New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-30
p0NTAL REEORN.S

President Arthur has rcappOinted Postmaster
General James in order TO be on the safe side
of statute which has been construed in some
quarters to put an end to his term of office
thirty DAYS after the death of President Garfield.
1t is understood in Washington, however, that
Mr. James will only remain in the Post Office
Department until the Star Route prosecutions
are concluded, and it is matter of current re-
port in this city that he has been offered the
presidency of an important financial institu-
ton, which he rightly regards as q more desir-
able position than Cabinet Office, and means
to accept as soon as he is released from his
present duties. We may, therefore, conclude
that his approaching resignation will be
step taken of his own motion and in
his own interests, and that it is delayed only
that the case of the Government in the Star
Route trials may have the benefit of his
knowledge and judgment
The Star Route exposures are not however,
the only important work which we owe to
Postmaster eneral James and their success
full completion will not wholly settle the ques-
ton of whether the interests of the Treasury
and the postal service are to suffer by his
leaving the Administration. He has intro
duced new idea and a new system into his
Department. Before he took charge, the plan
of managing the postal business of the cOun-
try was to increase the expenses as fast as the
revenue increased, and 90 regularly to Con-
gress for an annual deficiency of from three
to seven millions of dollars. No matter how
rapidly the income of the Department
grew, its OUTLAWS grew just as fast
The possession of larger revenues seemed
Immediately to suggest new channels of ex-
penditure. Always obliged to apply for heavy
appropriation from Congress, the Department
became the willing servant of Senators and
members who desired unreasonable and costly
mail service in their States or districts to
please their constituents or benefit contractors.
The effort of the Department was not to put
the service upon self-sustaining basis, but
to get as large a deficiency appropriation as
possible from Congress- and in return for
such appropriations it lent a willing ear to
the plea of members of the two houses who
supported its extravagant bills, to have new
routes established and the pay and service in
creased upon old ones.
Mr. James set about breaking up this
vicious system as soon as he entered
the Department, and during his eight
months of service as Postmaster General
he has introduced business principles and
methods which have already effected i'm
portant savings, and which, if adhered to, will
soon enable the postal service to pay Its own
way. The public will expect of Mr.. James's
successor, whoever he may be, a steady deyel-
opment of the new policy of putting the
Department upon a business basis. Three years
of vigorous, Economic management and cOur-
ageous disregard of the imDOrtunities of DOliti-
clans and jobbers will unquestionably suffice to
make the books of the Department balance with
out the aid of deficiency bill. The new Post
masterGeneral will be aided in his effort to
bring the expenses of the service within the
receipts by the rapid and constant increase of the
postal revenues incident to the growth of the
population and business of the country andby the
early completion Of the Northern and Southern
Pacific Railroad lines and the opening of many
other railways in the far Western States and