Wichita eagle., 1886-10-01
STEPS DOWN AND OUT.
New Postmaster, New Office and New
Ser icn

Eleven years, nine months and eight days
ago the writer was sworn in as postmaster of
wichita. The position was assumed because
o. q street fight into which re were forced by
friends, .and not from eny desire for the
place. 1t has been productive only of wrin-
kies and baldheadedness, curses and enemies.
Each time that we made arrangements to
step down and out, which was 10 less than
tiree tirne-filing our resignation at one
tlE2e-rcnewea promises We're always made.
strong enough ana IL time to o,erpersuade
cur better Judgment, The Office has simply
been IL the ss,ls nine months out of every
twe:ve for az these years and simply because
by the time that the department could be
persuaded to MAKE new adjustment Of the
salary and allowance the town and its bust
nass would have growl entirely beyond and
away from the Old Easis When Mr. Cleve-
| land was elected two years ago the establish
iiert was all fixed up ready TO be turned
over, bat it wasn't. Ir. Villas had not been
sworn in month before lie said to United
States senator from Kansas that the postnias-
Ter at Wichita was one of the most offensive
par;isans that he had fcund IL The entire ser
vice and that he must 20 immediately Tir-
ing Of waiting ard squirining under The
faui5inding of public ao.ut a service winch
waS beyond or power to remedy, last June
year we proposed again 10 the department
taat we would send in our rcsi9na-
ton if the postmaster general would
~,
end Of the quarter. Our proposition was not
only accepted but gladly All,ost a year and
half has gore by SINCE then, and we have
rot only been held but the department has
failed to furnish any better or greater facili-
ties for the accommodation OF this people
Instead OF giving Us more room and increas-
ing the clerical force they actually cu5 down
the allowance $500 on the Ist OF July last
Towns al over the United s5tatas OF from six
10 ten thousand inhabitants, and old towns
too. have a greater allowance than Wichita
with her tuenty-three to twenty-five thou
sand people. It is unnecessary fer rs to say
how this community have suffered hogg the
people have been annoyed and disappointed
and damaged. The truth is we have simply
grown so fast that, like our street railway,
cur water works and other public services,
the department. has been unable under its
red tape rules, to keep up with our growth
and rapid strides rs :. city, or 70 even keep
track of us. When We first took the Office
the gross receipts barely paid its expenses.
Now they aggregate thirty thousand dollars
Per annurn or more.
Bat relief has come \ new postmaster
has keen appointed, rcw and conmodious
quai ters iaYe been secured ard III few days
an additional force of FIVE or six men viii |
be added, which force vii deliver everybody 5 |
mail who may desire ab their homes Or
places of business We aTe, Of course, very |
glad Of this new arrangement, a, the long |
line OF inpatient, waiting people who have
stood IN front of the delivery VIII now dis
o opear and forever As for oar successor,
we hope he may never be subjected 10 The
S yeats, the disappointmeDts and annoyances
which ne have been subjected, ani ihat IL :
stead Of having to pay cut his salary 70 as
sistants that he may get the whole OF it, and
that we may never hear another COM
piaint OF the Wichita postofiice The |
public could not know what the trouble was,
only so far as they could judge from appear
ances. The men for the most part who have
been connected with the Office III all these
years have been faithful, honest and pains
taking. Whatever we have lost has been
pocIeted and no gruInbi:ng a postmaster
IS no5 allowed to grumble-cther people
claim that privilege. SO far as the books;
accounts and records have been concerned,
several millions OF dollars in the register and
money order departments, having passed
through our hands, we have never
had any trouble with the departments.
Again, hoping it may provo smooth sailing
for Mr. Frank 3. Smith, and that our own
may be sCon forgotten, we low
step down and out.