The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1916-01-05

return to the old arrangements OF
routes as whole.
Postmaster General ,Burleson is en-.
titled to q little consideration while
tussling with the storm of protest
from the rural districts: At the outset
of his administration he was ap.
plauded when he announced that he
would try to introduce little more
economy and efficiency in postal af-
fairs. Postmaster Hitchcock had got
into q heap Of trouble by trying the
same thing during the previous admin
istration. In fairness to the post.
master general. it must be admitted
that the rural free delivery is not the
only branch of the service singled out
for an economy campaign. There
have been similar efforts all along the
line, in some cases resulting in con-
siderable saving, without loss of eff
cheney. Possibly the postmaster gen
eral has borne down little harder
on the rural routes that in other
departments. Mr.. Burleson advised
the late congress against increasing
salaries on the rural routes. but, con.
gress went ahead and Increased the
salaries Just the same, incidentally
the difficulties of the de.
partment head in carrying out his
general plan to cut down the cost OF
operation. 1t is not unlikely the post
master general promised himself lit
tie personal satisfaction in reducing
the number of jobs on which the sal
aries had been raised against the >ad'
vice of the department.
Postmaster General Burleson did
| not use sound political discretion
when he selected the rural routes as
THE subject of his most drastic econ0'
mics right on the verge OF national
election. The farmers have been bet
| ter pleased with free delivery than
with anything the government has
ever done for them as o class. The
| daily contact with the world which II
facilitates is in fact q source of i'm
mense commercial and social advan'
| tage to them. Its possession has
become one of their choice vested
rights. The attempt to take it away
wholly would cause nothing less than
an agrarian revolution-politically. II
not in a more militant way. An at
tempt to cripple the service or reduce
efficiency must be resented In only
lesser degree.
The department has not been try
ing to cripple the service or reduce its
efiiciency. 1t would be foolish to
argue that 1t has. 1t has been trying
to maintain and, where possible. to
increase, efficiency, while at the same
time introducing economies. And,
according to most accounts out this
way, it has not been succeeding very
well in this effort. The reorganization
has changed some routes to automo-
bile routes and greatly heightened
them, on the assumption that automo-
biles can cover much more territory
than horse vehicles. This theory
would work out all right along cement
roads, but on the average Iowa road
during the average Iowa year 1t Is a
failure. There has been general
recruiting. In this process some
routes have been discontinued, while
others have been shuffled and redealt
SO as to allow dropping carrier here
and there. As q result Of the shut.
ding some farmers are getting mail
who didn't get It before. Others who
were getting mail are now deprived OF
it. Many farmers are required to
drive considerable distances to con-
meet with the route which formerly
passed their doors. Others who got
their mail early in the morning must
wait until later-in the day for 1t. A
good deal Of the complaint is due to
the transfer of starting points from
one town to another.
Apparently the post Office depart
ment made all these changes. or most
of them, without personal inspection
of the field and ON the strength of
information disclosed by maps in
washington. Naturally many errors
of Judgment must have been made in
such long distance reforming. The
department can stop some of the pro-
test by giving relief to the principal
sufferers. 1t is doubtful. however, II
anything short OF reorganization
based on exact information from the
field, will correct all the mischief
done in some localities. Sioux City
Journal.