Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-03-14
Gripping the Mail Service.


One great trouble with the Govern
mcnt is to know What to do with the
large accumulation of silver in the
treasury vaults. The duty on imports
and the revenue customs are more than
sufficient TO meet the needs of the
government. 1t should be the object of
Congress to make government service
as perfect as possible, but this object
does not seem to have entered into the
minds of the Committee Of AWropria-
tons, of which Mr.. Randall is chair
man. The same old trick of cutting
down some OF the more important APP
preparations to enable the Democratic
party to make a show of economy is to
be resorted to- and the service is to be
weakened for the sake Of making capt.
tai for the Democrats. There is no arm
of the National service that needs more
fostering care than the mail service.
The country is opening up in all direc-
tons, west, northwest and southwest,
and business and population are fast
increasing.
" lloit VI lllt tbultiN
Is interested in having IA swift and per-
feet mail service. Postmaster General
Gresham, with desire to improve this
arm of the service, asked Congress for
an appropriation Of 100000, which
was only 5000, 600 more than the old
appropriations This was to meet the
rapid growth of large cities and the de-
mand for the Introduction and increase
Of the letter carrier system. Some
western cities, like Minneapolis have
nearly doubled their population since
the commencement of the present de
cade, and need as consequence more
than double the number OF letter car
riers. But Notwithstanding this fact,
that has been plainly set forth, the com
mittee on appropriations has cut down
the estimate of the Postmaster General
$4,000 600, making it 5000, 900 less than
what it was before the increase was
asked for. Congress having provided
by an act Of 1882 for an increase in the
pay of auxiliary carriers and for a sys-
TEN of promotion with increase
salary, this appropriation, if made, will
really compel the discharge of forty car
riers, according to Mr.. Hoar's statement,
whereas some three hundred additional
carriers are needed in the cities Of fast
growing population
The committee is pursuing no less
conspicuously foolish course in regard
to railway clerks, who distribute the
mails while in transit and by so doing
make great saving Of time. The de-
partment asked for s., 800 600 for this
arm of the service, but the committee
thought it knew best what was needed
and Topped off the $4,000 The bill
as presented makes no provision what
ever for the growth Of the service
through the building of new lines and
the natural increase of postal business
everywhere, but foolishly reduces the
appropriation below the amount which
would pay the salaries fixed by law of
the clerks now in service. The commit
tee, with spitefulneSS that looks as i'll
it had an inward antipathy to every
thing that would aid in the diffusion of
general intelligence, has cut out the
increase Of Sl2j, 900 asked for the dis
tributiOn Of the mails in the one thou
sand seven hundred separating Offices III
the United States and refused any in
crease for general clerk hire, although
an increase Ct Labor is inevitable.
Even the salaries Of pCstmasters is to
be intcrtered with, and no postmaster
is to receive over $4,000 salary. This |
will effect nine cities and will save to
the government only $4,000, but these
nine pOStmaSters collect one-quarter of
the postal revenues. Lastly, the bill
cuts down the appropriation for railway
mail service $1,000, 600, which means
exactly that less speed will be used by
railroad companies. If "A bill had been
introduced with the avOwed purpose of
preventing the increase and perfection |
Of the mail service none could scarcely |
have been better adapted and planned
for that purpose than the one presented.
Its whole purpose seems 10 he 70 make
capital for the D"mucrNts in the ap- |
preaching Presid, ltlal campaign, first
by Gripping the lnaii service 50 far as
to bring disrepute upon the Republican
management and secondly, by max
ing false show OF economy.