Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-12-23
OUR OWN NEGLECT.
fDes do,1es Rey,sterl

Senator Kenyon Is wholly justified
in the protest he Is making against the
action of Postmaster General Burleson
with regard to rural routes In Iowa
There are other economies that might
much better be practiced by the de-
partment, even If It be conceded that
deliberate discrimination Is not be-
ing practiced. .~. u.
But can Iowa urge. with propriety.
that our roads are not suitable for
long rural routes, as the senator does
when he suggests to the department.:
From the length OF the routes you
are establishing in parts OF Iowa, !
would Judge that you think we have
asphalt pavement thruout the state.
beg to inform you that rye have COM
mon dirt roads and there are certain
times of the year It viii not be pos
sible for rural route carriers to -oper-
ate daily over the routes you have laid
out"
We are afraid the answer to this
feature OF the complaint is obvious,
for Iowa can afford to have suitable
roads. II the general government can
afford to carry the mails, and Iowa
can not say, with any show Of reason,
that a costly and cumbersome mail
delivery should be maintained be-
cause our roads are not what thsy
ought to be.
The cost Of rural mail delivery il
an enormous cost, and because the
general government is remote, II is
not a cost that is shifted on that ae-
count from our own pocketbooks. For
every rural route kept up because the
rural carrier can 30 only few miles
| over bad roads. We all pay our pro-
portionate share.
The fact is, Iowa should have swift
automobile delivery Of mail and parcel
post over long and dependable routes.
We are paying road tax enough ana
government postal tax enough to have
it. To the extent that we are not
getting what We pay for II IL our own
fault, and not the fault OF the postal
authorities.
But this Is after all Incidental to the
| main complaint against Postmaste,
| General Burleson who has crippled
much Of the rural delivery service be-
! cause he is not willing to force econo-
mics where economies are due, and be-
cause, as many believe, he is willing tc
take partisan advantage Of states
that are not dependably in the demo.
cratic column. a1tho It is to be said fol
him in this regard that some OF the
southern statesmen are after him with
as hot poker as Senator Kenyon's.
THE SITUATION AS TO cUMMINs
Nevada Representatives
AS matter Of fact Cummins ha!
gone a long way In the direction o.
the presidency when he has gone "a,
enough to have the leading politician,
OF Minnesota willing to make IN
cause their cause and to get behint
him for q fight there which does no
seem to have any possible outcom
other than one OF victory. Such Ii
fact had been their determination be
fore Root was entered there by hi
friends. and upon fair analysis, tn,
Root movement In Minnesota may b
set down as q belated and desperat,
; effort TO stem the CumHins tide In tn
west OF course. such an effort wa.
bound to be made sometime and some
| where. and from the beginning Senate
Cummins and his friends have beel
; willing to stake their cause on tne veT
dict Of Minnesota, II such should b
|, the challenge Of his opposition. No,
that the gage Of battle there Ii down
, the results VIII be awaited with pro
found interest but with very great con
fdence. OF course everybody con
cedes that Senator Root - q grsa
man: but loaded az he IL with the en-
! tanglements OF 1912 and with . recon