Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 24, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 July 1911 — WAGE RAISE FOR RURAL CARRIERS [ARTICLE]

WAGE RAISE FOR RURAL CARRIERS

Postmaster General Orders In* crease All along Line. $4,000,000 TO BE DISBURSED Maximum Salary Is Thus Made SI,OOO a Year —Mr. Hitchcock Figuring on Obtaining Parcels Post.

Washington, July 10.—In the current fiscal year $4,000,000 will be disbursed as increase in the salaries of rural letter carriers, Postmaster General Hitchcock having so ordered. This, sum was appropriated for the purpose at the last session of congress in terms that left it discretionary with 1 the postmaster general to authorize the expenditure of the full amount The effect will be to increase the salaries of all rural carriers on standard routes from S9OO to SI,OOO a year, with proportionate increases on the small routes.

On June 30 last there were 41,562 carriers, and their aggregate salaries for the fiscal year just ended was about $35,793,000. The rural delivery system was starred only fifteen years ago. It increased from eighty-three carriers, at a cost of $14,840 for the fiscal year 1897, to 35.666 carriers, at a cost of $24,201,6?G for the fiscal year 1906. A large growth has also occurred In the last five years, the cost •of the service having increased about SIO,OOO. c When the system was first established carriers were paid only S2OO a year. The next year the maximum annual pay was increased to S3OO and in the following year to S4OO. In 1900 the maximum compensation was made $-VOO and in 1902 S6OO. In 1904 a further increase to]; $720 a year was granted and finally in 1907 the maximum pay was advanced to S9OO The maximum of SI,OOO to be paid in the cuirent year is thus five times the salary at which the system was started fifteen years ago An important consideration that Induced Mr. Hitchcock to authorize the full expenditure c-f the $4,000,000 was hit desire to give the rural carriers ample compensation to cover any additional burden to be placed on them by the establishment of the parcel postal system he has recommended for rural routes. Now that the men are to receive such an increase he feels that congress should lose no time to authorize the carrying of parcels. He points out that a parcel postal system on rural routes can be conducted without any extra expense to the government other than the $4,000,000 salary increase which, in hi? judgment, will be nore than offset by the parcel post revenue.