Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-08-17
RAPID ADVANCE
OF The R. F. D.
P. v. DeCraw, in Address before
Carriers at Rutland Lauds
Rural Service.

Rutland Aug. 1O-The chief feature Il
the closing session Of the seventh annual
convention Of the Vermont Rural Carr
riers association to-day was an address
by Fourth Assistant Postmaster-Gererai
+. V. DeCiraw, tho first representative
from the postoff1ce department at WASH
ington who ever visited the Vermont as
ISOLATION. Besides having attained cele-
brty through his efficiency in handling
rural mail service MIR. DeCraw Is we'll
known through his handling Of the Assoc
ciated Press business tn Washington for
r years. He Is one Of the founders OK
the famous Gridiron club and fine horses
arc his hobby
Mr., DeGraw gave Il detailed history %
the rural delivery service. touched upon
She opportunities It offers the carriers
ord told some Of tho governments ten
tative plans for improving the service.
He said that no department Of tID
government service has ever heeu -
rapidly advanced as that of rural do
livery, including the recognition OF car
riers in tho way Of pay, whose wage VIII
exceed at 5000 per annum the AVERAGE
| salary of civil service employees in ito
| classified service. and will be about TIA
| same as that of the average CLASSIFIED
/ onDloye In the cities Rural delivery car
| r,ers have been tho most fortunate OF all
/ government employees In .ccent years in
| the matter of having their wages AL
| vanced. In tho beginning OF tho SER
vice. when IL was experimental, carriers
wero paid for short hours and routes
| from $50 to 500 year. Things have I'M
proved until now some get $1,000 per
annum.
In 1906 there were 1870 r. F. d. routes
established Eacn succeeding year has
, seen this number added to greatly and
although the country is a perfect network
Of rural routes, there were 6S new ones
started in 1a1t The fine character of the
people employed is shown by the fact
that of 1855 there We're only 1873 dis
missas in i.
Mr. DeGraw branded as utterly
false the statements. given wide pub
LEFTY. to the effect that the presen,
administration intended substituting
star" contract routes for rural dc.
livery.
Rural delivery caused the discon-
tinuance of 527 fourth class postoffices
in the year ending June 80 1911. The
rural service costs each year $4,000, 900
more than the amount of postage coll
leCted on the routes. MI l)eGraW
predicted that the parcels post would
eliminate this shortage in the near
future.
The convention voted to hold the
next annual gathering at Windsor.
The following officers were elected: .
President. J. NJ. Carpenter. St. Johns
bury; vice-preaident, j. II. Beckwith,
Bethel; secretary, T. J. Stewart, Nor
risville; treasurer, c. r. Batchelder.
Lynd onville; executive board, +. :.
Robinson, Morrisville. Lee s Mixer
Brattleboro. T.. l.. Benedict, East Poult-
ney; delegates to national convention
II. L. Osgood. Gaysville, A. II. Stewart
Wallngford.
REG1MENTAL REUNION.
Rutland. Aug. 1o.-Fifty-hve survivor;
of the 7th Vermont regiment gathered
here tonight for the annual reunion OF
the regimental association. There was
brief business session at four o'clock. but
the principal feature was the 5Oth ami.
versary service at Grand Army hall thi,
evening Original poems were read
there was patriotic music and Isaac
Beatty of Pennacook, y. H., gave an ad
dress. Tomorrow the old soldiers hav,