The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1916-02-10

to ten, and even twenty times as
much mail as the carriers tabulated
in this list and who are paid exactly
the same, or less, compensation. The
department submits that herein is an
other unfair discrimination, as the
law does not provide for the proper
payment of the individual who per-
forms the more arduOus labor
Now, the readjustment of the SER
vice in Iowa has provided mail facil-
tiles to more than 5000 additional
heads of families, or approximately
$1,000 individuals, who have hereto
fore been denied all mail collection
and delivery; while 1000 heads of
families have been required to move
their mail boxes short distances, and
thus suffer certain inconvenience. To
all these latter am prepared to de-
clare that, given time, the depart
ment will make every proper effort
to extend collection and delivery SER
vice to them wheneversit is advisable
or possible to do so. Our first duty is
to the man who has no delivery at
all, and l am firmly convinced that
that individual appreciates our effort,
and that he will give it proper recog-
milton upon the first opportunity that
presents itself.
! AS set forth in my statements to
the presidential pQstmasters at Sagi-
nav, Michigan, the service in the
state of Iowa has now been cleansed
/ of all it's useless and unnecessary
travel, and is at present in such a
condition as will warrant immediate
and substantial upbuilding. To this
end the department intends to send
representatives into every corner of
the state, not only to ascertain Wheth-
er the people suffer unusual and I'M
| necessary inconvenience, but to indi-
cate where mail facilities can be pro-
| vided to those who are now without
the same.
I am pleased to state that, as re-
suit of my visit to Michigan, we have
received from patrons and postmas-
tiers many suggestions for the estab-
lishment of new routes and the ex
tension of existing service, and action
has already been taken that undoubt-
eddy meets with the approval of our
correspondents.
One senator forwarded a sketch of
proposed route, pointing out with
small lead pencil dots the location of
the patrons who would be served, and
showing on the sketch the location of
the proposed route as it pertained to
other routes or p0stoftices in it's
vicinity. Instead of delay, and the
necessity of investigation and inquiry
as to the boxes that had been provid-
cd, and all other forms of red tape,
the route will be placed in operation
within the next fifteen days. This
is practical application of our state
ment to the effect that it is no longer
necessary for 100 petitioners to set
forth their desire for mail facilities;
that it is no longer necessary to send
an inspector to ascertain substantial
facts; that it is no longer necessary
to inquire of local representatives
about the Willingness of patrons to
purchase mail receptacles. We pro-
vide the service and work out the de-
tails afterwards.
I believe that the rural patrons in
Iowa will understand and be pleased
to note this tremendous change for
the better in the extension of mail
facilities to them, and it is all due to
the elimination of special privilege to
few who have enjoyed a more than
adequate supply, while thousands of
others have been denied reasonable
mail facilities I also wish to assert
that when every man employed in
the collection and delivery of mail to
rural patrons shall be paid fair
days pay for fair days work, CIV
ing an increase over present COM
pensatiOn to the carriers who works
hard for long hours each day, and not
allowing another employee to be ov-
erpaid who enjoys ride over a
route in two or three hours daily,
that we can still further reduce the
cost of operation and thereby provide
the means, not only for the extension
of mail to all possible patrons, but
to assist in the improvement of the
highways over which such mail is
transported.
It may be stated that it is impos-
sible to perform satisfactory service
on long routes, over bad roads, but
we are careful to note the hours of
service rendered by the employees on
such routes, and it is generally fact
that the apparently substantial OBJ
lection that appears because of the
length Of route disappears when the
patron is informed of the hours of
service rendered by the employee
thereon during nine, ten or eleven
months in the year, and that the diff
Guilty of road travel interferes to
small extent in the tour of duty for