Evening star., 1911-07-30

of twenty -four miles and more will re-
ceive 81, 600 per- annum ranging down
from there to 500 OF $500. which is the
pay for those who cover from six to ten
miles.
In my talk with the fourth assistant
postmaster genera l asked him if he did
not think 81 600 a 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:
1T is not high rate of pay for the
service required and a man could not
well do 1t for less. 1t is a lower rate
comparatively than that of the postmen
OF the cities. who get from 5000 to $f,UJO
a year. according to the size of the town
and the length of their service. They
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 twenty-four
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 regular service during bad
weather. These have to be furnished out
of the pocket of the man himself, and he
must in addition pay for his vehicles.
The estimated average cost Of maintain
ing such an outfit is $3.50 per annum, and
the original cost of the horses and We
hicles is $40 or more.
The average annual cost of the carrier S
outfit in fact is from $500 to $3.50, and
even at the best he has only 5000 or 500
left for his wages.
"Moreover,' continued Mr.. De Graw, 1T
is found that with the daily wear and
tear to which carriers equipment Is
subjected that the life of both horses
and vehicles ranges from three to five
years, so you see he has not such d soft
snap after all. In cases where he travels
less than tWenty-four miles he gets less
money. / am not in favor OF too low
wages in the Post Office Department.
My idea is the same as that held by
former President Roosevelt. This is that
1.-The national government should he a
model employer; that it should demand the
ployes and should care for them properly
in return.
What do you think of the parcels
post in connection with the rural de-
livery: Will it Gomez
Yes, i'm time, although Congress has
not given us an appropriation to expert
ment with as yet. The Post Office De-
partmcnt would like to see it tested. 1t
would certainly increase the usefulness
of the postal service. and a system might
be established for the carriage of mer-
chandise at such rates as would be a fair
compensation [0r the service performed,
and would materially increase our reve-
nues. The people want to send small
packages of merchandise by mail
through the rural delivery. but they will
not pay the fourth class rate. Such q
service could be organized for the local
merchants and the rural delivery to
customers of any one section without
injuring or competing with any other
service. We have the machinery for 1t
in operation. and 1t would materially in
crease the income of the department.
BY this means special reduced rate OF
postage could be made upon merchan-
disc carried only by rural carriers. 1
have no doubt of it's practicability. If
every one of our rural delivery carriers
would take on an average of three pack
ages a day at a cost of % cents each
there would be a return Of $16,OO0.OOO
from that business alone. We are now
running the department without deficit,
but that sixteen millions would be added
to the surplus. for it would not cost US
any more than the amount we are now
spending.
"a few years ago l recommended that
the delivery by rural carriers to commu-
mites remote from post ofhoes be supple