The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-01-14
TWO CITIES DISAGREE
Lincoln Asserts That Change Would
Not BE Wise While BiIIinga Seeks
TO Show Where 1t Would Help
Secretary Deeker's Opinion.

tribution Of mail on the Burlington
line between this city and Ddgemont.
With the increase of business these
complaints have grown more NUM-
erous. Efforts to secure relief have
been put forth in the past, but with
only poor success. Recently the cham
Der OF commerce took up the matter
with Senator Carter, and several let
ters have passed between the senator
and Secretary Decker OF the chamber.
"A full statement Of the matter was
submitted by Mr.. Decker to Senator
Carter, with the result that the sena-
tor went to headquarters, where he
was assured that an investigation
would be made and, II found that the
complaints rel justified, a reorgan-
ization OF the service would be or
dered. Judging from the tone Of ar
ticles published In the Lincoln news
papers within the last few days, the
investigation has. been instituted, and
a vigorous protest On the part Of those
publications has followed.
Briefly put. the.facts are that intense
loyalty on the part Of the chief Of the
service, residing at Lincoln, has been
resultant Of an unfair and dispropor-
tionate distribution Of railway mail
clerks for the benefit Of Lincoln, as
the majority Of the clerks on the two
runs are thus compelled to reside at
the Nebraska town. This arrange
ment Is beneficial to Lincoln and
makes easy work for the clerks be-
tween there and Edgemont, while
between Edgemont and Billings the
men have more than they can do, one
man being expected to perform The
same service and duties that four men
perform between Lincoln and Edge.
mont. Consequent upon this unequal
distribution Of forces mail intended for
South Dakota and eastern Montana is
constantly being carried by it's des-
tination, and brought sometimes as far
as Billings, to be returned on the next
e%astbound train, causing serious and
vexatious delays to merchants and
others at those points.
The following, taken from the Lin
coin Evening News OF last Thursday,
shows that efforts are being put forth
there to prevent the change asked by
T. %ha ot,nwnAav - ANN roroas hE5
Lincoln 10 lnexact.
Billings, Mont, business interests
are said to be working a foxy little
scheme through the senators and con.
gressnen from Montana and Wyoming
to divide the railway mail service
headquarters in Lincoln and transfer
q portion OF It to their own town. II
the plan succeeds. . number Of postal
clerks who now have their homes in
Lincoln. will be forced against their
will to remove to Billings, and some
Of them will have to accept reductions
in salary. At the came time, the gov
eminent would be put to greater ex
pense for the maintenance Of q sepa
rate headquarters and cost Of handling
mail matter, while the service itsell
would not be bettered in the least de
gree, as persons familiar With the sit
uation assert.
AT present, all mail going to Bill
ings and Montana points from thit
state Is placed aboard two Burlington
trains, Nos. Al and 43, and return. mai
is handled by trains running the othe1
way over that line Of railroad. Be
tween Lincoln and Edgemont, 8. D.
two clerks and two helpers work or
No. Al, while three clerks and two
helpers perform the duty Of sorting
and bagging mail on No. 43. Beyond
Edgemont, one man does all the work
The clerks and helpers before reach
ing Edgemont handle all mail for Ne
braska points, letters and papers To-
wyoming, Idaho and Washington AMI
letters alone for Montana. Ihis leaves
only the papers for Montana points Il
be worked over between Edgemon'
and Billings.
Claim Economy.
The system now In vogue has beer
built up by officials Of the government
service along the lines Of economy AMI
e~h1ciency. To make the change asked
by the Billings people would, 1t Il
said, disarrange the present method
entirely and bring no compensatini
benefit. It Is considered to be purel!
in the interest Of Billings, whose com
mercial club started the agitation. Th'
best available information Is that IN
der existing rules and classification
Of the railway mail service. the stel
proposed would cut the salary Of 81
men each 5000 a year. six others $50
per year and compel five whose annua
pay aggregates $500 to leave Lincoll
and make their homes at Billings
From Lincoln's standpoint, the NOV
is purely q selfish one on the par
Of the Montana city to get these clerk
and their families there 30 that tn
u -~nNa - GOOD -sk1