Evening journal., 1915-09-18
SATURDAY SEPT. IS. 1915
sAULsBuRI. RuRAL pELIYEm ANp eRANGrRs.

~.
WlLLARD SALISBURY, junior United States Sen
" ator from Delaware in evincing belaed interest
in the ruinous work which the Wilson administration.
Of which he is a part is doing against the rural free
mail delivery in this and other States He has made
pretense in the past of having great influence in Wash
inston, and particularly in the White House and the
Postofioe Department Consequently, he must bear
his share Of responsibility for what has been done
against the farmers and others matter OF tam
perns with and impairing their mail facilities
When the Postohce Department announced some
time ago. that by changing rural delivery routes and
making extensions, many thousands of additional pa
irons being served without any increase in ex-
pense there a pretty general feeling that when
patrons had been heard from there would be a show
ing of impaired, rather than improved service Such
to be the case.
Soon after the adjustments were made postmasters
found it necessary to pacate patrons by explaining
that they not responsible for the changes At least
one postmaster did this In public statement in which
he placed the whole responsibility upon the depart
ment in Washington
Now comes John A. Mcsparran Master OF the State
Grange of Pennsylvania. with signed article assert
ing that the Postonce Department has made mis-
take Speaking Of the changes and extensions he
says:
"If it is a real economy founded upon ability to rem
der good better service then the action can only
be commended; but there several statements that
that win not tend either to economy efficiency The
lengthenns of the routes the place correct the
waste, for the length of the route continue for
many TO be dependent upon the distance horse
travel average conditions in the time allowed
between the trains that carry the mail to and from
the terminus of the route.
II am taking it for granted" says Mcsparran that
the routes are being handled all through the service
as they in this part the country Some of our
routes have been heightened under the proposed
chances TO over thirty miles Now think that eyper-
fence has shown that a horse cannot go thirty miles
every other day through average conditions and keep
up gait that will insure service in reasonable time
In fact it is doubtful il very many horses can be
found that will stand the pounding Of thirty miles
every other day, at any gait Judging from the number
that go to pieces under the strain twenty miles to
twenty-five"
Mcsparran knows more about horses than does the
Postmaster-General who has Just finished fourteen
years in Congress after holding legal offices in Texas
for eleven years. And he ALSO knows few thinps
about the practical side OF consolidating rural routes in
order to use automobiles in the summer He SAYS
"The attempt to substitute automobile service for
that Of horse is all right for letter carrier who
wishes TO make such change but for the department
10 do so seems to indicate that either they do not value
the element Of day service in the country or
they have in mind system of roads that has not vet
been built 1t is true that the render an en-
arged service aocepaby for the summer months; but
people do not have their addresses changed fall
and spring nor do they want to be deprived Of ser
vice for those periods in the winter during which
it would be impossible for the auto to make the trip
This is not the place 10 look for economy in the posta
service"
Mr. Mcsparran also points out that the farmer writes
his letters al night and if rural are enethene,
to such extent that the carrier gets TO towi
late m the evening. the letters miss the train an,
must lie over in the postohce until the following da,
The grangers in Delaware and throughout the Del
maryia Peninsula win agree. doubt with Mcspar
and those in Delaware in due time will call sena
Salisbury and other Democratic politicians to ul
account for the injurious work done.