The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1914-03-12
WASHINGTON
CORRESPONDENCE
Mail Carriers To Be Relieved

Mail Carriers To BE Relieved
Washington, D. c., March 1O.-Tho
hardships of the Star and Rural Route
carriers have been reviewed before
the Postmaster General by Senator
Brady, who is exerting every effort
to the relief of the carriers Of the
grave injustice which the increased
weight Of mails caused 10y the inaug-
uration Of the Parcel Post system.
which has forced some of the carriers
tb the extreme Of mortgaging their
homes to meet the extra expense of
transporting the United States mails
oyer their respective routes.
For some time past Senator Brady
has been receiving appeals from the
Idaho carriers for some kind of re-
aef. These letter review conditions
which are in a number of cases criti-
cal. One case which Senator Brady
brought to the attention of the Post
master General was to the effect
that one carrier in Idaho is paying
out Of his own pocket from $50 to
$50 per day to handle the great
quantities of extra mail. He has
mortgaged everything that he owns
in the hope that the Government
would soon come to his rescue. The
Star Route carrier Is up against it
in that he is bound to fulfill his con-
tract during it's life there being no
provision to permit him to withdraw.
He is bound with his bondsmen TO
carry out his contract at all events.
THAT such condition exists is
disgrace to the United States Govern
ment," said Senator Brady, land
hope that the facts which have
presented before the Postmaster Gen.
eral will move him to the immediate
relief of the carriers.
while it is a fact that a circular
has been prepared, by the Second AS
sistant Postmaster General, for the
Screen Wagon carrier which calls for
q statement of the actual expenses in
detail, for the period from Jan. l to
June 30, 1913, of the carriers, even
under this plan the Contractor gets
no profit or margin for the handling
of the Parcel Post, but only his
actual expenses, consequently he give,
his time, labor and materials for no.
thing receiving back only that which
he has been forced to pay out This
kind of proposition will not buy
many loaves of bread, and how many
mouths can be fed when a man is
compelled to expend $1,000 and gets
only $1,000 back?'
However, on the Star Routes the
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
has adopted a scale whereby a certain
percentage of increase on the exist
ing contract pay is allowed for a
certain percentage of increase in
weight of fourth class (parcel POST
matter, regardless of the actual ad-
ditional expense incurred by the con-
tractor in the way of purchase or use
of additional stock equipment, or ex-
ira wear and tear caused by the hea-
vler loads. The contractor was not
consulted before or after weighings,
which were used to ascertain this
scale. and no protest or showing made
by him prevails against the arbitrary
percentage scale just explained. The
allowance to be made on each star
route on account of parcel post is de-
termined by a sub-chief who works
entirely by the scale which cannot
be said to meet the spirit Of the act
of 1912, and in many instances gives
short allowance to the contractor and
does him great injustice.
"What should be done in all cases
is for the Department to get a sworn
statement from each star route car
rier. verified by the Postmaster
showing the actual expenses incurred
and a reasonable profit since the in
auguration Of the Parcel Post System,
and full allowance and return be
made. The Statutes permit this &C.
ton on the part of the Postmaster
General. and the Departments admis
sion and confirmation of the fact is
proved by the action and orders of
the Second Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral. which orders received the sigma