Elmore County Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1910-1915, 1914-03-14
MJUSTICES OF
PARCELS POST
Senator Brady Exerting Every e.
fort For the Relief of
Carriers.


hardships of the Star and Rural Route
Carriers have been reviewed before
the Postmaster General by Sen. Brady
who is exerting every effort to the
relief of the carriers of the grave in
justice which the increased weight of
nails caused by the Inauguration Of
he Parcel Post system, which has
.orced some of the carriers to the
5xtreme of mortgaging their homes
% meet the extra expense of trans
porting the United States mails over
heir respective routes.
For some time past Senator Brady
has been receiving appeals from
4aho carriers for some kind of re-
..ef These letters review conditions
which are In number Of cases crit
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
ais own pocket from $50 to $50 per
day to handle the great quantities of
extra mail He has mortgaged
1verything he owns in the hope that
he Government would soon come to
mis- rescue. The Star Route carrier
up against 1t in that he is bound
fulfill his contract during Its life
here being no provision to- permit him
o withdraw. He is bound with his
Iondsmen to carry out his contract
1t all events.
That such condition exists Is
4 disgrace to the United States Gov
4rnment, said Senator Brady, "and
1 hope that the facts which | have
presented before the Postmaster Gen.
eral will move him to the immediate
'eAef Of the carriers.
while 1t Is fact that circular
mas been prepared, by the Second
Assistant Postmaster General, for the
screen Wagon carriers which calls
Tor statement of the actual expense
in detail for the period from January
|, to June 80, 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 'astual expenses, consequently he
gives his time, labor, and material for
nothing 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
mouthes can be fed when 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 scale whereby a GER
tain percentage Of increase on the
existing contract, pay is allowed for
a certain percentage of Increase in
weight of Fourth class (Porcel poSt)
matter, regardless of the actual ex-
pense incurred by the contractor In
the way of purchase or use of addi-
tional stock and equipment, or ex-
ira wear and tear caused by the
heavier loads. The contractor was
not consulted before or after weigh
ings, which were used to ascertain
this scale, and no protest or showing
made by him prevails against the arbi-
trary percentage scale just explain
ID. The allowance to be made on
each star route on account of parcel
post is determined by sub-chief who
works entirely by the "scale' which
,annot be said to meet the spirit OF
he act of 1912, and in many instances
gives short allowance to the contract
'r and does him great injustice.
What should be done in all cases
s for the department to get sworn
statement from each star route car
Ter, verified by the Postmaster,
howing the actual expenses incurred
md reasonable profit since the in
Luguration of the Parcel Post system,
md full allowance and return be
made. The Statutes permit this ac-
ion on the part of the Postmaster
ieneral, and the Departments ad-
mission and confirmation of the fact
8 proved by the action and orders
# the Second Ass, stant Postmaster
which orders received the
ignature of the Postmaster General,
which orders received tn signature
# the Postmaster General which
which made them effective. ~
Ed Halverson of Bruneau was a
BUSINESS visitor in Mountain Home
friday.