Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1895-11-29
..,s.
THE PAST YEAR.
Postmaster General Wilson on the
: Affairs Of His Department..
Increased Revenues Result of Re-
turning Prosperity-Other In
teresting Reports.


eral Wilson. in his annual report of the OPP
Grafton of the post office department, re-
marks that the financial and industrial de.
preston which has seriously affected the
revenues Of the postal service for the past
two years and disappointed the estimates
Of his predecessors extended far enough
Into the fiscal year 1886 to make an unusual-
ly wide gap between revenues and expendi-
lures. 1t Is gratifying, however, to report
that large part Of this deficiency occurred
in the first quarter of the year, and that
since then the revenues of the department
have reflected the general returning pros
perity of the country. He ascribes the
gross abuse of second-class rates of post
age as the chief cause of the yearly deficit
in postal revenues. He repeats and in
dorses the recommendation of his prede-
cessors, Bissell and Wanamaker, for an
amendment Of the law in regard to the
transportation of second-class matter and
says:
Carried at a Big Loss.
1T Is the estimate of the department that
two-thirds in weight of all the matter car
Tied In the mails is. under existing laws
and classificati lions. carried as second-class
matter, at the rate of one cent pound,
where 1t Is not actually carried postage
free The aggregate weight of second-class
matter in the year 1894 was 900
pounds. During the last year it increased
to over 900, q growth of over 13,000.-
600 pounds. Deducting the weight of that
the matter which is circulated among SUBJ
ecribers free Of postage in the respective
counties OF publication. estimated to be
$500. lS5 pounds, there remained 265.314,-
BIZ pounds which returned, at the rate OF
one cent per pound, revenue of $685.
1892 The average cost to the department
OF transporting and handling this matter
u estimated at eight cents per pound.
Good Eject of Civil Service Rules.
Speaking of the extension OF civil service
rules to letter carriers, he says: An In
dispensable basis Of good service has been
laid by placing the carrier force under this
civil service system. and no effort should be
spared by the department to insure high
morale in this force and to familiarize the
idea among individual carriers that as they
enter the service by merit system alone,
80. likewise. they remain in 1t by no tenure,
but by faithful and efficient discharge of
duty. which demands self-respect and hon
orable living. 1t Is inevitable that a few in.
dividuals here and there should interpret
his stability of employment as q personal
privilege. encouraging slovenly service and
characterization to superior officers. rather
than reform based on considerations of
better public service; and such instances
have occurred and will doubtless continue
to occur, even after the full meaning of the
civil service system Is understood and ac-
cepted. But 1t Is gratifying to report that
rs a whole, and by such overwhelming pre-
dominance as to make the exceptions more
ways faithful efficient and honorable"
i a.. Should Be Adopted Further.
The postmaster general desires civil |
service methods to be carried still further
and higher In the post office department. |
He says: Two Of my assistants are
charged. each, with the expenditure of |
over $40, 600 annually, together with the
management and discipline of tens of
thousands of employees. The duties of the
other two are not less onerous and multi
pick. If such officials are to be the real
heads Of this bureau intimately acquaint-
ed with all the machinery and working of
them, competent to direct and able to In
fuse their own intelligence and zeal among
their subordinates, they should have ten
tlre at least as assured from the mutations
and chances of political contest as those
subordinates. The continuity of the de-
partment should be preserved in changes
OF administration. not only along the line
OF ITS subordinate and separate service, but
IN that larger grasp Of its history, Its daily
work and Its healthful progress, which is
found alone with those who direct and con-
troll Its chief bureaus. I concur, therefore,
IN the judgment of one of my recent pre- |
decessors. that at least three of the ass
6istant postmaster generals should hold |
their offices by civil service or merit ten
uffee,-apd not by political tenure. re.
frain from offering like opinion as to the
fourth assistant postmaster general be-
: cause foul th-class postmasters, whose ap-
IL IIl.
yet outside of that tenure.
The question of extending civil servic |
methods to the selection of fourth-classN
postmasters has naturally received my
attention since l have been at the head
of this department. 1t is beset with diff
]. fculties, which my experience as a repre-
sentative In congress Of q large country
district, during three changes Of admins |
tration. brought home to me more clearly |
than they might appear to a theoretical |
n a rnyNrn ,fo%i
constituency. have studied various bills
introduced in both branches of congress |
In recent years. and welcomed suggestions |
from other quarters But 1 do not find |
recommendations on this important SUBJ |
3ect In the line of the legislation which has |
been proposed.
The order which you have recently APP
proved. providing that when the postmas-
ter general shall consolidate with a free
delivery office any other post office, such
consolidation shall carry into the class
flied service at the free delivery office the
post office department roster of employees
OF the office consolidated, including the
postmaster. may be accepted as the be-
ginning and foundation not only of a bet
ter postal service of the public, better
and more business-like accounting to this
department, but also wise extension of
the civil service system to postmasters
It ts my purpose to proceed under the au-
thority of this order as discreetly as can,
and in the long run as far as experience
will Justify, so as to secure these COM
mendable results
The other points discussed In the post
master general report have been substan-
TALLY covered by the report of the assistant
postmaster general and bureau chiefs
heretofore made public.
OPERATIONS OF THE MINIS.
director Preston Presents His Report on