St. Paul daily globe., 1895-07-26
predecessors to readers Of the
G. a h O.
WATCHING THE MAIL CARRIERS.

WATCHING THE MAIL CARRIERS.
The readers of the more rabid Re
publican papers have been treated
recently to another display Of some
There has been a good deal of flip
pant use of such words as ''SpieS"
and ''espionage' made in comment
ing on the inspection which the post
office department has been making
of the work of the mail carriers in
the cities. There has been some fine
and fervid eloquence spent in denun-
citation Of a great government en-
ploying spoilers" to spy upon it's
servants. One or two more violent
papers than the rest have had some
thing to say about Russian meth
ods,' and, all in all, the postal de-
partment has been put in a very bad
light before their readers. All this
is done Of course from the most
patriotic of motives, with the single
desire to maintain the permanence
Of republican institutions and to up
mail carrier. No one, not a cynic,
would suspect that these parties
were distorting facts and applying
epithets for no other purpose than
to gain a little. political capital for
their distressed party.
The sober fact is that the various
departments, under this administra-
ton, are considered as business ma
chimes to be conducted by business
methods and run on business prin-
ciples. Under Republican rule they
have so long been a safe harbor of
refuge for decayed politicians, or
those on whom decay had fastened,
that it is. hardly to be expected that
the gentlemen whose province it is
to defend Republicanism on the.
press should appreciate so business
like movement as that which has
been adopted to see whether the
mail carriers were doing their work
with promptness and efficiency.
There is no large business establish
ment in the country that trusts i'm
pl1citly to its employees the faithful
discharge of their duties. Super
vision is universal wherever good
business management prevails. This
Is true of railroads, manufacturing
establishments and of newspapers.
1t is just as essential to the public
business that is carried on by the
various departments of govern
ment. A public officer, no matter
what his grade, has about as much
human nature in him as any other
individual, and, under former meth
DDS Of getting those offices, had a
great deal more. AS. among other
workers so among the mail carriers
there were those who shirked their
work. This led to a demand for
more men, and the department de-
termined to learn whether the in
crease was necessary or not. To
do this it sent two inspectors to each
OF the cities to follow the mail car
r1ers as they went to distribute the
mail, and take note of the manner
in which they performed their work.
Ii they were prompt or if they Ioi-
tered by the way, taking a glass of
beer at the saloons, or indulging in
little flirtations with the nursery
maids, record was made of the facts
by these inspectors, and the stand
ing of the carrier was fixed by the
report.
The name Of the carrier is un-
known to the inspectors, and he is
merely designated by the number on
his cap. They are entire strangers
in the city into which they are sent.
so there is no room for favoritism.
and the purpose was simply to pro-
mote the efficiency of corps in
which every one is Interested; to see
that the efficient carriers received
due credit and to remove the stigma
placed upon all by the shiftless and
shirking carriers, if any such
were found. This is all there
is to it; it is a straight business
method; it reflects upon no one, and
it will undoubtedly result in pro-
noting the efficiency of the mail
service.