The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-06-13
WANTS MORE PAY
]. FOR RURAL CARRIERS
Congressman Burnett Scores
Republican Leaders
EXTENSION OF SERVICE
Alabama Representative Says Rural
Free Delivery Is Great Factor
in Education of Ameri-
can People

Washington, June 12.-(Special. )-Repre-
sentative Burnett Is in favor of increased
pay for rural mail carriers snd the ex-
tension OF the rural mail service.
II have the reports of number of car
riers of my district as to what they are
able to save out of their salaries after
paying for the feed of the horse, the ex-
penss of keeping up the cart and harness
and the interest of money invested in
horses, carts and harness." he said. 1.-The
average sum that these hard-worked SER
wants Of Uncle Sam are able to save is
less than $500 per year Think of a man
decently supporting himself. let alone his
| family, on such a miserable pittancel It
would not pay a congressmans board
bill for three months at an ordinary
Washington hotel.
"A feature of the bill as reported, which
l regard as an outrage, is that 1t makes
such meager provision for an extension
of the service. The bill as reported only
adds S2SS.0o0 to the appropriation of last
year for the extension of the service. This
sum, added to what is now available on
the appropriation of last year. would not
pay for the new routes already approved
and pending in the department. A meas
ley addition was forced on the bill during
Its consideration, but it is still totally
inadequate. There are applications for
routes in my district reported favorably
elk months ago that have not yet been
started
II realize the fact that the extravaganza
Of this republican administration has
weil-night bankrupted the United States
treasury. but is 1t fair and just that
you should begin to economic by cutting
off this splendid service that is helping
to educate the farmers of the coun-
try? The claim is that the rural service
has brought about a deficit of $2S, 900.
Well, what of that? Is there any other
department of the government that pre-
tends to be self-sustatnng? Congress
keeps on spending $160,0u0,0O0 per year on
pensions. $40, 900. 900 on the army and over
$130,0O0000 on the navy, and yet 1t is not
willing to spend few millions to carry
letters and papers and periodicals to those
who unmurmuringly pay much of the
Payne-AIdrich Bill
1.-THE Payne ldrich tariff bill has in
creased the price of the necessaries of life
till the toiling masses can scarcely buy
food and clothing for their families and
yet Congress closes the purse-strings of
the nation against them when 1t Is pro-
posed to extend system which educates
r,
them in the battle Of life which each day
is being made more grievous to be borne.
The hypocrIcy of some of the leaders Of
the republican party Is appalling! They
pretend to be the friend of those who
toll, and yet they grudge them the
meager opportunity of informing them
selves as to the ways that are dark and
| the tricks that are vain which you prac-
tice on them day by day.
In regard to the recommendation of the
Postmaster General against any con-
vice he said:
you have a Postmaster General who
is the political Goliath Of your party, and
it looks like it is the deliberate purpose Of
that political despot to try to ksep out
CT the hands Of the American voter the
opportunity of reading and learning what
you are doing to forge and weld the
chains of oppression. No doubt the same
motive inspired the Postmaster General
| to advise the President to recommend
| in his message an increase in the postal
rates on newspapers and periodicals.
IN the last republican platform the
party declared: We favor the extension
of the rural free delivery service until
every community in the land can have
the benefit of it.
Broken Pledges
Ibid they mean this when they said 1t
or was it one of the many platform dec
arations which were made before the
election merely to secure further lease
of power, to be broken before the echoes
of the voices of stump orators had died
away in the distance? The pledge to re-
wise the tariff downward was broken,
and now another pledge Is boing broken
regarding the extension of the free rural
service. Many rural carriers all over
the country were urged to tell the peo-
pie that it was necessary to keep the
republican party in power In order to
| extend this service. and yet as soon as
their votes are counted the party begins
to plot ways to throw the mantle OF ig-
norance over the people. No system ever
| inaugurated by the government has been
SO productive of good to the farmer as
the rural mail service. But they sud-
denly awake to the realisation Of the
fact that he is becoming too wise for their
perfidy
LAS the papers and magazines which
unfold the iniquities OF many of the lead
ers reach the people day by day they
begin to realize that something mast
be done to keep the treachery of those
leaders from their eyes. and this seems
to be their deliberate conspiracy to com.
pass that end
I'm my district hundreds Of familiei
are getting daily papers who before the
rural service did not see a weekly. Al
over the country no doubt the same IL
true. The great masses are reading, and