The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1914-12-24
CONTRACT SYSTEM FOR r. F. d.
CARRIERS.

SAhR1EnSs
e Postmaster General Burleson, in his
l annual report, calls especial attention
} to the fact that during the fiscal veal
! the R. F. d. system cost the govern
= ment approximately $40,0O0,000 more
than it returned in the way of reven.
ue, and pleading the dire need of econ.
, omy in governmental expenditures
, strongly advocated that it be put un-
der 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 bid
) der.
| 1t is a curious fact that whenever
spasm Of economy sizes upon
those in high authority they alweys
try to bring it about by cutting the
wages of the little fellows and never
by reducing the salaries of the big
fellows; by deterioating the value of
the governmental service to those that
receive but little, but never lessening
the value of those that receive
much. High officialdom always acts
on the principle: "That to him that
hath shall be given, and to him that
hath not shall be taken away even
that which he hath
1t is undoubtedly true, that the cost
of the r. F. D. could be practically
cut in two by putting up the positions
of R., F. D. carriers at auction and
granting them to the lowest bidder,
and it is equally true that there is not
an elective or appointive position un-
der national or state government that
could not be filled at from one-third
to one-half less than the present oc-
cupant receives, by the same system.
A postmaster general, fully as able
and qualified as Burleson could be Sc
cured for much less salary than he
receives. There is not position from
scrubwoman of the Capitol steps to
President of the United States that
could not be filled by persons equally
as competent, and in many instances
more competent, than the present in
cumbents, if law were passed giving
them to the lowest bidder.
During the last Is years there has
been a perfect mania for salary in
crease in officialdom; the reason given
is always "the increase in the cost of
living" They never stop to consider
that the cost of living has increased
as much for the multitude who pay
salaries as it has for the few who
draw salaries" Not only this, but un-
numbered new and useless official pos
itions have been created. This action
was never demanded by the people al
though it was submitted to by them
without protest. No political plat
form or any plank in any political
platform, ever declared for salary in
crease or the creation of new official
positions, and no candidate of any
party ever proclaimed, prior to cleo
ton, that he would use his influence to
increase his stipend, and to create
places for his supporters after he had
secured the position he sought. These
results were brought about by an Of
flee holders trust composed of men of
all parties, and they dared to PUT
them across because what is every
body's business in nobody's business"
Lincoln, Grant, Hayes, Garfield SER
we'd as President for $4,000 a year
and never dreamed of asking more;
the public are UNIT in agreeing that
they did as good a job of presidenting
as those that came after them. The
present cabinet officials receive double
the salaries of those of 20 years ago,
but no sensible person would assert
that they are any better cabineteers.
The present senators and represen-
tative receive so per cent more than
did those of ten years ago, yet a man
would at once be classified as lunatic
if he declared that they did better sem
ating or representing than their lesser
paid predecessors. It is the same
in the whole realm of officialdom. No
man can put his finger on a place
where the increased compensation has
produced increased ability or increas-
ed efficiency.
Extravaganza has run riot in the
matter of increased salaries, new pos
itions and extravagant appropriations
and the people of all parties, groaning
under the burden of taxation, clamor-
ously demand a policy of retrench-
ment and economy. In conformity
with the customs of rulers, those in
authority propose to cut the stipend
of those officials that work instead of
those that only occupy.
The r. F. d. carrier is just as much
of an appointive official of the govern
ment as is the postmaster general and
has more of vested right in his pos
ition.
The idea of comparing the r. F. D.
system with the old "Star Route" sys-
tenn is mendacious in the extreme.
The "The Star Route" mail carrier
was merely mail transporter. 1t re-
quires no more intelligence to merely
transport a sack of mail from Sank
Centre to Padua than it does a sack
of flour between these two points. The