The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-06-17
Letter Carriers Will Push Fight For
An Increased Wage.
Rural Reuters Not At All Discoul aged
AT the Outlook.
President Dunbar Delivers Inspiring
Address to Associates.
Members of State Association Hold
Meeting in Mankato.
From MONDAYS Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Delegates representing the various
rural mail carriers associations in the
different counties met at Williams hal
this morning and opened the first an
nual convention of the Minnesota Rura
Mail Carriers association held since the
reorganization of that body.
The delegates present this morning
were as follows: Hudson Guy of Cedar
Anoka county; P. j. Duran of Goodhue
county; E. A. Lane of Minneapolis;
Alexander Records of Pennington; L. d
Perkins of Hennepin county; F ID. Ed
ward of Goodhue county; G.. M. Whipple
of st. Louis Park; Martin Jorgensen OF
Waconia; William Hoffervert of Howard
Lake; Oscar Lang of Chenille; John E
Voter of Mazeppa; Eugene Coy of Man
kato; w. III. Dunbar of Isanti county; L.
Lindstorm of Cambridge; William R.
Briggs of Saltwater; L. j. Crippen OF
Langdon; c. H. Cobb of Newport; Mrs
L. w. Allen of st. Cloud; w. l. Liffeny
of Hector; Joseph Penner of Alexandria
E. D. Terrell of Wayzata; John I. May
of Mankato; F. H. Hunter of Anoka !;
George L. Rathburn of Anoka, and A.
w. Krengel of Mapleton.
All of the officers were present: JOS
eph Penner of Alexandria, president; F.
H. Hunted of Anoka, first vice president !;
w. H. Dunbar of Isanti, second vice
president; E. D. Terrell of Wayzata,
secretary, and John T. May of Mankato,
treasurer.
President Penner called the meeting to
order shortly before eleven o'clock and
appointed Eugene Coy of Mankato, SER
geant at arms.
Treasurer May introduced Postmaster
Benedict, who on behalf of the mayor
welcomed the visitors to Mankato and
delivered over to them the keys of the
city. On behalf of Uncle Sam he figura-
lively delivered over the keys of the post
Office OF Mankato.
Mr.. Benedict gave the delegates an
excellent talk on the permanency of the
rural carrier system. Rural free mail
delivery has come to stay. Great good
can be accomplished by the associations
of the carriers in devising new ways
of lettering the system, and inducing the
authorities to extend it further and fur
Their. Mr.. Benedict told the boys they
should agitate for good roads. The
rural carriers if anybody are interested
in having good country roads. The
carriers really know more about good
and bad roads that the good roads ora
tors themselves.
Vice President Dunbar made a fitting
response to Mr.. Benedict's address and
the whole meeting expressed their good
will by rising vote of thanks.
Mr.. Dunbar said in part:
81 presume that you all heard of the
noble fight our state and national as
"Were we defeated? I, for one, must
say No. but many of you are ready to
say that we did not get what we asked
for. Well, what did the majority of
carriers do to help in this our first bat
tie? Have the majority of carriers form
ed county branches and aided in relieving
the expense account in that battle for
living wage scale, or joined in with
their voices?
''In the early months of rural service
when the entire scheme was one of uncer-
tain experiment, it was eminently proper
that the public funds should be used SPAR
ingly and with the utmost caution. But
that day has long since passed. The
rural service is no longer questionable
one. 1t is here to stay.
''When the first few routes were es-
tablished, $500 year was the pay This
was advanced until 5000 year is paid,
and in a few weeks we will receive from
500 TO $720. But with this advance
comes greater responsibility, longer trips
and more work. And, furthermore, the
department wants the best class of men
1T is able to secure. Not only does the
department demand persons who are
above'reproach, but it enforces an exami-
nation which only a bright, intelligent
person can pass. And in return for in
tegrity, reliability and the other quail
ties required for the service, it should
at least pay sum sufficient to meet the
current expenses. No reasonable or fair
minded man can say that $720 year is
fair compensation when the expense ac-
count is taken into consideration. Now,
an outfit costs from three hundred to
five hundred dollars. They do not last
over two or three years. Feed (which at
the present time is very high, shoeing,
veterinary service, repairs on wagon and
harness cost on an average the state over
from three hundred to four hundred dol
lars year. These figures are no guess
work
SIS there any man with common sense
who will say that 500 or 5000 year is
fair compensation for the actual work
performed? That, my brother carriers, is
the sum total we generally have left
after the running expenses are deduct
ed.
"Our present pay is little less than an
insult to American labor, especially when
it is compared with the city carriers