The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-08-02
RURAL MAIL CARRIERS.
Existing Conditions Summed Up by W. H.
Dunbar at Isanti.


Upon requst the Union publishes
the following address which was de-
Hvered by W. b. Dunbar of Isanti at
the annual meeting of the R. F. D.
carriers in Saltwater. The address
sums up the rural mail carrier situa-
ton:
"We have assembled in this beauti-
full city to hold our third annual con-
vention, to air our grievances and to
correct abuses. The past year has
been an unusually cloudy one in the
history of R.a.F. D.-dom, not only in
Minnesota, but all over the union.
1.-The main trouble at present is that
there are too many carriers standing
back and waiting for the few to fight
it out for them and they say it does
not make much difference, as what
they could do would not change the
situation one way or the other. This
is a serious mistake. There are today
in operation about IS, 900 rural route
carriers. Of this number there are
only about 1000 in the organization.
Brother carrier, is it any wonder why
it is SO cloudy for us when %, 900 car
riers seem Indifferent to the organiza-
ton? 1t plainly shows the department
at Washington that the majority, the
2S, 900 are satisfied with their lot and
the minority Of 1000 can scrap it out
for us if they like. Now I have not
been able to discern what kind of a
side issue those $4,000 carriers use to
make ends meet. They must certainly
have an outside income or are doing
the same thing have been doing for
the past three years, using part of my
income from the farm to help out I'm
Gle Sam and to facilitate the dispatch
of the mail in the hope that some time
he will give living wage.
''When the free rural delivery was
contemplated one of the claims made
for it was that the material advan-
tages would be equaled, if not sur
passed., by the social and educational
benefits conferred in relieving the
monotony of rural life by bringing
city and country into closer relations
and giving the farmer an opportunity
of keeping abreast with the rest of the
world. Today the farmer is in touch
with the great outside world. Daily
his papers and letters come to his
door. His comfort as a man and his
usefulness as a citizen are broadened.
That is what the rural system is do
ing. 1t is now beyond the expert
mental stage. It has come to stay.
But how is it with the advance
agent, the r. F. D. boys? Can we
stay? [ for one am forced to say, not
much longer if congress does not come
to our relief. Congress alone has
power to increase our pay. We can
not even ask for help from the only
source of help. The discrepancy be-
tween the city carrier and the rural
carrier is prima facie evidence of the
injustice of the latter's pay. The city
carriers with average pay of $1,000 a
year are contented with their lot. But
how is it with US?
'Despite the fact that he is in the
government service the rural carrier
is nevertheless a human being, capa-
bic of approaching kindness and of
suffering from injustice. The govern
ment expects him to be honest, care
full and energetic, to furnish all nee
essary equipment at his own expense:
and to carry the mail over his route,
hail, rain Or shine, every day in the
year except Sunday for the sum Of
S72O.
1.-The mail carrier does not ask or
expect favors from his patrons, but he
does expect justice and fair treatment,
and if he does not receive it | am sure
it is because the people are unmindful
of what he requires because there are
few who would purposely add to the
mail carriers hardship.
mo reasonable or fairminded man
can say that S720 year is a fair CON-
pensation when the expense account is
taken into consideration. An outfit
to dispatch the mail will cost from
$500 to $500. The deterioration is
about IS to 40 per cent annually.
Feed, shoeing, repairs on wagon and
harness, veterinary service costs on
an average, the state over, about $500
year. These figures are no guess
work. Is the rural carrier fairly
treated compared with the city car
rier? Ones work is as arduous as
the other, but the city carriers pay is
nearly twice as much as ours, with no
horses to feed, wagon or harness to
repair, no horses to get sick or die.
Our present pay is little less than an
insult to American labor.
"Brother carriers, we have other
matters in hand that need attention,