New-York tribune., 1881-03-30
A PRACTICAL WORKER.
rHE HApprEsr MAN in THE CABINET.

CITIES. ~
IFRoM srAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rarBUsEl
WASHINGTON, March 29.-Thcrs Is ons man ct
least in the new Administration who understands
thoroughly and at the outset the duties Of his
Office. need hardly say that this man is Post
master General James. The. great New-York Post
Office touches in Its business relations almost every
ramifcation Of the postal service, and tho head of
that Office, when he came to Washington to take
his well-earned promotion, only entered q larger
field of work of precisely the same nature as that
he had long Iabored inwith remarkable efficiency.
He docs not act at oil like new man in his new
position. You might think, seeing him giving
orders to his subordnates and talking with his
quick penetrating, businesslike intelligence about
post Offices and post routes in all parts OF the
United States, that he had grown up in the white
marble building at tho corner Of seventh and
Fists The under officials and clerks In his Depart
ment are not less pleased with his appointments
than is the country at largo. They feel that he
knows how TO value and reward good service, and
they work with zeal they never felt under the
shifting and often accidental political regimes Of
the past.
1t struck me to-day, while talking with Colonel
James, and hearing him talk with others, that he
the lappest man in the Cabinet. He loves
work, he has plenty of it to do he knows how 10 do
wear off which attaches TO an unfamiliar limo Of
duties. He comes to his desk with an elastic step
and smilc on his genial face, talks with every
body that has any proper occasion TO see him.
wrestles with the Congressman who want post
masters turned out to make room for their favor
ties, dispatches large amount of routine business,
reads and hears multitude of reports from his as
sistants and special agents. develops plans for the
improvement OF the service, and leaves the ofice
late in the afternoon, tired but without trace Of
worry or perplexity. The task OF directing an
army Of 10000 men, working sngly or by small
detachments over the whole vast area Of the
United States, and of transporting safely and
speedily the letters and newspapers Of 50,O00.000
people, is an enormous one. but If there is any
man in the country whom talent and experience
enable to do the work smoothly and easily, 1T is I'M
questionably Thomas l.. James
He finds the postal service in tho main in pretty
good condition. 1t has been steadily extended and
improved during the last decade. It's receipts are
growing ar the rate of from two to three millions
year. In the fiscal year ending June go 1877, they
were $27 531 900; in 1878, $29 277, ,000 10 1879.
$3.50, ,O42, 900; in 1880 $33,315000. But the er.
penditures have grown just as steadily. and hava
been from three TO five millions ahead of the re-
ceipts Last year they we're s36, $4,000. One Of
the many problems for Colonel James to consider Is
whether the two items cannot be made to balance
during his administration One of the chief
obstacles in the way of bringing this about is Con-
gressional interference. Every member OF Congress
seeks to make himself popular among his con-
stituents by getting new mail routes established
and by increasing the frequency oil the service ON
old routes. Every cross-rcadS hamlet wants
daily mail and its N ember is bound in his own IN
terest TO urge its claims at the Department. Long
routes in the Western and Southern States where
population is thin and towns far apart, are suE
tanned at an expense out of all proportion to the
receipts to satisfy Senators and Representatives
who have the voting of appropriations In their
control and must be cOnciliated. Then there are
the mail contractors, who constantly seek to mag
Nifty the importance Of their routes and obtain in
creased compensation, The Western contractors
especially, whose long horseback or mail-coach
routes are very profitable, ire powerful body
closely leagued together, and we'll fortified by
friendships in Congress and affiliations among the
subordinate officials in tho Post Office Department
Some of the routes in the mining Territories cost
so much money and do so little business that il
would scarcely be an exaggeration to saw that the
Government pays $5 apiece to the contractors foi
all the letters they carry.
The Department will never be run purely CT
business principles-no Department of any Govern.
James bring it up great deal closer to that ideal
of efficiency and economy than it has ever been
brought before. II he does not make its books
balance without an appropriation from the Treas
ury to meet deficiency. it will be because he be-
leves tho post Office is capable of further develop
ment in the interests of the public aud thinks that
Quick frequent regular and accurate service is Of
such incalculable importance that il must be- oh.
tanned and sustained if it costs moro than the rev.
enue it brings in. Still. with tho cutting of Of
cxtravagances, the practice of businesslike econo
mics Pnd the growth of the new sections of the
country where the service is now so expensive,
believe he will be able to steadily diminish the de-
fciency and see his way by the end of four years
to making the Department self-sustaining.
Colonel james put stop to an abuse of old date
as soon as ne entered the Department by ordering
that there sould lie no increase of service or COM
Densation on any Of the mail routes without his
sanction. Heretofore one of the Assistant Post.
masters General has exercised the power OF author
izing increased service and allowing additional
over contract rates on the star
routes a those where the mail is not carried by
rail or boat in his own discretion. Whether this
power has been abused or not do not pretend TO
saw, but for many years there Las been an I'M
pleasant amount of scandal adoat regarding this Z
branch of the service 1t was weak spot IN tne
late Administration, and Colonel James nag
promptly put his finger on It, lie will no doubt
soon discover the unnecessary routes and the
routes wnerc there is excessive service and extrava
CANT compensation. :,
imnToying tho postal service are one or two which
are of special interest to the people of New-York
and other large Eastern cities. He means TO make
the collections and deliveries frequent, that
ihe post office can, to great extent perform the
work of local messenger service. 1t would be OF
considerable advantage to business men IL the
local service were so frequent and rroupt that the
time of delivery of letter mailed at col tain hour
could be accurately known and reply receiyed'the
lafnr ha oil nj a
delivery of the night mails between New-Yprk and
Boston will be effected by putting New York dis
clerk familiar with the sorting OF letters
for the routes and bO. delivery in the Boston
office SO that the letters can be sorted there and
reach New York ready to 60 into the carriers hands
for the first morning delivery. In like manner