The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1847-07-03
BY TIL &c M AILS.
Affairs in Washington.

WAsmsoroT, July ], 1917
Post Office Department.
The Union Of Tuesday night contains an article ON
tne post ohco and the advancing spirit OF the country
There could not be more unfortunate csnbinstion
The conduct Of no portion Of governmental system
20 much at variance with social or national proprsss
.s the post office department While everything else ie
advancing It Is retrograding Conducted on a lsrp.
aud liberal scale could be erected into one Of the most
useful Oh our institutions and be made only to keep
pace with the spirit Of enterprise inherent in our peo
pie, but even to give impetus to the commerce and
Industry Of the nation. AS it Is 1t is incubus and
drawback II does not pretend to compete with pri-
vate enterprise and yet endeavors curb and control
It. On one OF the most important routes In the country
private express beats 1t by twenty hours every
day in the year. Post hasen Isl in this country
SYNONYMOUS with snalls pace Peddling and huckstsr
Ing with mail contractors the chief end aud aim
Of the Postmaster Generals existence Tho time of the
community lac holds Of no account, and the saving Of
dollar the extreme of good mana cement
must be confessed that the fosto Department
presents difficulties to be mastered only by consunste
courage, great financial skill, and farreachiap On.
terprile-dih ulties with which no ordinary man
can successfully grapple. But with very low OK
osptons, the heads OF the Post Office Department
have all, Of late, been very ordinary men, The cops.
quence it, that this Department exhibits more uateb
u. lN
Treasury and the Department Of State have generally
been properly cared for by the selection OF mnent and
talented men to preside them; but the Postmaster
General has almost invariably been some party hack
promoted for doing the noisy work of the House OF Re-
preventative The present Postmaster General though
not OF this stamp Ia nevertheless totally unfit for the
Office. Instead Of attempting to remodel and to i'm
prove, he took the system he found it. and made It
worse He adopted as far as possible and recommended
to Congress, a contracted, miserable policy Of high
charges and petty the same time en-
deavorng compel the public be satisfied with the
speed made the post routes, although business did
thereby materially suffer
There could not be greater mistake II the Depart
ment wish to maintain itself 1t must show ut least as
much enterprise individuals AZ long as Il does not
deserve public confidence, by serving the public faith
fully and with prompttude, Its increase
Mr. Cave Johnson may he did last year. exhibit de-
creased expenditure Of half million of dollars, bu. 8!
such a result be reached by the same means II was
comprised last year. the whole department will
to destruction. Economy is one thing-parsInony aas-
Their The Postmaster General will find that the revenues
Of his department will increase most rapidly by system
Of cheap postage-putng restriction on Tho p.c.s-
paying good pricto mail contractors 20 as to have the
mails carried with ut least much speed as they can
DO carried by private individuals or nd by
There never have been many complaints Of failures
and dotsBtons, during the last year The seSsoa Is
obvious. The evil Is increasing Blurders Of tho
srossest character arising from careessnsss and
ton, are happening daily 1t would be to
charge all these Immediately the Post Master General
but nevertheless they unqucstionably arise from tho
odious system he has introduced believe no nan can
10 conscious han the Post Asster General hpees
that his management Of the department has hitherto
been great failure and therefore the praises O. III.
Union have been nothing but uncvi irony His bcs,t
ting sin Is too saving dispositiom mean Of course ia
Official life II Is an error the side OF wisdoln bu,
still an error-and In the management Of the postcee
a great one. Mr. Whitbresd, a very eminent fpul,sh
man was addicted TO like parsimony In the manage
ment OF public funds Unlike him, Rowland NM, who
has conferred such benefit on his countryme by
the introduction Of the cheap postage system has ever
exhibited the most liberal spirit in his efforts TO give T.
the poorer classes the advantage Of more abundant IN
formation and greater facilities r correspondence The
result exhibits In striking degree the wisdom OF his
policy The from letters has increased steadily
since the system first introduced aud at prcfent t
FAR exceeds what II amounted TO under the cid
system Of high postage. GALvIENsIs.
W,sHrN0roN, June % Isli.
Important Government Despatehes-SPseiaI CABINET
Council
There can be doubt think that importst govern
uent dispatches received last evening. special
cabinet council convened this morning., at viii al