The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-09-09
Rural Route Men Finish
 Business. TO MEET IN ANNls1oN
Julius Merritt of Dothan is Presi-
 dent.
Many Annoysnces in the Work of the onrriers Discussed By the Con- vention--Department Man
 Was There To Help.

| Yesterday morning closed the second days session of the rural letter car. riers' convention. The early part oi the morning was taken up with ths l question box in which carriers had put queries concerning different parts of the work. Inspector 5. F. Dilts was present and together with the carriers | the knots were united. The main ques- | tion of trouble was the putting of coins in the boxes by persons living on the routes, especially putting | money In unlocked boxes for postage in excess of the mail to be sent. With from ten to fifty people doing this ev- cry day, 1t makes the work exception ally hard on the carriers and 1t waz decided to try to eliminate the evil by insisting on the patrons of the routes meeting the carriers in person and purchasing their stamps.
 Another source of annoyance was H. literate people imposing on tho carrier by asking him to address their letters and cards. and in some instances ex- pecting him to stop and write letters for them: 1t was decided to stop this trouble by refusing to do the writing. Many other problems of a minor na- ture that the carriers are beset by in the rural districts were discussed and
 
 W. B. Pate, a carrier. made a short talk on the subject of using bicycles in covering the routes, but the idea did not take well with many. when they stopped to think of punctures and in- element weather.
 The reading of reports of commit tees took up some time. but was a source of some information generally as the reports were thoroughly dis- cussed before being adopted, or accept ed as information.
 The following officers were elected for the ensuing year: Julius Merritt, of Dothan. president; R. H. Carlisle. of Alexander City, vice president; R. c. Beaver, of Boaz, secretary, and A. c. Clayton. of Alabama City. treasurer.
 Executive Committee-W ID. Pate. H. D. Russell and J. P. DuPree.
 Delegates to the National Convens tion-Julius Merritt. R. c. Beaver, and s. B. Renian.
 Anniston was selected as the next place of meeting. but hard fight was fought by Dothan, Gadsden, Huntsville and other towns.
 Hon. J. Thomas Hefiin addressed the assemblage on the Subject of good roads, making a strdng talk in favor of the move and assuring the carriers of his hearty support of their interests and his work to secure better high WdyH IOE huo 6tdLes At tue ConCi0- sion of his address he was given a vote of thanks and elected an honorary member of the body. @a hsE
 Yesterday afternoon the ninety dele gates scattered for their homes, leav- ing Montgomery on the evening trains The visitors expressed themselves as more than pleased with the treatment they had received and are well satis- fled with the work they have accom- plished.
 Tho following IS the resolution unan- imously adopted endorsing the Good Roads Movement:
 Whereas, the Rural Mall Carriers of Alabama travel over more than 2G,000 miles of the public dirt roads and de- liver the mails to more than 400.00e people of this State daily. and
 Whereas. the improvement of said roads is of vital interest to the effi- ciency of our services, as well as to the upbuilding and general prosperity of the State. and
 Whereas. the question of good roads is non-political and no-partisan, now therefore,
 Be 1t resolved by the Rural Mall Carriers of Alabama in convention as- sembled in the City of Montgomery, on this. the 7th day of September, 1908. that we most heartily recommend the adoption of the proposed good roads amendment to our State Constitution at the coming general election in No- vember. 1908. and We earnestly urge the patrons of the mail service gener- ally to actively support the adoption of the said amendment; to the end that the rural mail service may thereby be aided and extended.