Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-11-30
PUBLIC SERVANTS.
Several of Them Make Int crest
ing Reports.
Good Eject of Civil Service Rules In the
Post ONCE Department-1ho Years
Work In the Mints- Hallway
Earnings.

Washington, Nov. 25.-Postmaster-Gen-
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 1895 to make unusual |
ly wide gap between revenues and expendi- |
'tures. 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:
TT is the estimate of the department that
Swo-thrds in weight of all the matter car
ried In the mails Is. under existing laws
and clnssifications, carried as second-class
matter. at the rate of one cent a pound
where it is not actually carried postage
free. The aggregate weight of second-class
matter In the year 1894 was 200, ,O00, 900
pounds. During the last year 1t increased
to over 100000. a growth OF over 13,000,-
900 pounds. Deducting the weight of that
which Is known as county free" being
the matter which is circulated among sub
scribers free of postage in the respective
counties of publication, estimated to be
d6,S201s5 pounds, there remained 265,3l4-
3s2 pounds, which returned, at the rate of
one cent per pound, revenue of s2,653.-
LSs2 The average cost to the department
of transporting and handling this matter
Is estimated at eight cents per pound.
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 the
civil service system, and no effort should be
spared by the department to insure a high
morale in this force and to familiarize the
idea among Individual carriers that as they
enter the service by merit system alone,
so, likewise, they remain in II 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 a personal
privilege, encouraging Slovenly service ami
insubordination to superior officers, rather
than reform based on considerations or
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 thet
as a whole. and by such overwhelming pre-
dominance to make the exceptions more
prominent the army of letter carriers Is al
ways faithful. efficient and honorable"
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 s4O.odo.O00 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
plex. II 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
ure 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 It's subordinate tie and separate service, but
in that larger grasp of its history, it's daily
work and Its healthful progress, which Is
found alone with those who direct and con-
troll its chief bureaus. 1 concur therefore,
in the judgment of one of my recent pre-
decessors. that at least three of the as
sstant postmaster generals should held
their Offices by civil service or merit ten
ure, and not by political tenure. / re-
frain from offering Ike opinion as to the
Fourth assistant postmaster general, be-
cause foui lh-class postmasters, whose ap-
pointment is primarily allotted to him, are
yet outside of that tenure,
The question of extending civil service
methods to the selection OF fourth-class
postmasters has naturally received my
attention since | have been at the head
OF this department. 1t is beset with diff
Hcuties, which my experience as repre-
sentative In congress of large country
district. during three changes of adminis-
tration. brought home to me more clearly
than .they might appear to a theoretical
reforner, or TO the representative OF city
constituency. have studied various bills
introduced in both branches of congress
in recent years. and welcomed suggestions
from other quarters. But / do not find
myself able to make, as yet any specific
recommendations on this important sub
ject in the line of the legislation which has
been proposed.
"Thc order which you have recently ap-
proved, providing that when the postmas-
Z 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 busness-like accounting to this
department, but also wise extension of
the civil service system to postmasters
1t is 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
mentable results
The other points discussed in the post
master general report have been substan-
TALLY covered by one report of the assistant
postmaster general and bureau chiefs
heretofore made public.
OPERATIONS OF THE MINIS