Southern standard. (McMinnville, Tenn.) 1879-current, 1881-12-03

deemed eXpedlent, in the interest of payees
Of money orders, q longer period, for eX-
ample seven or ten years, might be fixed by
Congress, during which the amount Of any
money order would be payable to the own
er thereof, aud beyond which the amount
Of all orders unpaid would accrue to the
United States.
Although the money order fulllls every
reasonable expectation Of remitter and payee
where the amount sent is considerable,
strong and growing demand has arisen since
the withdrawal Of fractional currency from
circulation for some device by which
amounts under five dollars could be trans
mitted by mail at less cost than at present. l
desire to call special attention to the plan
proposed by the Superintendent for the
transmission of sums less than five dollars
by means OF an order of new form, to be
termed "postal- order, " in which the writ
ten application and the advice, which Is the
chief element OF expense as well as of Sc
curity, are to be dispensed with, so that
these orders may be issued more cxpedi-
tiously and at cheaper rates than money
orders.O
THE STAR-ROUTE SERVICE, ETC,
The Postmaster General is of the opinion
that I" the country has reached that stage in
the progress of its material development
where an effort ought to be made to bring
the credit and debit sides of the Depart
ment's balance sheet nearer together. All
or nearly all the long and expensive STAR
routes have been superseded by railroad
| he - h. %.
therefore, to rapidly decrease in the West
ern States and Territories. A careful and
impartial examination OF the Star service
made during the past summer satisfied the
Department that large reductions could be
made without causing any inconvenience to
the sections Of country supplied thereby"
GA minute investigation into alleged
abuses la the Stlr-rOute service W as insti-
tuted by direction of the late President,
and is still being prosecuted. The Post
office Department has co-operated, and will
continue to cooperate, with the Depart
ment of Justice in this investigation. No
one who has not been directly concerned in
the matter can fully appreciate the magni-
tude OF the undertaking, the mass Of record
evidence examined, the difficulties Of per-
sonal investigation in sparsely- settled terri
tories, and the results attained by the pa
tient and intelligent labors Of the Inspectors
Of this Department. There can be no doubt,
from the facts already ascertained, that the
existing statutes leave the way open to great
abuses, and that there Is abundant ground
for asking a judicial investigation Of the
transactions Of the last few years.
"The one serious difficulty in the way Of
bringing back the Department to self
sustaining basis is the constantly increasing
cost OF the railway mail service. This in
crease during the past fiscal year was $751;
446. regret to say that there is deficiency
Of S4TS, 155 for this branch OF the service for
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1881, which
must be provided for, and also that there
must be an increased appropriation for the
samo sssvieA ~ ~ no7. ato FOR tho fscal Yea,
ending June 81, 1882 The estimate for the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1888, for the rail-
way service is $1O,G55 900. There has re-
Gently been an unprecedented growth o.
railroads, and this accounts largely for the
enormous increase of the cost Of the railway
service"
The actual payment for the railway mai
service during the year was $11 All, 5000
, The cost for the current fiscal year will be
S12,006G01, and the estimates for 1888 arr
a Sl3, 1871 ,601. The enormous growth OF rail
roads in 1889 and 1891, and their anticipated
increase of mileage In the near future, vii
account for great portion OF the augmented
= cost for the service.
:, There were 461 arrests made during thu
year for violation OF the Postal laws. OF
. this number 424 cases were prosecuted il
the United States Courts, and thirty-sevel
in the courts Of the several States in whicl
the arrests were made. OF the former, IS
!. persons were convicted, twenty-siX wer
acquitted, three escaped, five forfeited bail
!, twenty four proceedings were dismissed
: one was killed while resisting arrest, ant
II III await trial; thirty highwaymen were ar
G rested and prosecuted in United State
n Courts.
8 THE CIVIL SERVICE QUESTION.
@ "Careful observation in this Department
n and elsewhere has but confirmed my con
: viction OF the great public benefit TO be de
= rived from conducting the public bushes
u on business principles. Some method OF re
! lief must be provided from the overwheIm
= ing pressure for appointment to clerkship
. and other subordinate positions, and fror
the equal pressure for The removal OF clpa
10 BILE and experienced assistants to max
= room for those who are not more compe
!; tent. The public service is public trui
,s TO which every citizen may properly aspire
"a and the public interest plainly demands the
III admission to it should not depend upo
ol personal favor, because such favor can nc
well be impartial, and because system {
t. appointment by mere influence ma
Ia be readily perverted to the promo
20 ton of private interests and personal amb
:, ton. Appointment by influence natural
u results in making the tenure OF office dc
l. pend, not upon fidelity and efficiency in th
ne discharge of official duty, but upon the as
7 siduous cultivation Of the favor OF patron
- Such a tenure Is incompatible with the sell
I'll respect of the incumbent, and the servit
ar must necessarily suffer from the decline
its nord'e But the evil consequences car
" not be limited to the public seryice; they q
10 feet all political action, the purity and vigt
TO OF the Government, aud the National chal
r acter itself. The question: therefore, is or
OF Of far higher importance than that OF Ii
t comparative fitness OF clerks in the employ
Z. ment OF the Government, and really cor
- Germs the character and success OF republic
~ an institutions.
~ "The first step, in my judgment, towal
l. the relief OF the appointing officers and &
us promotion of The greater efficiency and eco
v omy OF the civil service would be metht
g. OF minor appointment, which should
= independent OF person or partisan infl
u ence In some important Government of
ne ces Of which have had personal knowledg
o. such a system is already in operation.
he those Offices minor appointments are dete
At mined solely by proper qualifications, a
." certained by impartial tests open to all a
lat plicants upon equal terms. The great su
en- cess which has attended this method Of 5
is. lection proves its practicabiity, while I
Of good results. both in the service and in