St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-09-03
THEIR DUTY TO THE PUBLIC.
MIR. WILSON PAYS SPECIAL AT
TENTION TO RECENT INVES-
LEGATIONS.
THE NATION PROUD OF THEM
The Great Convention Opens Witii
Parade, Banquet and Speech
making.

there has been an almost continu-
Gus line of letter carriers arriving
in this city. They came from all
parts of the country, to take part
in a big parade of today and the
annual convention which opens here
tomorrow morning. 1t is estimated
there were 5000 men in line this
afternoon. Postmaster General VIII
son reached the city at noon, under
of Baltimore, and the letter carriers
of that city, 275 strong. The Marine
band, which headed the big parade,
formed at o'clock, but it was nearly
4 o'clock when the line of marchers
reached the reviewing stand at the
American league. Among those on
the platform were Postmaster Cen
eral Wilson; Postmaster Carr, of
Philadelphia; ex-Gov. Pattison;
Postmasters Dayton. of New York,
and Hesing, of Chicago. After the
parade luncheon was served to the
carriers in Industrial hall, during
the course of which the Marine band
played a varied programme.
This evening the banquet given by
the Letter Carriers National asso-
citation was held at the Hotel Belle-
vue. 1t was a purely informal affair.
Among the prominent guests were
Postmaster General Wilson; POST
masters Dayton, of New York; Carr,
of Philadelphia; Hesing, of Chicago;
Of No yr6n Of
Baltimore; Willetts, of Washington;
Hayne, of Newark, and Woods, of
Albany, eX-Gov. PattiSon and Mayor
Warwick. Following the banquet a
public reception was held at the
Academy of Music. After PoStmas-
ter Carr and Mayor Warwick had
welcomed the visitors to the city, adj
dresses were made by Postmaster
General Wilson, First Assistant
Postmaster General F. H. Jones'; c..
c. Cowden, of Cleveland, president
of the Letter Carriers National as
sociation; ex-Gov. Pattison, Post
master Dayton, of New York, and
Postmaster Sullivan, of Brooklyn.
Postmaster General Wilson said:
A WONDERFUL MACHINE.
Gentlemen of the National Conven-
ton Of Letter Carriers: 1t is pleas
ure to me to meet the representatives
of so many of my fellow workers in
the public service. The postoffice de-
partment of the United States is today
the largest business machine in the
world, and is engaged in the daily and
strenuous duty of keeping pace with,
and outstripping wherever possible,
&1an 1Arr =, Of
and it's quick adoption of all the forces
| of modern progress, whether material
| or social. The story of it's growth Is
| to us a story of marvels, and If fore
| told by the men who founded our gov
| ernment, would have been a story of
| miracles passing human belief"
Referring to the recent inspection of
| the carriers system in number of
| the postoffices of the country, MIR. Will
| son continued:
80 much has been said about 1t by
| those who do not understand it's mean
| ing, or care to represent correctly it's
| spirit or its methods, that 1T Is not to
| be wondered at if some miSunderstand-
ing has spread among your associa-
| tons. Let me begin, therefore, by say
ing that there is no capable and sue
| cessful employer, In private or public
| business, who does not from time to
| time inspect minutely the amount and
| quality of the work which is done for
| him, and no faithful employe has any
| Just ground of complaint against such
| inspection. When l took charge of the
| department some months ago / found
| 1t already engaged in a somewhat sys-
| tematic examination of the carrier
service, in the only way that seemed
| through the eyes of its confidential
agents. I have naturally heard much
| of that examination, particularly from
sensational accounts in newspapers in
lnn 80
| really going on; but I have found moth
| ing, on inquiry, to convince me that
| 1t has not been fairly done, and / am
sure that it has already been fruitful
| of good results.
| MOST CONCERNED OF ALL.
"I need not say TO you that you are
| OF all men, most concerned in salts
| Tying the public that your work is well
| and economically done. Large as is
| the appropriation, it is not enough to
extend the benefits of the service to
| all the town authorized to receive it
under the law. Every unnecessary or
untrustworthy carrier deprives a nee
essary and trustworthy carrier of pub
| lie employment. But let me say to
| you, that If the department recog-
nizes its duty to the people to secure
the largest benefits from this immense
sum, 1t is equally alert to- the fact that
| 1t has duty to you to exercise every
| safegu to make it's expenditures
fair, just and reasonable, and to that
| end to select discreet and trustworthy
| inspectors, thoroughly warned against
| being overZealouS in their work
What concern has any letter car
| rier, faithful to his duty, if the eyes of
his department on any particular day
| shall inspect his method of doing his
| duty? OF the postoffices examined, the
| carrier service of thirty-six has been
| reported as free from all criticism.
OF total examination, involving the
| work of $500 carriers, only fifty-three
cases have been found of such per-
sonal delinquency as to, REQUIRE sep
] aration from the service, and that in
| every instance has been done after
| full opportunity for hearing as to the
delfnquencies as presented. This is
good showing. TO find only. fifty-three
unworthy to wear the uniform Is a
| proof OF high discipline, on which you
| may we'll congratulate yourselves; and
| yet ffty-three are enough to cast sus-
| picfon on many hundreds. / believe
| that I can say for all chief officials
of the office Department. know / can
| 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 the responsibility which
| is ours, we desire to look upon you,
and the other employees of the service,
| not as some of the parts of the ma
! chine of our gigantic postal system,
| but as our fellow workers and cop-
rades in a great public service, and; In
! what one of my recent predecessors
called fascinating branch of that
| service.
CIVIL SERVICE BENEFITS.
! mo one rejoices more than I do, both
on principle and on the lower plane of
1 livery office Of the country is now an