El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-07-29
Copyright. 1911. by Frank carpenter.)

viii have all our farmers demanding a
daily delivery, and they will cause US
no end of trouble"
Perry Heath replied that the farmers
had the right to a daily mail as well a,
the city people; that they were taxed
just as heavily and that they had just
as great a part in the government. At
any rate, the appropriation was granted
and SO routes were established that
year. The next year the number was
doubled, and 10 years thereafter the car
riers were more than 81, 600 in number.
At that time the mileage was over S0o,-
600 and the cost had risen to be more
than s26,000,000 per annum. 1t is now
$10,000,000 more, and the length of the
routes all told is just about I000, 000
miles
A Talk With Gen. P. v. De Graw.
During the past week / have had a
long talk with the fourth assistant post
master general, P V. De Graw concern
ing the new plans for the extension OF
the service. He tells me that the ap-
plicatiOns for new routes have been
largely complied with and that within
a few weeks the department viii be up
to date. The service has now been ex-
tended to every part of the United
States, although there are scattering sec
lions where it has not yet been intro
duced. Over 500 new routes were pro-
vided for last year. During the coming
year the new salaries viii CONS. into eff
feet, and from now on the carriers who
have to cover distances of "a miles and
more will receive $1,000 per annum;
ranging down from there to $500 or
$500, which is the pay for those who
cover from six to ten miles.
III H. L. -
postmaster general | asked him if he
did not think $1,000 rather high wage
for a man whose work was altogether
outside the city, where board is cheap
and wages are generally much lower. He
replied:
at is not a high rate of pay for tse
service required and man could not
well do it for less. It is lower rare
comparatively than that of the postmen
of the cities, who get from $500 to $1,000
a year, according to the size of the town
and the length of their service. Thev
receive this without having to make any
investment or to incur any extra ex-
pense for their work The rural free de-
livery man, who makes "a miles day
for six days of the week, needs at least
two horses, and on some of the routes
three horses are necessary to render reg
ular service during bad weather These
have to be furnished out of the pocket
of the man himself, and he must in adj
dition pay for his vehicles. The esti
mated -verage cost of maintaining such
an outfit is $3.50 per annum, and the
original cost of the horses and vehicles
is S275 or more.
The average annual cost of the car
rier's outfit in fact is from $500 to $3.50,
and even at the best he has only $500
or 500 left for his wages
Moreover continued Mr.. De Graw,
at is found that with the daily wear
and tear to which the carers equipment
is subjected that the life of both horses
and vehicles ranges from three to five
years, so you see he has not such a soft
snap after all In cases where he travels
less than "a miles he gets less money. L
am not in favor of too low wages in the
postoffice department. Ny idea is the
same as that held by former president
Roosevelt. This is that "the national