The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1913-12-05
PRESIDENT POWELL
Of RURAL CARRIERS
SETS HIGH STANDARD
STRONG PLEA FOR EFFICIENCY
OF SERVICE AND CoMMEN.
SURATE PAY.
GOOD ROADS ADVOCATE
Says With Proper Highways Tennes-
see Would Blossom Like the Rose
and the Sturdness of Citizenship
Would Grow lmpregnabIe.

State President, A. N. Powell, of
the rural carriers of Tennessee set a
high standard of morals and eff
cheney in his address before the sew
enth district rural carriers in session
here Thanksgiving Day. Mr. Randle
the state secretary also made fine
speech, and but for the lack of srNce
it would be reproduced. President
Powell said in part:
Mr. Chairman:
| am thankful today that it is my
privilege to be with you. We have
met here in one common brother
hood to exchange ideas and become
better acquainted. | shall endeavor
to show you some of the advantages
of being united in an organized body
to accomplish some of the things
advocated by the Rural Letter Car
riers Association. One of the first
things every man thinks of when he
undertakes any kind of work is
what the remuneration will be. Just
so with the rural letter carrier. The
proposition is will the department
ever feel and appreciate the fact
that the rural service is no longer an
Experiment, but a proven success?
Will they ever renumerate the car
rier for the labor performed? In my
opinion when the department takes
time to think and compare our labors
with the labor Of our city carrier they
will quickly appreciate the fact that
this great industry has been held in
the background to the detriment of
the best class of American citizen
ship. The people we serve make it
possible to have city service. If it
were not for the producers OF the
necessities Of life you would not
have amy cities, and consequently l
think the department has the cart
before the horse. While the city
carrier is not paid any too much
have never been able to see the
justice of discriminating in his favor.
They demand greater efficiency of the
rural carrier all the time, and it is
fright, because 7 think the honest
lyeomary of the county should have
the very best there is going. l think
liz anything there should be higher
moral standard demand of the rural
lcarier than of the city carrier be-
cause the citizens of the city have
1.-THE protection of the police, while
the farmers house is left alone to
the protection Of itself. The city
tcarier gets more salary than the
rural carrier; if he needs convey
lance it is furnished him at the gov
lernments expenses; the rural car
frier furnishes his own, pays all up
{keep for same and receives less pay.
HE is required often to carry pouches
lof mail to Star Route Offices or
Hoop routes in addition to his regu-
liar mail for which receives no pay
lat all. There is no business man
swho would discriminate in this man
liner, because it is not good business
tpolicy. Still this great government
lof ours is doing this every day Re-
tcently there has been the addition of
1.-THE parcels post, which is a great
tthing for the farmers, something
they should have; but is it right for
1.-THE rural carrier to bay extra teams
land turnouts and have there work
Increased without ADDITIONAL pay?
| In Nashville only few days ago
; there were three new automobiles
furnished to transmit the mail and
) parcels post to the patrons. Why
should everything be given to the
cities in preference to the country?
lit looks to me like congress and the
department don't appreciate the fact
that the country people are keeping
, pace with the rest of the world. They
!. are keeping up through the rural
, system; they read the daily papers
and see the difference in considera
: ton of their interests and the city
/ Brothers, the time once was when the
: farmers did not keep up with gov
, eminent affairs, but with rural ser
vice and telephones he is getting
closely connected with the whole bus
mess world and it is only a shor
time until he will demand the recog
| milton that should have been his Ions
ago. And l want to say right here
: that the daily papers don't seem t.
e realize the fact, as in some Of thu
t Northern states, that by paying lit
: tie attention to the needs and jus
e deserts of the farmers, advocating
them as assiduoulsy as they do SOM
d political scheme they could diubl
o their circulation in some instance