The Marietta journal. (Marietta, Ga.) 1918-1944, 1919-05-16
Our View of Mr.. Burleson

FT%HAT there differences between Mr. Burle-
son and his enemies about which Mr.. Burleson is
the right have doubt and one OF these
is the struggle going over the space or weight
basis of paying the railroads for hauling the mails
Until few years ago the roads were paid on weight
basis and this was arrived at by the employing special
agents all the mail to weigh all mails for PERIOD
of number of weeks, once in every four years Inc
average weight thus arrived at, and whether the
weight increased decreased this the amount paid
for.
To this system, a number of objections arose. The
method was accurate, for sometimes the roads were
charged with padding the mails during weighing season.
and sometimes the weight a certain route would IN
crease or tremendously during the four years
Then too the employment of large number of special
weghers expensive, and was an added opportunity
to inject politics into the service through their appoint
For years the evils of this system have been recog
nzed and frequent attempts made to get rid OF It, but
the railroads and many opposed any change
Finally however Mr. Burleson managed to induce con-
gress authorize the space sysemhat is, to lease
from the roalroads certain carrying on their trains
without regard to the weight carried This was fair to
the railroads. for it the order OF the contract
made by the roads with the express companies Besides
the space paid for never overloaded with mails
The government also eliminated the expense and bad
politics attached to the weighing and time also saved
by cutting out the weighing. The railroads, however,
satisfied and have kept the fight to return to
the old system.
Mr. Burleson is in the right about this matter and he
should win out it. The press should recognize the
peoples interest, and help him in this fight.
Another matter about which have read and thought
a great DEAL is the rate system for secondcass
matter We believe understand it well anyone
does for know enough about it to know that we do
know it all by any means, and many speak of as
very simple matter. We absolutely that by
comparison with the big papers and magazines the coun
try papers favored by the law but not entirely
satisfied this in the real interest of the whole people,
or that entirely just try separate class of
circulation of secondass matter does beget rstclass
matter, which really pays the freight on both.
If these the only things we could charge Mr..
Bureson's administration with should hesitate to
say word about it, would go to his defense, but
that the service has greatly deterorated under
his autocratc rule and he has either made impossible
for honest complaints to reach him. ignored them
when they did reach him.
We also good to believe that he has
ferred ignore neciency and favorsm, practced by
some of his subordnates rather than disrupt his own
administration by possible scandal if he attempted to
correct the fault in proper manner. Aside from this
have not viewed without some alarm his autocratc
treatment of the Postal Telegraph officials.
The American people do relish any display of auto
cratic power the part of person or organization
and believe Mr. Bureson last realizes this. Some
organization this country may be the next to learn
this truth, if read Alright the signs of the times.