The rustler., 1891-12-18
TIE posi- OFFICE


nous AuesHa ~ fEaufttuu - nHakAEe
rccrirfs due % q discnntinuance 20 the
lottery business and that the service
sill probably be- self-sustaining on
Julv 1. Isla
Oi the civil service rules the post.
master SAYS:
A. iutImatei on ny last rrroft. lave sn.
GsaVoreI ta Improve che rivT servirr sHh-
in the departmental srrxlr. hg a sFstrtn q
rrumui IONS aud the equal Ehfian 20 salaries
g. labor performed Tuis D an went luta
operation July Z. lsii n has succeeded 40
vri that have concluded after rnusuita-
ton with a number Of the pnstmasicrs OF
tendinH cItifs. Co fKfrud a similar schrtus o.
all post on IS ith hftY or more employees.
aud 60 euEraft h upon the railway mail.
adjusting 60 the present ~ EN- 81
advannrmruts hr ease examinations Prom
the smallest ~ the classified post offices the
workers wllI nov begin 60 climb frst
through the varIous Er idcs % the post 81.
Zee "a the railway mail and nnally "a the
post ufilce department Even the announce.
msnt of this plan has caused n new zeal
Since the administration of President Grant
there had been no competitive system ~
promotions In the post once department
Advancement in most eases was made ON
the personal solicitation 81 friends and not
always by the merit of the applicant. 80
that not lufrruucntly worthy clerks who de-.
served promotion were passed over Ia or
der 10 tnvor others less deserving Ercnt
majority discovered that there was no
recognition OF merit aud gave un the strug
gle for advancement. ! felt certain there
wns but one way 10 bring about the greatest
state Of efficiency In the clerical force. aud
that was TO riv- 10 all the positive assurance
that advancement or reduction. retention or
dismissal would depend solely upon them
selves. and that all should hsve n fair
chance. recommended In my last report
that physical cx limitations of applicants
should be made Tor the heavy work Of the
railway mail aud for por,ers in the large
po.t offices. because the present systrm
sometimes gives us cripples, ar men with
imperfect sight, or weak kiiugs wholly uufit-
ted for the worS, have 80 far as practicable
picked men from other paris Of the ciassi-
fed service.
Considerable space is next devoted TO
the steamship subsidy matter and the
figures of foreign nations in support OF
the idea are quoted. lie outlines at
considerable length the plans of the
department in this respect An ocean
steam tug is asked for New York 10 as
sist in making the foreign mail service
Us rapid as possible.
The postmaster-general recommends
this year the adaptation Of the tele-
phone as well as the telegraph 10 the
postal system He says upon this point:
The one potent agency and the only one
that remains beyond our reach Is electricity.
IT, practical value has been known for half
century but the department stands In re-.
latiun 10 Il where II stood flfty years ago.
The business OF the entire world Is to-day
80 dependent upon electricity that It's with.
drawal would seriously uffe almost every
Interest that exists yet the chiot servant OF
all the people, the post oflirc which by its
equipment Is able to make the largest and
most brneficcut use of e, Is so limited Ia it,
authority thHt Il can only adopt the slower
methods, aud man out Of money In san
Francisco must stop six days ami nay so
board while he waits on the mail to bring
HIM a $40 money order from New York The
reason Is known to all men. l want to see
/ the two great servants of the people-the
post ON e and the clcFraph-rounitcd and
tine telephone brought tn TO enhance
the value OF the combination. Public
/ interests. private needs ung the popular viii
/ call for these Hg fucics to perfect tho
great postal system of the country, The
/ longer their employment IL delayed the
greater the aggrayatiou and injustice to the
people an the cOstlirr 10 will bo to secure
taxing themselves to-day to the amount Il
l50Oo,0Ol annually to maintain the post
, ufii,e plant, aud are denied tho right To
/ vitallzc tins magnificent machuer, with
/ the mlghticst force which science has given
to render that machinery most III ctlvr 81
soon a. the post office can blend II with its
own forces already under pay. tclegraphic
rates will be reduced Most udrutt oppo.
nents Of postal telegraph couple with taliSc
regulation of the railroads, lut the govern
mrnt already employs the railroads ms post
! roads and the form In which It u proposed
to contract with telegraph companies d;
precisely the same as that by which we hav,
employed railroads ever since they were
built
OF the rural free delivery the report
says:
have found encouragement beyond al
expression for this effort in the almos
unanimous support OF the press OF th'
country. OF the editorial opinions whlol
have come to the notice OF the department
25s favor the extension and nine oppose Il
noticeable thing 'out them L. that many
| express the Burrst conf lCuce In ultimate
universal free delivery and while they stut'
the fact thut this rural free delivery ha
been found TO bc srlf sustaining, they insist
ia very many instances, that II ought To b'
extended whether Il l. Scli-suppOrting o
not II Is, OF course, tNlueni sHUlt Null
the free delivery an be extended TO inImens
areas OF the country without expense,
is not TO be expected that there Will not b
other areas which will not contribute an.
profit aud would cause To- sos Preference
would be given to the districts where los
could not arise. Tho combination OF frc
: delivery with star contract service u cap
! able ot great development through an en-
/ largemcnt OF the custom that already pro
walls to sufne extent, especially IN the ia
west where tho distanc betwecl settle
ments are great lcordially recommend tn
J passHs of a bill to entltle all towns of
4 population between 100 and not cxceedin
. 1000 to the privilege Of Tree del very. Tn
recommendation is In conformity with ia
generous custom Of congress to extend th
system into towns smaller and smaller; an
: though the step from populations OF l0.rt
A.. down to populations OF 5,t0l Is long, thin
the remarkable success of the free deliver
experiment jus,ites the exp citation thi
: nothing but beneficial results would follow
a The postmaster-general argues strcr
b uously for places of deposit for tn
5 peoples savings lie reitcrates HI
r plans of last year.
= In closing, the postmaster-generi
: says that only ten states and Oklahom
4 produce more revenue than Is sper
! ,.ithin THAR hordprs lie pives III