The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-02-05


mans door. The humbiest citizen Who
receives a postal card or circular Is
on a plane with the most exalted. be.
csnse each partakes of the benefits
which the Government has sought 10
administer In the distribution and col.
lection of the principal means Of com.
munication among the people.
4 Consequently all the people are In.
terested in the efficiency Of rural de.
livery not alone from the general In.
terest in the development of the ma.
ton. but also from their special inter.
est In the prompt collection of the
mail originating on the farm routes.
and in the prompt delivery of the mall
destined thereto. In order to be effl.
cient. it must be logical and coherent
The assumption of the support Of
the rural machinery by the postoffice
implies full use of the machinery
and full enjoyment of It's profits.
In 1904 many of the rural carriers
were largely engaged in a general
transportation business, outside of the
regular mail service, but on the regu.
lar mail wagon.
BY proviso attached to the apprc
prtation bill passed in 1901. Congress
deprived the public of this convent.
ence, furnished at the risk of the car.
riers. raised the carriers salary &c
partially compensate them for the loss
of their general transportation buki
ness, and assumed for the postoffice
the entire support of the rural machln.
cry.
1T SEEMS TO FOLLOW THAT IN
TAKING THIS COURSE CONGRESS
ASSUMED FOR THE PosToFFIcE
THE DUTY OF CARRYING ON THE
GENERAL TRANSPORT BUSINESS
AND THE ENJOYMENT OF IT'S
PROFITS.
On the Goth of June. 1905. the Gov
ernment had in its rural service &C..
600 post wagons, service more than
100000 people. The provision of
this vast population with the Props.
ed post package service will antas
onize no established interests; 1t will
benefit everybody; will injure no
body. The rural merchant will share
with the rural public the advantages
OF the new and cheap transportation.
The new service will stimulate pro.
duction, and increase consumption. It
will add millions of dollars wear tn
the national treasury; IT will add tens
of millions to the value of merchan.
disc and of produce.
The reasons alleged for abolishins
the handling OF merchandise by the
rural wagon were that 1t led the car.
riers to neglect their duties as pub.
lie postmen for their profits as pri.
vate expressmen. and that 1t result.
ed in discrimination in behalf of ia.
vored individuals. One postmaster in
Iowa reported that his carrier FIRE
quently ctarted out with two or three
wagon loads Of assorted merchandise
for distribution along his route and
was so engrossed with It's management
that he sometimes forgot to take the
mail with him.
The whole rural service is still In
many respects experimental. The
Government mus. continue its expert.
ment for a considerable period. Hav.
ing taken the trouble and incurred the
expense Of Installing this system, ey.
cry effort must be made to render 4.
as useful and satisfactory as possible
particularly IL the revenues can be
thereby augmented. Acceptable as /.
is in most quarters and great as are
its alleged benefits. discordant notes
are sometimes heard, which possibly
q marked extension OF those benefits,
on the lines proposed, would effectual-
ly silence.
The duty OF making rural delivery
more satisfactory TO its patrons, and
at the same time, more nearly self.
sustaining, now devolves on Congress
and the department. Four methods
of handling the matter constitute the
available alternatives:
A minimum carriers salary, with
the privilege of doing a parcels ex.
press business on private account, has
been tried and discarded.
A medium carriers salary, with the
parcels express business strictly for.
hidden is now being tried. with unsat.
isfactory rcsults-the carriers want
more pay and the patrons demand bet
ter service.
A maximum carriers salary. with
local parcels express scheme to be
added by legislation, the proceeds to
go to the postal revenues is proposed
as herein set forth.
No salary to the carriers, but let.
ting of each route to the lowest bid
der, after the star route fashion, the
privilege of doing mn upras+riota1 NOV