New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-17
DC,yuPIfJZEU MAIL SFRFICE.

The Post Office Department, of all others.
ourht to be directed With the greatest possible
husness ability, because it is the only one Win
which the pcoplc are constantly brought into
contact The number Of those who have to do
with q custom house, an internal revenue olllce,
fine Patent Office or the Pension Bureau IS COM
parativcly small, but the prompt ana safe ue
livery of the mail affects the business as well
nc the comfort and happiness OF the entlre popu-
lation. The delay or loss OF single 'eucr
will sometimes cause great mischief, and any
thing like general decentralization oil the scr
vice necessarily results in almost incalcuiaplo
damage, annoyance and even suffering.
II nav seem like an cxtravagant assertion 10
say that the postal service is dcmorallzed' ouV
there are parts of the country in which such
statement would be far within the truth. For
MANY months complaints have been pouring
INTO Washington from all quarters of the Union
but cspecially from the faSt-growing Western
States where the population increases so
rapidly that the Post Office Department needs
to be intelligent and energetic-which the pres
emf administration of the Department does not
appcar to be--in order to keep pace with its
demands. Matters finally reached such pass
that Senator Plumb, Of Kansas, one Of tho
States from which complaints are loudcSt, in
troduccd resolution into the Senate directing
The Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads
to make an investigation. 1t would be sup
poscd that such a resolution would pass as
matter of course especially if the Democratic
Senators really believed the inquiry would
show the Department to be doing ITS work
nropcrly: but they have had so much to say
in endeayoring to prove: first, that the postal
service is in finer condition than ever before
x~rond. that, il it is in bad way. it is because
| the Department has not a large enough clerical
| force; thirdly that il is in sad state. but that
this is all the fault Of the small rcsiduum OF
incompctent and malicious Republican clerks,
literally estimated at 10 per ccnt-that the
| resolution was not passed till yesterday. al
| though it was introduced nearly three weeks
| ago
The details given by some Of the Senators
suggested pathetic degree of hclplcssneSs on
the part Of the Department. Senator Plumb
told. for example, how it takes four days for
napcrs TO travel certain seyenty-fve miles
nv direct railroad in Kansas, and quoted a
number of prominent journals in that State to
| show that In the WOTuS VI OIlc VI tnCIl, HiOSs
and almost criminal carccssness has been the
rule for the past two years" Senator Man
Ierson produced proof that practically the same
| condition of affairs existed in Nebraska. These
| States arc in the fast-fillng regions of tho
country. but Senator Plat had the same story
to tell of Connecticut. where population is GER
tainly not increasing so rapidly as to make il
impossible for the Department to keep up viii
it. He read letter from publishing compan!
at Norwich, complaining of tho apparent DIS
organization Of the whole postal system of thii
country caused, as they believe. "by the re
moval of experienced postal route agents an
others and putting inefficient men in thei
places" The average delay in their mails n
compared with former times they estimate a
twenty-four hours and their losses arc so man,
that they are forced to the conclusion tina
clerks destroy matter that has accumulated oil
their hands. This letter appears under tn
name Of the company in "The Congressiona
Record" Similar complaints have been com