Milford chronicle., 1915-08-27
POLITICAL POINTERS.


The failure of the Democrats to pass
the post Office appropriation bill in the
last Congress has shamefully crippled the
rural free delivery service.
Mass meetings Of patrons have been
held in many localities protesting against
the demoralization of their service, and
are daily becoming more frequent.
When Paucho Villa exclaimed. "The
United States Government can 90 to
hell 20 he merely voiced publicly what
every Mexican bandit has thought about
us for the past ten years.
Members of Congress declare that COM
plants they are receiving from both
rural carriers and patrons have been
more numerous and bitter in the last few
months than for years before.
The conditions causing these COM
plants are due to the failure of the post
office appropriation bill and the conse-
quent t'necessity for managing the postal
service under a re-enactment of last
years appropriation,
Senator Jim Ham Lewis foresees the
day when we shall be at war with four
nations-Iapan, Russia, Germany and |
China. Far be it from us to attempt to
the Senator'S s vision. But what
is his party going to do about it?
Rural carriers claim that they have
chiefly on two counts; one that
they are under Civil ServiceQ
there have been hundreds of dismissais
without just cause the other that their
routes have heightened and their work
without additional pay.
Reports from associations of rural car
-iers claim that not only have the men
ost their enthusiasm for the service, but
through fear of dismissal have resigned.
This is largely the result, it is said, of
Department instructions to have Demo {
ratio postmasters, instead of Civil Ser I
ice inspectors, make confidential re-
,orts upon the qualifications of carriers +
S basis for reductions. This arrange r
nent has opened the way to rank dis s
rimation in favor of Democratic carriers. I
The patrons of the rural routes base {
heir criticisms, first, on the claim that 4
iany have had to move their mail boxes [
least half a mile from former locations, 1
nd they, instead of the carriers, must d
-avel that distance for mail; second,
lat instead of getting mail six times a s
eek they receive it only every other II
ay; third, all these changes cripple the II
of the parcel post service, e
specially as to perishable goods. There v
also a general complaint of curtail- N
lent of the rural free delivery service. o
The Houston Post advocates a bond n
sue to meet the expense of national
no matter what the sum
ay be. The suggestion is a natural one
natural, as coming from a Democratic
and natural for a Democratic q
administration to follow. An issue of p,
'nds in time of peace, to meet an OBJ ID
Gus national expense, is the regular te
emocratic practice. 1t never happens ID
,cept when Democratic Administrations pl
e in power. The Post advocates a bond al
sue instead of piling on more taxes sy
r the people to paw at time when all IN
Irdens are heavy" Surely the Post 70
ust be mistaken in this last assertion. pr
ne aim and object of the Democratic sh
administration is to Tighten the burdens IN
the people The Baltimore platform ST
id so the President has said so hun
eds of lesser Democratic lights have op
id so we have seen it a thousand times en-
Democratic newspapers. Whaddaya pc
can, When all burdens are heavy?' fo
In speech in San Francisco, Secretary fo,
Labor Wilson exclaimed Let us M M
Se the SIS, 1000, 600 surplus in the i'm tic
grafton fund and take it over to the o.. or
.partment of Agriculture to be used in Q,
immigrants and laborers ilj,
ack to the soil, on government land %,
d we will do much toward solving the DO
problem" " A fair sample cis
team work" At first tb,
: hard times and unemployment were
rely psychological, then they were Rr
ercome by what Secretary of Commerce do,
dfeld described as landing the coun- VII
safe and strong on the peaceful shores bir
Now unemployment adj tbe
Ltedly exists again and is to be solved ;no tno
taking Sl3, 1000. 900 from a treasury ba5 IsS
ose daily reports show a net balance 80,
only SOS, 900, 600, including bullion, sto TO
sidiary coin, and other assets which 90,
er administrations did not class as pa,
liable for expenditure. But if Secre- 10,
= Wilson really wants to help that Pf ps'-
lck to the soil'' movement, why not NJ
the Postmaster General to restore Oti
Sc discontinued star and rural mail CSs of
tes? NJ. Ul