The historic times. [volume] (Lawrence, Kansas) 1891-1891, 1891-07-25
POSTAL REFORM.
The Postmaster General Epdeavoring to
Improve the Servlce-Divisions to BE Re-
organized on Modern Business Stand


The Postmaster-GeneraI Epdeavoring &
Improve the Servlce-Divisions to BE Re
organized ON 3 Modern Business Stand
ard.
II WASHINGTON, July 21.-Undcr an or
der issued by Postmaster General Wan
amaker yesterday the organization o
the department after August will b,
as follows:
Under the first decentralization
Of salary and allowance, free delivery
money order, dead letters, correspond
ence and post Office supplies and gen
eral executive work of the depart
ments.
Under the second assistant-Rail
way mail service, foreign mails, all
forms Of mail transportation, the ad.
justment division having charge of the
fixing Of pay Of railroads carrying
United States mails, and the inspection
division, which is charged among other
duties with that Of imposing fines and
deductions for improper performance
of the service.
Under the third assistant-The issu-
ing of drafts and warrants and pay
ment Of balances reported by the audi
tor to be due to mail contractors or other
persons, superintendent of the collec-
| ton of revenues of post offices, regis
| tered matter, and the general control
and management of the registry system
Of the Office, to which is attached also
the division Of postage stamps, stamped
envelopes and postal cards, classifca-
ton of mail matter, the rates of postage
and the entry of all second-class publ
cations and correspondence relating
thereto and the special delivery system.
Under the fourth assistant-The di-
vision of post Office inspectors and the
divisions Of bonds and appointments
The order just issued is the consum-
nation of the postmaster-general's de-
sire, which he expressed in his first an
nual report, to reorganize the depart
mental force, as well as the post office
and transportation force outside of the
department, on business lines. He
found at the beginning of his incum.
bency, two years ago, that there had
been no general reorganization of the
departmental force since the Office of
third assistant postmaster-general was
created years ago. He found, in
deed. that the new bureaus, Gre
ated from time to time, were
performing their work independents
~ and without particular refer
ence to the department as a whole
Numberless needless details were forced
upon the personal attention of the
postmaster-general himself and more
than all he found that the different bu-
reaus, while they were performing
their work conscientiously, were not
approaching their relation to the me-
thodical and progressive whole, which |
he hoped to make of the postal service |
and not only therefore were the various
bureaus failing somewhat to keep in |
touch with all the ramifcations of the |
business, and the immense system was
therefore failing, in some degree, to |
progress with the immense develop
ment Of the country, but he, himself, |
had little time for the thoughtful con-
sideration of such policies as he be-
lieved might affect the administration |
and the country.
In his first annual report Mr.. Wanna
maker recommended the division of |
the country into postal districts so that
the best postal men in these localities
might have supervision of the system,
cutting off needless routes, putting on
needed ones. saving money, preventing
and depredations, instead
Of waiting until the offenders should
have been detected, and in general
studying the service with view of inn
proving it in all possible details, big
and little. In the same report
ne recommends the creation of a
general officer, called the comp
roller, who should be permanent,
salaried and best all round
postal and business man to be had in
he country. Neither recommendation
vas enacted into law, but by the crea-
ion OF the office of fourth assistant and
~ the transfer of some of the indie.
pendent bureaus to this Office and some
'thers to. the office of the first and
econd assistants, he is enabled to
Practically bring about in part the state
4 affairs which he had first desired.
} Col Whitfield does not become comp
roller, and his Office is not permanent
r higher salaried than it was before, !
'ut he becomes the general executive :
tficer, seeing members of congress !
Who have any number of important
matters OF business with the post Office
apartment applying himself to the ,
eneral study OF the needs of the differ !,
NJ sections OF the service, such as the
arrler force and the matter of clerk
ire, developing these branches of the !
ervices on broad lines and keeping !
romptly up with the great volume of :,
which the postmasters !
ave TO address to the every day work.
~ bureaus of the department.