Post Office Reduces Rural Carrier on R-5. . . Charges Against Carrier Mabry by Patrons—May Take Fight to Washington
Certain patrons of route 5, leading out from Albemarle towards Rocky River Springs in a southerly direction, have preferred charges against the carrier, Mr. John Wesley Mabry.
These charges allege theft of 10 cents—paid by a patron to the carrier for a special delivery stamp; deviation from route; carelessness; and other items.
The post office department instituted its formal investigation, by correspondence and through inspector and recommendations of the postmaster. While the carrier answered the charges by letter, orders were given to the effect that Carrier Mabry was subject to dismissal or transfer. It is understood that Postmaster Almond made recommendations to the department of Mr. Mabry’s fitness and competency to render satisfactory service on any other route just as satisfactorily as either carrier in the service. Following the department’s order, Mabry is at present serving patrons on route 4, while the route 4 carrier is assigned to route 5.
This means that the murmur from patrons of route 5 against Mabry was given weight at Washington, and since the department seeks to give patrons of any route the kind of satisfaction they call for within the realms of postal service law, the change was effected.
But Mr. Mabry does not think he has been given a square deal. He was given only a very short notice, when in reality the notice was in hands of the postmaster several days before he (Mabry) was told that he was assigned to the other route. But for this, he claims, he could have gotten a hearing on the matter and probably have made his contentions fully understood by the department.
As to the charges, the carrier makes I plain that the charge of theft is absolutely false. The source from which it arises indicates that it relates to a parcel and a letter mailed about the time the country was making its draft upon young men for army service. A father mails a parcel to his son, who has been drafted, and requests that Mabry place a special delivery on it so that it would get to his son as quickly as possible. Mabry placed a special delivery stamp on the package, and mailed the letter without a special delivery stamp. The envelope to the letter was returned by the son to his father, who claims that the carrier pocketed the 10 cents, and did not apply it to the purchase of a delivery stamp. This occurred several years back, and has been threshed out under former investigations without prejudice to Mabry.
As to the deviation from route, Mabry was not conscious of violating the rules. There have been a number of changes on the route from time to time, and a quarrelsome set of patrons made it hard for the department, carrier, or postmaster to meet their demands. The routes are regularly inspected, and if deviations were being made wrongfully, the postmaster and their reports governing the route should have discovered the error. On this point there is yet some debate, since Mr. Elaus Efird’s home has been an established corner ever since the route was established, and through some hook or crook the orders relating to the route withdrew the service from that immediate location. Roads in that immediate section are very bad at best, and it is a matter just now of doubt as to whether the recent rulings meet the original intentions and plans formerly considered by the department.
As to being careless, Mr. Mabry has made his errors. And the same sort of errors are chargeable against practically every servant of the public from Uncle Sam’s mail table. Only carriers and mail clerks themselves know how easily these errors are made and how very ready a complaining patron is to make his complaint.
As to Wesley Mabry, he is honest, honorable, worthy, and energetic. When the call urged him to enter the ministry and while he was ready for that service, his brother Lee became a care upon him. this brother is bedridden for life. Cheerful boy, sunshiny in his disposition and with a heart to make everyone happy around him, it is not Lee’s fault that he demands the constant care of another. His big brother has assumed the task, and in a most unselfish way devotes his life to carrying the mail, keeping several acres of farm land under cultivation, doing the chores about the house, and besides this giving faithful service to his church as a steward and worker. Big hearted, unselfish Wesley Mabry is not the sort of man a sweet-spirited and pure minded person would seize upon as one who is guilty of theft, willful carelessness, or violation of rules.
Hence, one is led to look into the charges, and investigate as to those making them.
Some of the complaints were formerly served by another route. The department shifted them on to route 5 against their wishes. They came to route 5 fussing and they have been at it ever since. Some of them declined to put up boxes for the new service and the carrier and post office went to great trouble to appease their ruffled spirits. Postmasters shared in this umbrage, but the carrier has caught the biggest brunt of it all.
Among the complainants, it is known that there are those who have fought special taxes for schools, opposed consolidated schools, have fought good roads, and opposed progressive measures of any kind. One of them was heard to say he would give $100 if he could force Mabry to go back to work on the farm for his living. This in itself would not relieve Mabry if the charges against him were true, but no unprejudiced mind believes for a moment that any of the major allegations could be sustained against Mabry. In fact, he has a clear-cut cause for criminal action against some of the folks that have made the charges, and Mabry and his friends are not satisfied at letting the matter rest upon the actin of the department as at present.
Through the co-operation of Senator Overman, and if necessary, the civil service commission itself, Mr. Mabry will demand that a full and free airing of the charges against him be made, and that his accusers be brought face to face with him in clearing up the charges.
Why Mabry should be taken off one route and reduced in salary $600 to take a smaller route is the issue at stake.
From the front page of The Albemarle Press, “A Stanly County Weekly of Character—Published Every Thursday” June 25, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn91068199/1925-06-25/ed-1/seq-1/#words=June+21%2C+1925
