VOL. LIX.
INDIANAPOLIS, JAN. 16, 1904.
NO 3.
Mall Delivery.
E_lt-rs Indiana Farmer:
Seeing there is an organized effort on
the part of rural route mail carriers for
Indiana to memorialize Congress to increase their salaries ftom six hundred
to one thousand dollars and twelve hundred dollars a year, therefore ask your
indulgence for a hearing upon the subject, as it seems to be out of all proportion to real benefits derived by the patrons,
and more it can be reasonable done for.
I was one .among the first advocates of
free rural delivery, by word and pen ten
years ago.
I know what it is to labor and tlie
laborer should be worthy of his hire and
rewarded accordingly, but when an increase is asked that will almost or perhaps double that already received, I believe it unfair, and that additional expense
if any be applied in improving the roads
over which mail is delivered.
Great is the complaint of the expenditures for wagons and horses used in carrying the mail, having been figured it requires all the six hundred dollars for the
equipment and nothing left for the carrier.
Now, let us do some figuring from observation made with some of these carriers
in the last four years. The average length
of routes is about twenty-five miles, and
is made in from five to eight hours, according to conditions of roads and the
party in charge of service. The time and
service to be had from the use ofi horses
and vehicles depend very much upon the
treatment received by their attendant. I
knew" of several that made their rounds
with a gradual decline ia horse flesh and
jaded them so they had to get others, and
again I know of several whose horses
look none the worse for wear now four
years in service. And several of these
men I don't think ever before thoir employment for Uncle Sam earned six hundred dollars, and are laying iby some money, too.
I can name a number of carriers who
are farmers who don't necessarily have to
carry the mail, one in particular with a
farm of two hundred acres, perhaps, as
he has been a success, so to speak, with
his farming, yet is mail carrier on the
route by his farm and doubtless reasons
it is the best "cinch" he has to earn the
sum already receiving of anything in his
management.
Let the contract to the lowest responsible bidder if it is wanted to know how
many there are who are willing and ready
to earn six hundred dollars per year, who
never have been able to do so at anything
else. There wopld be no great objection
to seven, or even eight hundred dollars,
but it is hoped that our Congressmen will
not lose sight of a reasonable adjustment
on this salary question, and the fire of patriotism and honor,, with reason, prevail.
The United States government is a big
institution, and we should be proud it is
so, but along the lines of public service
there is arr ever-increasing desire for big
pay and little work. ' I.' Jt.
reform, he concluded that the interests of
all the people would be best subserved
by granting tliem an improvement in the
means of remitting small amounts by
mail, thus raising the embargo now placed
upon such transactions through the inconvenience and inaccessibility of the
money order system. The Post Check is
tne result of his thought along these lines,
and it has been stated by high postal authorities that although the minds of the
ouicials of the money order service and
the postal reformers outside of the Department have for years been directed toward the solution of the postal currency
problem, Mr. Post's plan is the first that
has combined the three essentials necessary to a perfect system of mail remittance—simplicity, safety and convenience. AVhen the Post Check proposition
was presented to the Department, a little
over a year ago, and its details became
tu get some trifling article, he would be
i"iMe to send the money down and get the
article back by mail or through a neighbor.
At present, even if the farmor resides
on a rural free delivery route, there must
of necessity be loss of time involved in
remitting money by mail. He must give
lhe money to a carrier and he must intrust to the carrier the letter, unsealed,
iu which the money is to go. The carrier
lakes the money aad the letter and when
he next reaches the post oflice (if he has
not forgotten the errand) purchase the
money order and places it in the letter,
which he puts in tho mail. Tho farmer
must trust the carrier not only with the
money, but with the particulars of his
correspondence. If he did not desire to
trust the carrier and retain his letter,
awaiting the receipt of the money order,
it  would   probably  be  twenty-four  hours
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World's  Fair  Govern ment Building, St. Louis.
The Post Check Currency System.
Among the important measures that
wil be pressed upon the coming Congress
for enactment is the bill providing for the
Post Check System. This is the plan originated by Mr. C. W. Post, a wealthy
and public spirited manufacturer of Battle Creek, Michigan, who offers it to the
Government free of cost Mr. Post has
been a close student of postal affairs for
years, and after __ careful survey of the
needs of the public in the way of postal
public, it was taken up enthusiastically
by the press throughout tho country, by
business houses and by farmers. The latter, especially, would appreciate this convenience.
As is well known, the plan involves the
printing by the Government of the $1, $2
and $5 bills (bank notes excepted) with
blank spaces on their faces in which the
remitter may write his name and the
name of the payee, and in which the payee may write his own name as a receipt.
Space will also be provided within which
a two-oent postage stamp may be affixed
as a Government fee, and cancelled with
the initials of the sender—this currency,
as at present, to be payable to the bearer
if the spaces aro unfilled. When the holder desires to remit through the mails to
pay a debt or make a purchase, he fills in
the first two blanks, affixes a stamp, and
sends the Post Check note in a letter to
the payee. Upon, receiving such a remittance the payee may have it cashed
or exchanged for a new Post Check note
at any money order office or bank. It is
only by thus rendering the ordinary paper currency of small denominations capable of being transformed into something similar to a money order that a system of mail remittances can be furnished
which could be considered as perfectly
accessible to all of our people. To make
the money itself, which the intending remitter has at hand, thus convertible, instead of making it necessary for the remitter to take the money arid by making
a journey of some length, secure a means
of remittance, would not only mean an
ideal system, but would also mean in
time saved to the people millions of dollars in the aggregate annually. There are
hundreds of things the farmer or his wifij
wants to send money for to the store in
the nearest town. Instead of taking a
vehicle, at an* expense of time worth perhaps several dollars to him, to go to town
before he could finally place the letter
containing the remittance in the hands of
the carrier, aud several hours more
would elapse before it was finally dispatched. With Post Check notes this delay would be. avoided, as the farmer could
write his letter, take a note from his
pocket, write in the space provided the
name of the payee, and in another space
affix and cancel a 2-cent stamp, and after
writing his own name in the space provided, place the note in his letter which
he could seal and have ready for the carrier when the latter appeared. It can
readily be seen, therefore, that the farmers of the country should be as a unit in
support of this measure, which will be
brought to the attention of the incoming
Congress. Effective means should betaken
by them to impress their Congressmen
and Senators with the fact that this great
convenience is demanded by the farmers
throughout the land.
Ono of the strongest features of the
Post Check plan, which has not been
much touched upon editorially is the certainty that the constant ,uso and reissue
of our small paper bills for remittance
through the mails would ensure the people
a clean, healthful paper money. Thus
fiom a hygienic standpoint the measure
would work for the betterment of the
health of our people, by retiring the old,
dilapidated, germ-laden bills that are now
a constant menace to those who have to
handle them. It is a disgrace to place
such money in the hands of our wives and
daughters, and the United States should
follow the example set by the Bank of
England, whose notes are never put out
a second time and can always be written
Mpon. This is one of tho principal advantages claimed for the Post Check.
Many postal authorities, including the
Postmaster-General, the Third Assistant
Postmaster-General and the Auditor for
the  Postoffice  Department    unqualifiedly
favor the Post Check plan, and towards
the end of the last session of Congress
tlie Postoffice Committee of the House,
composed of men who have for years
framed the legislation for the postal service, made a report without a dissenting
voice recommending the passage of the
bill by the House. Time did not permit
this, however, but it is hoped that through
the united effort of all who would be benefitted by this reform, success will como
during the coming session, and this great
reform, which wonld prove in the words
of the Postmaster-General "of incalculable convenience to the pej.ple" will be
enacted into law.
This matter Ls of interest to every citizen, and we suggest that our readers write
to the Post Check Currency Bureau, 825
Vermont Avenue, Washington, D. C, for
complete details of tho plan.
—Those of our readers who desire to assist in this movement, and we trnst that
there are many who do so desire, can do
so by signing and circulating petitions like
the following:
.,100..
Hon	
House of Representatives,
We. the undersigned, residents of your
Congressional district, respectfully pe-.
tition yon to take an active interest in,
and to lend your hearty support to the
passage of the Post Check Currency Bill
(H. R. 197G, 5Sth Congress).
Fostal and express orders require a
journey to obtain, involving a loss of valuable time. Stamps are equally difficult
to obtain, and cause trouble and loss to
the receiver. The dangers of sending unendorsed currency through the mails are
so great as to render that form of remittance  unsafe.
The Post Check Currency Bill presents
r. safe, simple and convenient system. AVe
therefore ask that this measure receive
your consideration, and earnest support,
with a view to its speedy enactment into
law.
U S. Government Bulldlngr.
The United States Government Building, designed by James Knox Taylor, Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department, will be situated on the high
ground to the southeast of the Mines and
Metallurgy Building, and at the head of
the Grand Avenue between that building
and the Liberal Arts Building. The approaches will be of a monumental character, in keeping with tlie building itself.
Access to the central pavilion will be by
a great flight of steps 100 feet wide adorned with statues. A platform 45 feet by
125 feet, with an exedra at either end,
will be situated in the center of the flight.
Two smaller flights, 50 fleet wide, also
adorned with statues, will give access to
the end pavilion. Ramps 30 feet wide of
a gentle incline will lead from the lower
level of the Exposition grounds to the
level of the Government Building. They
will connect the main central flight of
steps with the two smaller flights. The
slope of the hill toward the Exposition
will be covered with and laid out in formal beds of herbaceous flowers, clipped
hedges and trimmed trees. The contract
for the construction of the building was
let October 14 to W. O. & C. G. Burton
on their bid of $26S,9S0.
Just 100 years were occupied in lowering the mile trotting record from three
to two minutes.