The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-08-25

The third annual meeting of the
Rural Letter Carriers association, with
about seventy-five delegates present
convened at the court house Thursday
afternoon. The afternoon was de-
voted entirely to organization and the
appointment of committees, the reg
ular work of the convention being
taken up at the meeting called for the
evening. Formality was thrown to the
winds; coats came off first, and then
came. collars and ties. and as the
members waxed warm in their en-
thusiasm sleeves were rolled up and
the business of the meeting was taken
up in earnest. The members are all
satisfied lot of good fellows who
seem to be in tune with the world
and have few complaints to make;
their only object seems to be to bet
ter their condition, which they admit
is anything but bad. o. Chacey, the
secretary who is from Leavenworth
county, seemed to voice the sentiment
of the members of the convention
when he said:
1--WE have no fault to find with any
one. We have met here as a body of
men who are engaged in the same line
of work and We feel that by mingling
together we may gain information
from each other that will be of value
to us in our occupation as rural mail
carriers. We feel that by meeting to-
gether at these conventions each year
besides forming friendships that are
of value to each other, that we further
our interests in many ways. We get
together and talk over our expert
ences of the year, have a good jovial
time, and go home to our work feel
ing that we have returned from a
pleasant vacation.
From the expressions of the more
outspoken it was easy to see that there
was considerable satisfaction among
the members in the knowledge that
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow is no longer in charge of the
rural service. This was explained by
the secretary, who said: "Our asso-
citation was organized during the time
that Mr.. Bristow was in Office, and he
did everything in his power to dis
rupt the organization. He even went
so far as to suspend all of the officers
of our national organization, and has
made. it extremely unpleasant for us
at every opportunity. He was opposed
to the rural system from the time OF
it's inception, and she had possessed
the power he would have done away
with the service entirely. He seemed
to feel that if the farmer received his
mail at the regular poStoff1ce once
week that he should expect no more
of the government. Every obstacle
that he could find to put in our way
as carriers was used, and some of the
most obnoxious rules that the carriers
have to submit to now are rulings that
he made or had made, and it is not to
be wondered at that the rural carriers
feel as they do toward him"
H. H. Windsor, of the r. f. D.
News, the national organ of the asso-
citation, was not able to be present and
sent a paper from which the following
reference to General Bristow was read
by the secretary:
81 believe more care is being taken
to measure routes correctly. and /
know of many reasonable courtesies
mhich aren ow the rule where a few
months ago they were the exception in
certain quarters at Washington. The
czar has been dethroned, and the inves-
tigator is himself being investigated.
The postmaster general and his heads
of departments are now broad gauged,
progressive men. Instead of a. gold
brick, which was handed out year
needed and much prayed for code of
rules
F. H. Cunningham, the president of the
national convention of Rural Route Let
ter Carriers, was present and read pa
per.
was made by B. A. Rosenquist, who is
dwelt upon the close relationship which
exists between the rural carriers and
the postmaster at the offices from which
the carriers receive their mail, also the
| interests that are mutual as far as the
carrier, his patron, the farmer, and the
nostuasters are concerned. His talk
was a happy hit and seemed to impress
would like to express themselves.
Talk of Good Roads.
The morning was taken up by infor-
NAL discussions of the members and the
reports of the secretary aud