Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-11-25

WAsuNoroN. ID. G., Nov. %, 1906
The most oyerworked men IN Wash
ing,on today are President Cleyolands
cabinet ministers. Every one OF them
has his hands full. Carlisle has been
boiling his brains for months over
bonds and bullion. Gresham Is almost
distracted by the situation ia the sand
witch Islands. Hoke Smith Is wonder
ing how the soldiers vote can be gotten
back TO the Democratic party by ne"
pension legislation. and Wilson Shannon
Bissell IS worried to know how to make
the small postal appropriations meet the
immense dehcit which the lack OF busi'
ness and the hard times Is creating m
our postal revenues. have devoted
this week to a study Of our new Post
master General. lie Is by no means an
ordinary man. lie Is not only a hard
worker himself, but he understands how
to get work out Of others. His eS-
penence as a railroad president and
railroad lawyer stands him in good
stead In the Post Office Department and
he seems to have grasped is work and
its possibilities remarkably well. Bis
sells mind Is an analytic one. lie gets
at the nut Of a question at once, and he
doesn't bother himself over details. lie
pridcs himself on his power Of organiz'
alton and he Is able to give the drudgcfy
Of his Office over to his subordinate
lie has In fact very good executive
abilities, and find that he Is making
some radical changes In our post Office
methods. / called upon him this week
lie was sitting behind the desk in the
office Of the Postmaster General where
John Wanamaker used to 81 about a
year ago. The desk, which Is biz Hat
topped affair of black walnut, had still
is plate glass top, below which lies
map Of the United States, but there was
less litter about II and fewer papers upon
Il, and the man who occupied the seat
behind Il had fewer lines Of care In his
face. Postmaster General Wanamakcr
took his life very seriously. When he
talked his blue eyes became grave and
perceptibe crows feet appeared at their
corners.
Ills hair was roughed up with much
running Of the fingers through Il, and he
bore all the aspects OF hard work. The
new Postmaster General works
perhaps just as hard, but he seems to do
his work more easily. He gets TO the
office at $50 In the morning, and he
works away here until 6;5o al night, put.
ting in twice A. many hours as any OF
hta gt.rta GftlI he sluaa ttnf lnnk aWNF
tired. lie Is a well dressed, healthy
looking giant, with a big head. fastened
to broad TAT shoulders by a strong neck.
lie stands over SIX feet In his stockings,
and venture that he weighs 500 pounds,
lie is clean looking man. and he seems
10 be as healthy In mind as he Is In body.
lie Is noted for his reticence concerning
himself and his department, and he Is
one Of the few public men who do not
like to see their names In the news
papers. lie will talk freely enough, pro.
vided he knows he will not be quoted,
and he Is not an aristocrat. | sat some.
times and watched him, as he received
his callers. A number OF them were
business men, and among Others were
some who had questions TO answer or
propose concerning contracts. was
surprised to see how quickly he seemed
to gasp each situation as Il came up,
and how positively and quickly he pass
ed upon them. / find that he Is making
many radical changes In the organization
OF the Post Office Department, lie Is
cutting down expenses TO the lowest
notch wherever they do not impair the
efficiency Of the mails.
now THE HARD TMEs AFFECT TIE
POST OFFICES.
The Postmaster General finds Il inn
pefative to reduce our postal expenses.
The hard times have considerably
lessened the postal revenues. There Is
no business barometer more sensitive
than the post Office. The mail increases
or decreases In proportion TO the amount
OF business done, and Il is safe 10 say
that there has not for years been such 4
radical falling OIL Ia postal receipts. For
the past thirty or forty years there has
been an average increase OF about seven
per cent year In the postal revenue
over that OF the year preceding. This
increase has been SO regular that when
Congress has made rs appropriations II
has allowed for IT, Il did that last year.
Well, the revenues went along all right
mp 10 the ISL Of June, and during the
FIRST three months of Mr., Bissel's term
the percentage OF increase was more
than eight per cent over the receipts OF
the corresponding months of last yclr
In IuIy the hard times began and thc
percentage ol increase dropped during
that month from eight per cent 10 three
per cent AZ the close of August b. was
found that the receipts were four per
cent less than they were during the
August of 1902 This was a decrease of
eleven per cent over what had been am