Jasper County Democrat, Volume 6, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 June 1903 — STOP POSTAL ABUSES. [ARTICLE]

STOP POSTAL ABUSES.

BROTESTB OF COUNTRY MERCHANTS ARE HEARD. S - Rural Carriers Will Not Be Permitted to Act ae Agents for Moil Order Rirms—Complaiote From All Parts of tbe Country. Owing to the vast number of complaints forwarded to the Posfofflce Department at Washington by the proprietors of country stores and other local industries, an order has been issued discontinuing the practice of sending to a large number of manufacturing concerns and mail order firms throughout the country daily bulletins containing information regarding the establishment of local routes, their location and the names of the carriers. This practice of distributing information wholesale under a government frank was held to be unjust discrimination in favor of the big coucerns of the country and against the industries of the rural communities. The second step in the endeavor to correct the existing conditions will be taken by Postmaster General Payne within a few days, when- he will issue an order calling the attention of the employes of the rural free delivery service to that section of the postal regulations which prohibits a carrier on a rural route from acting as agent for any firm in the sale of commodities to patrons along his line of route. The third step will be taken by the Postmaster General some time in the near future by rescinding the order issued some months ago instructing each postmaster to post in a conspicuous place in his office the names and addresses of patrons aloug the rural routes branching out from his headquarters. Ever since this last order was issued the department has been deluged with complaints and petitions, requesting, urging and even demanding its revocation. One of the most serious aspects of the case is considered to be that with regard to rural carriers acting as agents for various concerns. It is this practice which more than any other has enabled the mail order firms to speure a strong foothold in rural communities and to malfe great inroads into the business of their local competitors. Many of the petitions received said that rural carriers in certain communities acted as purchasing agents for commission houses which dealt in eggs, butter and cheese; others who represented large dairymen, went about on the lookout for bargains in cows and contracted for the delivery of milk at railroad stations, while still others bought hay, corn, Tyheat and other farm products for the firms represented by tliefii. These same carriers or others, the complaints asserted, acted as agents for sometimes ns many as n dozen firms and sold more different things than they bought. They took orders for clothing, both for men and women, canned goods, flour, stoves, lamps, harness, sewing machines, in fact everything that is included in the assorted stock of a country Store and many things that are not. The officials of the Postofflce Department declare that every effort will be made to prevent the alleged discrimination against local industries and to preserve the popularity of the growing ser Tice, which is daily becoming a more im portant branch of the postal system.