Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1912-02-13
} Times Tribune. (dem.).
Looker-On In Iowa

| Toledo, Feb. 15.-Working for the
United States government isn't alto
gether the soft snap" some outsiders
think it is. Rural route carriers think
il a hardship that they lose a days
time if a snow blockade occurs and
they can not make the drive over the
route. Or if they start out and are
obliged TO return on account of bad
roads they overdraw half days
wages. Again they are not paid for
holidays and Sundays unless they do
some work, the postmaster has some
discretion in the matter. An effort is
| being made to induce some Of our con-
sresSmen to change these orders of the
postoffice department. The above came
10 the writer from one of the rural free
delivery carriers, and, mentioning it to
a postmaster, he said such rulings were
almost necessary for the reason some
carriers would go over their routes on
days stormy and bad roads that kept
others at home, and il was not
square deal to pay those that STAYED at
home the same as those that worked.
So it would seem that some Of the
postmasters stand in with the depart
rent on this matter. But to an out
slider and the general public it seems
very unjust to deduct days pay from
the wages of man working by the
| year because an i'm pa ssa Bile road pre-
vents that man from doing the work
he is willing and ready to do.
During a snow blockade on one OF
our railroads, the depot half full Of
waiting passengers, half mile from
town. the snow blowing and the Their
1ometer at zero, a woman and her
child were there waiting to take the
train for home. For a while the child
was kept interested in the hustle and
noise surrounding her. Then came an
intense desire to go home and see
papa, and finally the bread and but
ter" period arrived and there was no
talking her out of that. The poor
young one hadn't had bite since
breakfast and it was now 2 in the at
ternoon. And there was just an every
day sort of bus driver coming and
going and bringing more passengers
from the other depots and hotels. And
without a word, on one of his trips, he
walked into the depot and handed the
child two big slices of real bread and
butter. and not waiting for the thanks
of the mother, disappeared in the
crowd. Nothing wonderful about that?
On, no. But how it stirred up
some of us. Perhaps we had a
hungry young one in some depot some
where that day, and that kind Of bus
man wasn't there.
And waiting in depot six long
hours last week the travelling men
This time the kicks were directed to-
wards the good hotels that didn't do
things as they should be done. 1t was
unanimously agreed that the hotel
clerk or porter taking a guest to the
bedroom talking at the top OF his voice
needed killing. Also the guest, If he
INDUCED in the same outrage. Then,
too short discussion occurred on hot
and cold things. Nearly all wanted
their coffee and tea hot. and water cold.
Didn't want blood warm stuff of either
kind. Some even objected to handing
out cold plates. ice cold plates in some
hotels, on which TO place warm food.
And finicky chaps objected to using
second hand ma pkins. Others were not
because they played cards in the hotel
office until midnight, keeping the
wouldbe sleepers awake with their
noise. And there was a howl because
you can not get rare beefsteak. or
rare roast beef in s2a-day house in
Iowa only on the diner can you get
a decent beefsteak." Advice was freely
given not to stop at the metropolitan
and be sure and go to the cosmopoli-
tan. The clerk at the met is a
da rphooI and don't know it. But the
proprietor at the cosmo is a crouch
! that didn't have q dollar in the world
ten years ago and now owns his place
and two farms we've presented him
with. Then the train arrived and
the meeting was adjourned until to-
morrow, with the same subjects for
further consideration and discussion.
a%MazA