Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1883-10-31
From Our Regular Correspondent
Washington Letter
WASHINGTON, Oct. 81, s;


1t will only be five weeks from this date
before the 4S.h congress begins its first
session. The events which will follow will
ne Of importance both from political and
business view. Business and politics are
associated in congress, In fact they cannot
well be separated The material interests
of the country are the first considerations
with the people. When congress meets
the first business, after organizing, is 10
listen to the presidents message upon
these important matters. His recommen
dations usually outline the party policy
for the future, as we'll rs the past business
Before this occasion arrives. it will no
doubt be interesting to your readers to
have IL resume of the work done under the
great business departments of the govern,
ment. Nearest to the interests of the PEG.
pie perhaps, is the postal service,a branch
of government business in which every.
body has partnership, In the dead letter
office of the post office department may be
seen an old leather bound book which co H.
lains Oh few pages. each days record of
the whole number of letters mailed in the
United States. This volume was kept by
Ben japin Franklin, postmaster-gener of
the colonies in his own hand writing. The
little retail government post office which
began in this way has now increased to an
expenditure of nearly fifty million dollars
a year to carry the peoples mails. And
the people for their part though they are
now taxed but two cents a letter, send so
much mail that it is estimated that the
department will soon be self sustaining.
Let us look into the great business system.
and gain an idea of how it is manipulated
and managed with so little friction and
such fine results in convenience and bene-
fit to the public. The acknowledgement,
and the first, second and third assistant
postmaster generals are appointed by the
president, and are the business managers
of The great concern. The former is a
cabinet minister and is the responsible
head of tho great postal service. He
appoints all officers, and employees of the
department, and all postmasters and Off
Gals whose pay is not more than one thous-
and dollars per annum. With the advice
and consent OF tho president he makes
postal treaties with foreign countries.
awards contracts, and generally directs the
management of the domestic and foreign
mail service. No one man could possibly
give supervision personally 10 all the
details which this scheme includes As u
matter Of fact, the pos,master-general
only deals with results, or with ideas in
the aggregate. His assistants are each
respectively the chiefs of certain branches
of the concern. Tho frs assistant post.
master general has charge of the appoint
inc office, which itself includes five large
divisions each presided over by a chief,
who manages its affairs. The second
assistant postmaster general has charge of
quite another and distinct branch of the
service. This is he arrangement of the
mail routes and mail service. The letting
of contracts for carrying mails by railroad,
river and star routes. 1t is the prov
ince of the Inspectors division to SEQ that