The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-07-08


fect-but to its present state OF high
efficiency.
General DeGraw was received with
prolonged applause.
General DeGraw said he came as the
direct representative of as good friend
as the rural carrier had in the Unit
ed States, the Hon. Frank H. Hitch
cock. He expressed his pleasure in
being in Newberry and being able to
rub shoulders with the rural carriers
of the great State Of South Carolina.
He said that Postmaster General
Hitchcock had asked him to bring his
greetings to the South Carolina car
riers, and to assure them of his ap-
probation of their loyalty. He said
when he entered the hall the cOnVen-
tion reminded him more of a bankers
convention than anything else-a body
of men who could stand on their own
feet He said this was the second con-
vention of it's kind that a postmaster
general or an assistant had ever at
tended, and for this the carriers were
indebted to the postmaster general.
With the business of the department
on their hands they could not make it
a rule to attend the State associations.
although his own inclination would
be to attend as many of them as ply
sical endurance would permit, lie
had made it rule to attend the
meetings of the national association,
and it was by order of Postmaster
General Hitchcock that he was at
tending the South Carolina conven-
ton. He congratulated the associa-
ton upon the manner in which he had
seen it conduct business. General De-
Graw then went into a discussion of
the business of the. department, which
appears in his speech elsewhere.
He referred to Congressman Finley
as the ranking minority member on
the postal affairs committee of the
house, and as man who had devot
ed a great deal of time to the work,
who was always welcomed by the post
Office department, and to whom the
rural carriers were indebted for a
great deal.
No for hi
kindly remarks, and hoped he could be
able to afford to remain in his posi-
ton, with the good graces of his
superior officers, until he had COM
pleted his work with regard to the
rural service. He had on his hands
now the expenditure of s7,000,00O for
star route contracts and over S3S,000,-
600 for the rural service. He hoped
the merger" service, as it was call
ed, would inure to the benefit of the
rural free delivery service. Where a
route was too sDarsely settled for
rural free delivery, he said, which re-
CURED four heads Of families to the
mile, instead of referring advocates of
rural routes to various departments,
to be referred back again, the infor
nation was at hand and the matter
settled
He said he would not discuss par
GELS post, as that matter b" It been
acted on by congress so far.
He said the department had defer
red the establishment of routes, but
had not allowed the service to suffer,
and had saved over 100000 out of
the years appropriations. He said
that of 41,O00 carriers there we're only
175 discontinuances for cause last
year, and he was proud of his con-
nection with such a body of men, and
there was no reason for any carrier
to be persuaded that his position was
in Jeopardy.
General DeGraw, on the subject Of
good roads, said he was much impress
ed by the good roads discussion at
Raleigh He made a strong talk on
the subject So fer as the United
States government was concerned, the
postofice officials were not supposed
to have anything to do with the roads
except that they would not establish
or maintain rural routes where the
carrier had to abandon his vehicle and
go on horseback, or use any such
means. A number of such cases were
now pending, de said. And when the
government notified the patrons that
unless the roads were repaired the
routes would be discontinued there
was no bluff, but a number of routes
had been discontinued on that account,
and re-established when the roads
were repaired. And the carriers, he
said, would not be permitted to have
to get down and open gates. He as