that it would permit the carriers
to do errands for patrons, but not to &C
/ as agents for newspapers or other firm
and corporations If this is the object i
| should be put in clear language.
| As the two houses have disagreed TIL
| question will go to committee of con
| ference. AS both houses have declare,
| against allowing the carriers to act PAL,
| agents for any person, Arm or corporation
the committee Of conference will doubles
] embody that provision in its report. TIL
| pay will probably be left as fixed b.
| the House-sf9O a year. The precedent o
increasing the pay once established. it ca
| be increased again when circumstances sha,
| Justify. The important point is to cut OF
the outside agency and soliciting business
/ which was fastening itself the rura
carrier system like a parasite, and woul
/ eventually have crippled and corrupted i,