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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance Times, 1929-04-25, Page 2Wly: HAMADVANCE-TIMES r Was ds easy Particularly if you have a modern Connor Elec- tric Washer in your hor . No tearing of clothes, no, back-break- .ing work. Just fill the tub with hot water, drop the' clothes, turn a ,witch and the work is done. mina lhp es Crawford Block. 42ommssn Phone 156. AltP a• ... .404r'V".° 1 et. 4.k', r,ut e4h�v5A.' ht f , MR. GEORGE SPOTTON TAKES A HAND IN RURAL MAIL CARRIERS REQUESTS Mr. George Spotton (North Hur- on): I was not in the house when the hon, member for South Wellington (Mr: Guthrie) made his address this afternoon, but after listening to the, Postinaster General (Iver: Veniot) I have-sent.for the amendment, and I think the Postmaster General has not stuck to the test. The amendment reads: "In the opinion of this house the present system of awarding contracts for the delivery of rural mail by tend- er has proved unfair, burdensome and unsatisfactory, and that suchrural mail carriers should be appointed by the Civil Service Commission upon a permanent basis with. a definite rate of pay, based upon mileage and the physical conditions of the territory involved, having regard to the amount paid to the other servants of the gov ernment for :similar employment." •Now, I can scarcely be accused (.f being a recentconvert to this pro- posed change, because the first time that 1 addressed this house 1 did wi:•at I could to bring , to the attention of bon. members the unfair condition under which the rural mail car;'iers were working and the inadequate re- muneration they were receiving. 1 think the Postmaster General is evad- ing the question in asking why did not the previous government lake care of this matter between 1911 and 1921. The Postmaster . General was no doubt in this country during that time, and he anust not forget that the war was followed by a very trying period of reorganization and relaabili- tation I do not think any turfair tad vantage was taken of him, because he had been having interviews from time to time with the Rural. Mail Carriers' Association And, Mr. Speaker, I see no reason why the rural Mail carrier of this country should not be free to band together in an association as well as any other class of people in this Dominion. 1 know not Why the l'eo tmaster General, spoke so unlcind- ly of this a;;suciation last SL_,sioil, It is a real a.sueiation; it is not like the Consumers 'League in which the. Word "constiiner's" should be spelled with possistivc singular. Supply be- catise the piceeecling governinent did not remedy this unsatisfactory condi- tion of affairs is nu reason why we pr, this side of the house should not ad- vocate remedial action on the part of the sovurzuuent, L'lie preceeding giivcrnnient was tried by the elector ate and in their opinion, found wear.[• ing, and discarded. In the very. near future this government is going to be tried by the etectorathe, and already we can hear a "sound ofgoing" it the tops of the'Mulberry trees, I Suppe ,t the Postmaster General might have his chauffeur ,drive hinl out into tiny country in his $S,000 Stutz car to meet the'.mall carriers and tell them they are prosperous. I yi+as very much impressed by -the remarks of the hon, member for Duf- ferin-Siincoe (Mr Rowe). I -am a little hard, of hearing, but as I drive about the country I can always di,.- tingulsh;the rattle of the mail carrier's buggy. 1 see no reason why the rur- al iaiail' carriers should be the only men in the service of the Post' Office department to be stood up ,and- shot at every four years. I believe the. Deputy Postmaster General has bad laissalary-raised by two thousand dol- lars during the past year, and . yet when we. ask for a 'Modest increase and a permanency of employment With a few holidays for these men who go over the country roads 'n all weathers the Postmaster -General turns a deaf ear to our request. But I am glad to see he is in a little more conciliatory mood this year than last. ° A , r P'. ra%� le r) % Fya�y is � ilea Seal Continental .Motor Bendix Four - Wheel Brakes. Morse' Silent Timing •Chaos ,Full Force Feed Lubrication Passenger Cars Fours, and Sixes from $6'5 to $2095 i / o4., T.easiele, Ont.. Standard Factory 'uipment Taxes Extra TILE DURANT "do" SPECIAL TWO DOOR SEDAN rove Durant Ouality 'aur ` e �i n WOU see the attractiveness of a Durant car as it passes down the street .. you economical service hear about its ec o n l se s e f o x s from the owner ... you become interested when his testimony is so often repeated by other owners. There is a Durant car awaiting your inspection at your local dealer's; also the opportunity of verifying what you have seen and heard by taking it out, yourself. Make your comparisons, today! k>lgti9r RUGBY - TRUCKS Hiner Br DURANT MOTORS of CANADA DiNITTED TORONTO . CANADA tN % ON:TO 'iy TON CApACiT1ES . `. eNI GEl ., :t .r io OET A.MCLAU HLINa ' Corrie Ontario Perhaps he has been advised that the time. is coining when the Priine Min- i5ter will be'again reforming the sen-, ate trod lowering • the cost of living and the price of farm implemeits, and on that occasion no doubt the Post- master Genual Will be holding out to these mail carriers the •bait of fair remuneration I should like the Postmaster Gena- oral to make this clear. 1 understood him. to say that at the' expiration of: their contract letters are sent to 011 rural mail carriers asking if they are prepared to carry un for another four years' at the same rate. if that is not correct will he kindly state with what particular'oncs- docs he communicate? An bon' member:',rho favoured few. AIr.Spotton: Are letters written, ail of thein or only Yea certain ones? Mi, Veniot: We generally like to renew the contracts of those against whore there are no complaints and Whose official records show they are giving :;laud! service.. 112. Bennett; !Political considera- tions govern, Mr. Veniot: No, If political can siderations g overuecl 'I would have had Jo deal with Conservatives,: ,bc- cause .until the last four or five years nearly every mail contractor was a Conservative. li:r. Bennett: 1. haat was before 1941, Mr. Spbtton:.I am not yet clear as to the number and type of rural ,mail carriers to whom the Postmaster General writes asking if they are pre- pared to carry on. Iblr, Veniot: I cannot help you Mr. Spotton: I accept the Post- master General's word for the mo- ment that only those against whom there has been no complaint as to their service—not their politics—are asked if they wish to carry on. I can name high a mail, carrier in my riding with fifteen years' service, . against whom there was not a breath of com- plaint, but who was' put up,his route advertised, and when the old and faithful servant and a new mantend- ered at the same figure, the Post- master General wrote the defeated Liberal Candidate asking who should get this contract, the old faithful ser- vant or the new man. I think the Postmaster General has in mind the. route in. question. Mr. Veniot: Yes, I know the cir- cumstances and will deal with the case when the .time comes. Mr. Spotton: Now, Mr. Speaker, I do not want to labour this question, having dealt with it rather fully last session. I feel that the rural mail carrier is entitled to a fair wage, to some guarantee of permanency of po- sition, to holidays like any other civil servant, and to be treated as a human. being: It seems to me that 'this is the only branch of his department where the Postmaster General -an take a good fling at political patron- age and 'declare "to the victor belongs the spoils." It has become air obses- sion with him, a.' -plaything, and it would be unkind td deny hint the ht le pleasure that this activity affords Zuni. As a basis of comparison let ins take the letter carriers of the city of Toronto—andthey are not overpaid They get $1,440, or thereabouts, .t, year delivering mail from house to house; their position is permanent; they arecared for if they lose their health in the service, and presumably they are entitled to a retiring allow- ance, At any rate, these men, with no -u ore intelligence, .no' more capab- ility ,and no better type of citizens than the rural mail- carriers, get $1, 440 a year to walk for a few hours twice a day over their routes, and then they are free to go back twine; whereas the poor rural mail carrier has to cover up tci 32 miles over the snow banks in,the winter and through the mud roads in the spring and fall, keep up two horses—all for $590 a year on an average. Taking the Posttrtaster General's own figitTes,' the average is even lower—"only $500 a year. I fail to understand why be should attemptto draw a red herring across the track by talking about bus and stage coach service. This amend- ment has to do definitely and clearly with the rural :mail carrier. It may be, as the Postmaster General would say if he were speaking in another province, that this is another of"those fanatics from Ontario" who object to "G.R." being taken off 'the mail wa- gons. It is most unfair to say that the rural mail carrier makes any mon- ey carrying passengers. In my con- stituency I do not think there is a single rural mail carrier who makes $5 a year in this way. The average rural mail carrier goes down the con- cession and back,'' and he will give any rt;an a free ride, even though this government hashim working at a starvation wage. 'Let me give the Postmaster General an instance, And. remember '1` have a great deal of ap- preciation for the Postmaster Gener- al in many respects. He has shown a board sympathy and ha tlan kind- iless itt many little matters in my constituency which 1 have brought to his notice, _But I think he can Thursday, April 2,5t'h, 1929 altr. 8 10 0=01= oll Q °., =o=i 1�..n "w..��..no IOic.'f1Y.".-"".. =. e0= 1 == 0 00 i : St 0 0 SENSATIONAL WOOD'S "Lavender Line" LINGERIE Every Garment ON SALE FOR THREE Big AYS THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY ► im: licit !' Beauty! Dairttiness! HE famous WooDs LAVENDER LINE Lingerie is . on special display this week. At Extraordinary • e SpecialPrices ices. ,NOTE THE LOW PRICES j G 1r ittrAft (��4�a 1r1 ' '� �� xa 1, ty22 • C .tea)! t. 'Ili el Every G a r ment rf'et WOOD'S "Lavender Line" LINGERIE 1 Early SHOPPErR! GET Best SELECTION. 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ITT " 66 D Limited 0 ;n .:.i22, , nl'� 01=a0 V hardly be cognizant of this: In the village of Auburn . the post office was' moved down :the street 39 rcds, which shortened the ' mail: carrier's route by, twice 39 rods, and the Postmaster General sent down i high paid inspector, getting perhaps $10 a 'day with ::travelling expense, to measure the distance of 39 rods and he docked that rural mail car- rier $10.48 per annum for the rest if his term:. That surely is proving that. he is a friend of theworking man in this country. To give consideration to this ques- tion at this .date is not offering, much consolation to those men who are do- ing the hardest'work:1n the' POs.. master General's department and get ting the least pay. The Postmaster General will say "Why, it is let by contract." Well, you 'know, a man getssettled down in one walk of life and be is afraid to get ottt of that groove lest lie inay nnot make a st'cc ess of anything else; and if the Post- znaster General's position were adver tised to -night he would take fete thousands less in order to retain it, Mr. Veniot; I think it is worth a great, deal more when I have to lis- ten to such criticism as that. Mr. Spotton: a Perhaps the truth hurts. 13ut 10 mo tell the Postmaster General that he will eontinue to hear about it until this wrong is righted. So long as the •poorest paid Hien do the hardest' work in his department; receiving the least consideration, lee is going to hear about the matter and We are going to try to have kith, place the situation fairly before the' house and not sidestep it by quoting bits line and stage coaches When Ire' should be sticking to the plain rural Mail carriers. The itstrriaster Gen- crai leas ,.not said that he would not accept his position at a few thous- ands less, Now a man has a rural trail contract and he is growing old, iTe gave tip his farm—and there are very few farmers in my constituency, not one ot;t of ten, who carry mail, These rural mail` carrier$ work stead- ily day by day. There is little else they can turn their hands to. And when their four years are up they may not be the ones to whom, a le.- tcr is written -they may be of the wrong political stripe—asking ,theme it they will carry on. 'rhe complaint has been . registered that they vott.d LIR O. in the last election and there- fore they are put up at auction. The. mail carrier is afraid he will lose his job. He hase his horses and his ri and therefore he says, "I will render a little less," if he is still able to exist, when the next four years'ex- pire he will tender again a little less So that, as the hon. member for: Kingston (Mr. Ross) said last year, the Postmaster General will soon be getting this work done for practically nothing I would a,k the Postinaster Gener- al to give one sane reason why these Hien in his' service should' be the otily men who are made political toys of:. Is there any reason? Is have heard the Postmaster General say that Can- ada has not lost one dollar through. rural mail carriers, that they are hon- est, that they are efficient. And it is the only branch of his department of which he tan so speak.' Yet this is the way he proposes to award, hon- sety and efficiency. I know he has a particular grudge against a gentle- man who went about striving to or- ganize the rural mail carriers, a gen- t letnan en-tletnan named McKinnon. The Post- master General did not like it. He apparently thinks that the 'rural mail carriers did not know th,ity were work- ing too cheaply'until Mr. McKinnon got a soap box and started a riot. I wish once more to appeal to the Postmaster General to consider sane: legislation in this matter, and to have the thoughts he has in mind crystal- lized into legislation at least by next (Continued on Page 7) gemmimemmsmairimmompmpimummimMimmiiimmiliiiit e 1 1®I ML ■ ■ ■ . e ■ ■ e • Why take a LOW price. on. Eggs C • ■•. • Ie _. • Pool Eggs when we will store them for • • • ■ ' 1 • • • you \ till price.,..;gets h her THE UNITED FARMERS' CO.OPE*ATIVE ■ COMPANY, LIMITED. N WIngli airti , . Ontario. • Phurie 27