The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-03-16
ExPEND ITURES.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY

whether the establishment of the
Free Rural Delivery was a wise
movement or not. With this con-
tention we have nothing to do.
The system is here to stay. 1t is
the first Official recognition on. the
part of our government that the
great urban population, that con-
tributes more to the support of the
nation than all other classes, is
entitled to consideration. 1t will
never be given up. On the contrary
it will be extended until practically
every farmer and rural resident in
the United States will have his
mail delivered at his residence
daily.
When our government does any
thing it ought to do it well and in
such manner as to inspire respect,
and there is no question but that
the Free Rural Delivery service as
it exists today, is "bum." The
carriers are VIGOROUSLY underpaid,
The carrier must keep at least three
horses, two vehicles, provide his
teams with provender, keep them
shod for slippery roads, keep his
vehicles in repair, supply himself
with apparel for all weathers, put
in long hours, pillow through snow
drifts, wade through mud-holes,
eat cold lunches, and for this he
receives less pay than the poorest
paid city letter carrier who has
only to sling his sack over his
shoulder and travel over the paved
streets of the municipality for
limited number of hours each
day. If this is fair then welcome
unfairness. If this is just we will
become champion of injustice.
We do not mean to assert that the
city carrier receives too much, for
he does not, he renders value re-
ceived for every dollar paid him.
We do mean to say the rural
carrier receives too little. The
compensation is pitiable compared
to the services rendered. The
make-shifts that the rural carriers
are compelled to resort to bring the
government into contempt and in
some instances make the service
ridiculous. During the last winter
we met, in Minnesota, a two
wheeled road-cart drawn by blind
mule, the driver had his feet encased
in grain sacks to protect them from
the elements. Each side of the
cart bore the legend gu. S. Mail,
r. F. d. No. g." And whenever
bombastic orators and exaggerating
editors tell, and tell again of the
wealth, glory and magnifcence of
this mighty republic, this pathetic
picture appears before our vision
and we retire into solitude and say
"rats."
Every Free Rural Carrier who
has route of twenty miles or over,
should receive at least 500 per
month. He should be required to
have safe covered rig, drive a
decent team or single horse and
clothe himself or herself in a neat
and distinctive uniform. 1t would
be a good plan for the government
to furnish these rigs and uniforms
at actual cost to the users so they
would all be similar and then the
great army of Free Rural Delivery
carriers would be as distinct an arm
of the government service as the
army or navy and would inspire as
much respect.
How is the cost to be provided?
Build fewer battle-ships-a '.big
mail" is surer guarantee of ma
tional security than a "big stick. :"
Cut off a round dozen million
dollars of useless expenditure
annually from the River and Harbor
Bill. 1t is wiser to tax the people
for disseminating intelligence than
to dump revenue into sloughs,
swamps, byous, and creeks on
whose surface only float ships that