The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1908-03-11
SPEECH WAS A NOTABLE ONE
GRIGGS BABE GOODBYE TO CO.
WORKERS ON COMMITTEE.
Reviewed the Growth of the Rural
Mail Service. His Part in
the Work.
BY BEN H. SULLIVAN.


Washington, March Represent
ative Jas. NJ. Griggs of Georgia last
week made one of the most notable
speeches ever delivered on the floor
of the house of Representatives deal
ing with the rural free delivery SER
vice. In an eloquent address Judge
Griggs gave a complete history OF
the service co-equal with his service
in congress. He babe goodbye TO
his old friends on the Postoffice and
Post Roads committee in beautiful
language, saying that while he had
perhaps, in being appointed to the
WAYS and Means Committee, gone
to a better land he felt sure not
to a fairer one. He then told the
house about how when he first came
to congress an appropriation of $4O'-
600 had been made for rural dellv-
cry. and then one of $4,000. he
referred to the bill introduced by
him in the fifty-fifth congress asking
for the appropriation of $1,000, 900,
and related how he fought it out in
| the committee, securing $3.50, 600.
At the next session the appropria-
| ton went up to nearly $1,000, 0OO,
and after that there was never a
suggestion of opposition for rural
| free delivery. 1t having become a
pronounced success the republican
party of Pennsylvania put 1T in their
platform. He proceeded to talk OF
| it's advantages to the people, both
of the towns and the country, and or
| the rural delivery parcels post, which
means a parcels post confined eX-
clusiyely to rural routes without the
| Intervention of railway mail service,
or star route service, or any other
kind of mail service. Every pack
age mailed on the route must emo
| either on that route or on some other
route with which it directly connects.
| And in this connection he suggested
to the republicans, who are fighting
the proposed legislation to establish
limited parcels post that, when a
| few of us have succeeded in making
| it a success, as a few have OF rural
delivery, you will also add it to your
! platform, and not befOre?"
! Largely on account of the persist
ent efforts of Judge Griggs the APP
preparation for rural free delivery
service this year reached the amount
of S35,OOO,00O. Also it is widely
known that the deficit in the post
office department of $6,000,0OO last
year, which has been reduced to tha'
amount since the opening of the
rural free delivery service from $l7,'
100000, would have been wiped out
entirely but for the increase in sal
aries, about $6,000,000 of which
went to the rural carriers, for which
the whole world knows Judge Griggs
fought during the entire session OF
congress until accomplished.
In conclusion Judge Griggs said
81 take a great pride in the fact
that | was one of the seven men act
ing on the subcommittee of the post
office committee (Which made up a
biID who were the driving force fol-
the establishment of the rural deliv-
cry, and | hope to live to see the
same with regard to a limited par
cells post.
Penny Postage on r. #. d. Routes.
Judge Griggs has introduced bill
providing for penny postage on rural
routes. Should this bill become a
law Jube Jones, who lives on R. F. D.
route No. 5 served from Dawson, can
write to Spike Smith on the same
route or Bill Brown on route and
only pay l cent an ounce postage on
! his letter.