The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-03-06
CONGRESSMAN AIKEN
SPEECH.
He Makes a Strong Plea fer the
Rural Carriers.

Mr.. Aiken. Mr.. Chairman. as l was ont
OF the first Members Of this body to raise q
voice In behalf OF Increased pay for rural
ca rriers, and as / have al every opportnne
time since the beginning Of ny service II
the House worked for and advocated the
furtherance OF this measure, 1 feel that there
Is little new that I can bring TO bear on the
subject.
General and of the Fourth Assistant
the recommendations suggested therein
are so strik ingly In line with my speech on
the subject, made some three years ago
that l almost feel that I am making my ole
speech,
Though I may not bring new arguments
to bear, may ] not hope to better drive those
arguments home with an experience OF three
made and with those statements recon n.
mended by the highest authority In the
Government!
Let me say at the outset, that I have no
some other bill embodying the same genera
provisions stands a better chance OF pas.
sage. Ny sole purpose is TO obtain favorable
results; to secure for our faithful carriers
adequate pay for honest service.
Three years ago I suggested that the cost
of the carriers equipment was something
like $3.50. The Fourth Assistant
General makes the same statement. Then
I called attention to the Increase In NAL
received, due to the rural service. The DE.
partments directs attention TO this same fact
Then l called attention TO the lighter wors
and adequate pay OF the city carrier. con-
trasting it with the well.nigh exhaustinG
work OF the rural carrier, b was work
ing for q bare subsistence. The Department
now directs attention to the same state o,
things. Then I emphasized the statement
that the pay Of rural carriers was inadequate
BY citing the large number OF designations
from the service. The Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General calls attention TO the
same, and his report. shows that out o. s6.-
ro0 1a~rtnxu I'M nlnuAh CT fhia TINA INA FQ.
sign ed in six months. Nearly 10 per cent
OF the total number OF men employed have
resigned in six months. It is doubtful II
the entire Govern ment service combined
will show more designations for the same
length OF time.
Gentlemen, this speaks more eloquently
OF the hardships Of the carriers life and oil
his pitiful earnings than could the logic OF
| Aristotle combined with the eloquence oI
Demosthenes. In the language OF Macbeth,
it should appeal to us "like angels trumpet
tongued.
of the Postmaster General and OF bis Fourth
Assistant are not the efIusions OF the poll.
tician, but they are mature aud deliberate
| conclusions, based on the closest scrutiny OIL
the service, with every possible opportunity
for observing the work In detail.
I fear that the rural service has suffered
more or less from the experimental nature
OF the work In its infancy. The experiment
tai stage, gentlemen. has long since been
0AaSeO, 1u6 pcOpIC nhNo lob6 bthSo SSLhO
to recognize 1t as the welding force uniting
country and town. The oity and rural dis.
tricts are interdepedent, and yet before the
Inauguration Of this service they were never
before brought into immediate contact
Through this means a force is at work TO dis
nal that dissatisfaction with country life that
had we'll nigh depopulsted many rural sec
lions.
Department should rot be too strict In dis
continuing existing routes because OF al.
legged lack OF appreciation. There is not
one farmer In a thousand who does not .ap'
~preciate this recognition By the Govern
ment, and the very small per cent. II there
are any, who do not appreciate the service
place themselves In the ranks Of those who
prefer inconv enience 70 convenience, tgnor.
ance to intelligence. The approval or dis
approval OF such would amount TO nothing
for or against the system.
The service now has the heartiest endorse
ment OF the Post Office Department, and the
Department Is ~outspoken In It's advocacy for
increased pay. II the city resident, b is 9
consumer living upon his Wits has his mail
delivered at his door, is not the rural resi-
dent, upon whose mental and physical labor
all OF us are dependent In a greater or less de-
gree, entitled to like confederation? They
capstone OF our prosperity Ia laid In the city
the foundation is laid In the country.
Taken as a whole, considering the increase
OF mali received due TO the carrier system, II
III uO sAeh
is almost II not quite self austalning. But
this is the smallest view TO take OF It.. II the
ment can afford 10 spend millions In
irrigating arid lands; II II can spend millions
afford to spend millions In opening up q
waterway between the two oceans, all 70
build MP commerce and industry, surely II
can afford to do something for those OF its
oitizens who have coa1ed from the soil 1t,
richest fruits, whose products 10 the markets
OF the world have made this q Titan In the
galaxy OF nations.
What II some remote rural sections, strug-
Cling with q sparse population and attendant
difficulties, do not meet the requirements Of
the Department. Is 1t pot the part OF policy
Tor the Government to make some little
sacrifice 10 aid them In their %struggle7 Does
The farseeing %husbandman ~fertilize only the
richer portions OF his field and leave the
poorer parts 10 become more barren year BY
Year,
ser vice 10 Increased revenue to the Govern
ment AMI In conveniences brought to the
citizen, whether in country or town, entities
the service to the same consideration That le
accorded any other branch Of public ervice
against the faithful carrier? Tn present
salary OF the rural carrier, less the cost o.
keeping and maintaining an outht. is aboul
$500; the salary OF the city carrier is about
through every Department OF the Govern
ment service; but what is the use TO multiply
Illustrations? The fact Ia patent, n thaI
the remedy has not been applied ere this 10 a
tice. Either the service ia what We claim fol
IL or II 10 q gigantic humbug. Can any Mem
Der who ha' had the hand touch OF The peo-
Pile truthfully assert that the rural service hal
not given more widespread satisfaction
among the masses than any single law passed
By this body in recent years? Then let ut
not temporlze with this matter any longer.
To raise the pay OF rural carriers TO $500, al
- 49,, ALI thran unnro 0nn md OF
proposed in my present bill. would require
an additional appropriation Of 81 10000. Tit
! appropriation is warranted by the increased
| revenues to the Government; II is warranted
by Increased commercial intercourse; IL Il
warranted because the service ranks With
other indispensable public utilities. We car
not afford, then, to cavil over so small an ap
preparation or TO further delay the demand
ofjustice, which have for so long fallen or
deaf ears.
While I have been against the parcels.pos
system suggested by the Department., l an
not sure but that the suggestion is a good on
II the weight Of parcels is limited 10 5 pounds
Undoubtedly this would be q great accommo
dation, both to the merchant and to the rura
resident; the service 10 be limited, OF course
to the patrons OF routes going out from q par
ticular point. 1t would, in a measure, taxi
the place OF express companies which serv'
city residents. ! believe, TOO, that the In
creased revenue from this source would 10 {
short time cover the increased appropriation
i necessary 10 RAISE Iuo bhlaIloo Vi 1 "
$500. Ii is this that l want. and II we mus
have II coupled with parcels post or an!
other system not burdensome to the carriers
let 1t come along.
As said at the outset, I did not hope t
bring any argument TO bear on this subject
Arguments are plentiful, but why presen
arguments to prove an axiom. All admi
the justice OF the proposed increase. Th'
thirty-od bills introduced In this body
coming from every section OF the country
attest the desire for immediate action, anc
the fact that zone of these bills suggest al
amount less than SOU is In Itself significant
1t seems TO me that Ia a fair consensus o
opinion as to what should pc PAID tne cal
riers and TO .haggle 1t by piecemeal Ia lik'
child's play. Let us grant the $500. and let u
grant 1t to take effect at once. tApplausel