The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-09-05
GATHERING OF LET
TER CARRIBRS HELD IN PHIL
ADELPHIA.
POSTMASTER GENERAL WILSON'S
ADDRESS.
He Speaks of the Recent Inspection of
the Carrier System-Assures Them
That it is Purely to Promote
Efficiency.

| NA''' AHey Solne irOdn I'LL puTCS OF the
country to take pant in big parade this
afternoon and the annual convention.
which opens here tomorrow
Postmaster General Wilson reached
here at noon, under the escort of Post
master Warfield of Baltimore and 275 let7
ter carriers of that city. The Marine band,
which headed the parade, was a particu-
lar feature of the days exercises. The
parade formed at O'Clock when the line
of marchers reached the reviewing stand
Among those on the platform were Post
master General Wilson, Postmaster Day
ton of New York and Washington Hesing
of Chicago.
Postmaster General Wilson spoke as
follows:
Gentlemen of the National Conven-
ton of Letter Carriers-It is @ pleasure
to me to meet the representatives of so
many of my fellow workers in the public
service. The postoffice department is to-
day the largest business machine in the
world and is engaged i'm the daily and
strenuous duty of keeping pace with and
outstripping wherever possible the bound
ing growth of our country and dts quick
adoption of all the forces of modern pro-
gress, whether material or social.
"Hhe story of its growth is to us a
story of marvels, and if foretold to the
men who founded our government would
have been story of miracles passing
human belief"
Reforming to the recent inspection of
the carrier system in number OF the
postofices of the country, Mr.. Wilson
continued:
80 much has been said by those who
do not understand its meaning or care
ito represent correctly its spirit or its meth
DDS, that it is not to be wondeed at if
some misunders landing has spread among
your associations. Let me say,
therefore, that there is no capable en-
ployer i'm pubic or private business who
does not from time to time inspect the
quantity and quality of work that is done
for him. and no faithful employee has amy
just grounds of complaint against such
action. When / took charge of the de-
partment some months ago, L found it
already engaged in a somewhat systemat-
lie examination of the camier service in
the only way that seemed posi-
bile for such an eXamination-thrOug
t0he eyes of it's confidential agents. have
naturally heard much from THAT eXamina-
ton, particularly from sensational papers
in localities where no examination was ac-
tually going on, but have found nothing
on inquiry to convince me that 1t has
not been well done, and | am sure that 1t
has already been fruitful of good results.
| need not say to you that you are all
men concerned i'm satisfying the public
that your work is well and economically
done. Large as lis THE appropriation, 1T is
not enough Ito extend the benefits OF THAT
service to all towns authorized to receive
it under the law.
''EyeTy unnecessary or ENTHUSIASTICALLY
carrier deprives necessary and trust
worthy carrier of public employment.
But let me say to you that II the depart
ment recognizes its duty to the people to
secure the largest benefits from this, lit
is equally alert to the fact that it has q
duty for you to exercise; every safeguard
to make its expenditures fair, just and
reasonable, and that the end is to select
discreet and trustworthy inspectors,
thoroughly warned against injustice in
their work. What concern has any letter
carrier faithful to his duty if the depart
ment on any day shall inspect his methods
of work? OF the postoffices examined,
the carrier service of 80 has been reported
free from all criticism. OF total eXami-
nation, involving the work of $500 car
riers, only 50 carriers have been found
of such personal delinquency as to require
separation from the service, and that III
every instance has been done after full
opportuty for hearing as to the delin-
ouents reported. This is a good showing.
TO find only SO unworthy to wear the
uniform is a proof of high discipline, upon
which you may well congratulate your
selves, and yet SO are enough to cast Sis
picion upon hundreds of letter carriers.
81 believe THAT cam say for myself that
while we shall try to keep the standard OF
duty and character as high as possible,
and to that end shall not hesitate to use
the authority and responsibility which
is ours, we desire, too, to look
upon you and upon the other employees
of the service, not as some OF the parts
of the machinery of OUR gigantic postal
system, but as our fellow workers and
comrades in a great pubic service, and
in what my recent predecessor calls q
fascinating branch of the service. No
one reioices more than | do, both ON
principle and on the lower plane of self
convenience, that every free delivery Of
flee of the country is now under civil
service rules; that the gateway to en-
ployment therein is no longer partisan
influence, political or other "puils." but
the free and open road of personal merit;
and that the tenure of the employment
no longer depends upon anything less
than individual merit and individual fdel- |
ity. But remember, gentlemen, that this
tenure, freed from the fortunes and con-
tingencies of partisan strife, has been
introduced not for your benefit, but for !
the good of the public service-that it is
held on the only basis allowable for such
tenure in our Countrywide basis of per- |
sonal good behaviour. You can desire |
nothing better or more stable than this.
81 hope that every letter carrier i'm the
country will feel that if he trusts 10 any |
other title; if he fails in doing fully and |
in good measure his daily duty, or car |
ries his uniform where it may justly in |
cur suspicion inconsistent with upright |
public service and blameless personal rep |
utation among the people, no political |
influence and no accumulation of other |
influences can hold him in the service, |
and, equally, on the other hand no pres
emit influence or accumula ton of infu-
ences can separate him from the service |
as long as his feet are firmly planted on
the foundation of public duty and person
al integrity. have been led to say this
because have already observed among
those unfriendly to the merit system a
to prophesy that organizations
like yours, when once they feel them
selves securely entrenched in the public
service, will reach out to demand privi-
leges or excuse delinquencies i'm their
own ranks in such way as to discredit
the whole theory of civil service reform.
"You cannot afford to do this. know !
that can fully trust your good judg