The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1914-09-29
NEW R. F. D. PLAN
CAUSES A STORM
p1-BTFSON PROPOSES To ABOL-
TSH PRESENT SYSTEM AND
LET WORK BY CONTRACT.
THINKS CARRIERS OVERPAID
Postmaster General Says 1t Would
Mean a Saving of S1S,O0O.OOO a
Year. Would Pay on Mileage Ba-
.is For Rural Mail Delivery.

Mean a Saving of S1S,O0O,OOO
Year. Would Pay on Mileage Ba
sis For Rural Mail Delivery.
WASHINGTON, d. C.-Postmas
ter General Burleson has made pro
Dosal to congress to abolish the rura
free delivery carrier force and have
the work they now perform done
hereafter by contract. His action
has stirred up a storm of opposition.
The mail of mem ers of congress
is being filled these days with COM
nIunications from letter carriers and
their friends along the rural routes
Directing to the new scheme being
carried into operation. There are
now 1856 rural delivery routes and
the carriers on these routes have
come to WELD considerable politi-
cal influence. A strong fight would
be waged in congress against such a
change being made.
Postmaster General Burleson sore
" disappointed the rural carriers
when he declined to allow. a maxi
mum salary of $1,000 this year, as
the carriers had been led to expect.
Instead he worked out a scheme
whereby the salary of carriers was
based not upon the length of route,
but the number of packages handled
and the weight of the mails trans
ported.
Would Save S1S,OOO,OOO a Year.
In a letter to the senate committee
onspostofice and post roads Mr.. Bur
Lesson emphasizes the fact that the
government now faces d deficit Of
s1OO,OO0,000 and that additional
taxes must be levied to make. up the
amount. He says if his proposed
change were put into effect there
would be no impairment of the ser
vice and the government would save
$1S,000,000 a year on this branch of
the service.
, when the rural delivery service
was first established the annual COM
pensation allowed the rural carrier
was $500 per annum,'' said Mr.. Bur
Lesson.
"There were hordes of applicants
for those places. Within year or
two the pay was increased to $500;
in another year it was increased to
$500; in another year it was increas-
ed 5000; in another year it was in
creased to 1920; and year by year it
has increased until the maximum
salary prior to this fiscal year was
$1,100, based on the length Of the
route. Now, we reached the conclu-
sion that the compensation Of the
rural carrier was out of all proper
ton to the compensation allowed
others engaged in the postal service.
Thinks Carriers OveIpaid.
1--WE reached the conclusion that
he was BEND overpaid, and, nOtWith-
standing the fact that there was ter
rife pressure brought by large or
ganization, the postoff1ce department
refused to recommend any increase
in the compensation of rural carriers,
having in mind, if we readjust this
compensation, the injection of addi-
tional factors into the equation to de-
termine what the compensation
should be. Heretofore in fixing the
compensation no consideration had
been given to the numb of pieces
and weight of the mail carried. nor
to the time that it took the rural car
rier to perform his task. While we
were considering this matter, having
refused 10 estimate any increase in
compensation to the rural carriers.
congress acted and authorized an in
crease Of appropriation by some 81
$4,000, and provided that the maxi
mum compensation allowed rural
carrier should be $1,000. We then
worked out a plan to fix the compen-
sation Of the rural carrier as directed
in the legislation. and in addition tc
the length Of the route we took into
consideration the number Of pieces
and weight of the mail that was tC
be carried, and we are now engaged
in trying to work out an additiona
factor Of the length OF time that il
takes to perfor mthe service by The
rural carrier
To Pay on Mileage Basis.
Continuing Mr.. Burleson said tha
if q carrier was paid $1,000 a year
based on mileage travelled, it woul(
he IN hic iurnreS+ IN render the light