The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1914-12-31
The R T. D. CARRIERS
Frank Eddy Ridicules Recommends
tion That Routes BE Auctioned
OFF to Lowest Bidder.
Carriers Compensation Should Be In
creased Instead Of Decreased
Rightly Says rlr. Eddy.

Ts7{se q s /
creased Instead Of Decreased
Rightly Says rlr. Eddy.
Good, old Frank Eddy is en-
doWed with large amount, of plain
common sense, and he has the
faculty of saying the right thing at
the right time. If the republicans
of the Sixth congressional district
are not satisfied with Mr.. Lindbergh |
and apparently many of them are
not--let them get behind Mr.. Eddy
two years hence. Anyhow, if ever
Mr.. Eddy is again a candidate for
office he ought to have the support
of every R. F. D. carrier in the
state Here are few excerpts from
an article written for the Sank
Centre Tribune by Mr.. Eddy, of
which the Union heartily approves:
POSTMASTER General Burleson, in
his annual report, calls especial at
tention to the fact that during the
fiscal year the r. #. D. system cost
the government approximately $780,
900, 600 more than it returned in the
way of revenue, and pleading the
dire need Of economy in govern
mental expenditures, strongly ad-
vocated that it be put under the
contract system, the same as the old
Star Route;' that is, that these
routes and positions be put up at
auction and given to the lowest
: bidder. -.- + ~x-
. ''It is curious fact that whenever
a spasm Of economy seiZes upon those
in high authority they always try to
bring it about by cutting the wages
of the little fellows and never by re-
ducing the salaries of the big fell
lows; by deteriorating the value of
the governmental service to those
that receive but little, but never les
sening the value of those that re-
cei7e much. High officialdom always
acts on the principle: That to him
that hath shall be given, and to hin
that hath not shall be taken away
ever THAT which he hath: - -.
sit is undoubtedly true, that the
cost of the r. T. D. could be prac-
tically cut in two by putting up the
positions of r. +. D. carriers at auc
tion and granting them to the lowest
bidder, and it is equally true that
there is not an elective or appointive
position under national or state gov
eminent that could not be filed at
from one third to one-half less than
the present occupant receives, by
the same system.
"a postmaster general, fully as
able and qualified as Burleson could
be secured for a much less salary
than he receives. There is not a
position from scrub woman of the
capitol steps to president of the
United States that could not be
filed by persons equally as COM
petent, and in many instances more
.compe tent, than the present incum-
bents, if a law were passed giving
them TO the lowest bidder.
x x X x X y
ssThe r. F. D. carrier is just as
much of an appointive official of the
government as is the postmaster
general and has more of vested
right in his position.
''The idea Of comparing the r. F
d. system with the old Star Route
system is mendacious in the ex
IRENE. The Star Route mail car
rier was merely a mail transporter
1t requires no more intelligence tt
merely transport a sack Of mail from
Sank Centre to Padua than it doe
sack of -four between these tw.
points. The r. F. D. carrier is no
only mail carrier, a money orde
clerk, registered mail supervisor
an express agent, a postmaster ant
several other things. 1t requires a
high an order of Intelligence to be ;
good R. F. D. carrier as it does ).
postmaster, and it requires as much
ability to be a good postmaster as !
does to be an ordinary postlnaste
general.
"Many of these carriers have sacri
fed other lines of business and othe
places to take these positions The!
have each invested from $500 tt
81, 900 in outfits in order that the,
may perform their work in a wa,
satisfactory to their patrons. Thu
parcels post has immensely increased
their labors. They are not overpaid
Indeed for the services performed
they are about the poorest paid EN-
ployees in the government service
One hundred dollars month is NO
a large wage to pay a man for main
tanning a team and rig, and travel
y ing from d to 80 miles each day o