Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1889-05-10

General Superintendent Bell Of the rail
way mail service says in answer 70 the
Democratic criticisms Of the changes which
we're made in the service before the civil
service rules went into effect May LIST, that
in 90 per cent Of the cases the changes
we're to weed out incompetents, and that in
every case the purpose was TO improve the
service and restore it 80 far as possible h
its old-time efficiency In answer to a
charge that the service under Democratic
rule was painted blacker than it deserved
so as to give excuse for removals, Mr.. Bell
said
LIT me give YOU one or two examples Of the
condition 10 affair To- the Chicago Office We
found about ~ bags and pouches " mail 'un-
worked, which had lain in the Office from thru
10 seven DAYS. At this time not an .'unworked
package lies in that 0ftice over night. We found
that a large prupUrtiuu-more than half-Of the
mail which left New York for Boston at a. n
was not distributed before il reached the lattel
place and that much Of il waited to reach ths
persons entitled 10 receive il until the next morn
Ing delivery by carrier. although the train ar
rived at Boston at $50 ?. ". Now all the mail l.
distributed by the time Boston Is reached. and d,
ready for the carriers delivery at 4:15 p n
Painted blacker than 1t deserved to h-, con
unued the Superintendent. why. the report Ol
the late postmaster. general itself showed that
the service was terribly demOral1ed, and | hav,
evidence that the real state Of affairs was much
worse than that report shows
An examination Of statistics quoted by Super
mteu1ent Bell and a comparison Of them viii
thu,s- Of three years before shows some startling
results. Herr arr a few Of them. In ls-2 th'
handling of 37jl pieces u mail by the railway
mail service was marked ON an average. by Ont
error in lssj the proportion uf errors had faller
o. one in every ~ plrces in ISIS the proportion
had risen % one in every 3.Gi3 pieces showing
that the efficiency of the service had decrease,
- pr cent n the last threr. years from ISIS :,
lS,s. whereas iu the three preceding years. from
lSS2 to lSSl, its efficiency had increased 10 r.
cent. In some parts Of thu country the -ervic,
declined NOR rapidly and 10 a greater eNteu
than 10 other sections. The case was worst in tn
southern states and list in the far West and OF
the Pacific coast The foregoing figures for tn
wear ISIS. IL should H. remembered. were com
piled from official statistics in the report " DO
VI Dickinson. late postmaster general, and Their
Is good reason To- believe that the number of mi,
takes actually made considerably exceeded tn
number therein reported.
There is no doubt that some of the change
| which have been made locally are open I
criticism, but there is also no doubt tina
as a rule the changes have been for tn
good Of the service Complaints Of the in
efficiency Of the New England service hav
been continuous and unprecedented. an
they were due to the fact that competer
and well.tried clerks were removed by I'll
Cleveland administration for partisan ret
sons. Henceforth, under the civil servic
rules, the test will be that Of fitness an
competency, and political consideration
will have no weight if the law is faithful
administered