The herald., 1897-06-23
JUNE A BUSY MONTH
WITH CHIEF CLERK JOHNSON
OF THE r. II. 8.
Annual Report - Recommendation
for Changes Toward Getting
Better Service

There are no buster people about the
federal building than ]. M. Johnson
chief clerk Of the railway mail service
and his assistant, ]. w. Holland. As Is
| generally known, Uncle Sam celebrates
| his New Years day, July 1st, as the fis-
cal year Of the postoffice department
ends June S0th of each year. This means
a very busy month Of June. for all en-
ployed in this great branch of the gov
ernment, and whatever may be the
opinions prevailing in the outside world
as to "fat government positions" 1t is
evident that there are none in the post
office department.
IF any one doubts the democracy OF
the postoffice department" said M.
johnson yesterday, "he should glance IN
at the windows where the business OF
the department is being done these days.
He will certainly find all hands at work.
Uncle Sam does not furnish ten men 10
do the banqueting and five to DO th=
work, as is the case with some corpora
tions, but every one, from the top down,
| must roll up his sleeves and jump in, II
the work of the department is properly
attended to-
The annual report. which includesr rec
concentrations for such changes and ad-
ditional service as the advancement OF
the country may require. is specially oc-
cupying the attention of the chief clerk $
office at present. 1T is one thing to ask
and another to get what is needed" said
Mr. johnson. I'VE have never been able
to persuade the department back thers
on the peaceful Potomac that the west
in many places is doubling its popula-
ton about twice in a decade, and that
our asking, while it may appear to them
to come from a locality that can never
get enough, is only in keeping with the
actual necessities which confront US"
Among the recommendations is one
asking that transfer clerks be appoint
ed for the Southern California and
Southern Pacific depots of this city;
clerks whose duty it will be to transfer
the mails between trains, such transfer
clerk to have a room where he could
open the pouches and distribute the
mails which would reach him in pack
ages and in that way make quicker ana
closer connections between incoming
and outgoing mail trains for local points
in Southern California.
A transfer clerk has also been asked
for to be stationed at the Southern Cali
fornia railway depot at San Bernardino.
Recommendations have been made for
railway postoffice service on the line be-
tween San Diego and Foster, in San Di-
ego county, and also on the National
City and Otay railway line between Sar
Diego and Tia Juana, on the Mexican
border.
The placing of mail service and rail-
way postoffice service on the line of the
electric company between Pasadena and
Los Angeles is touched upon in the re-
port, but Mr.. johnson does not deal with
that matter extendedly. for the reason
that Assistant Superintendent Lewis of
the railway mail service of San Fran
cisco went over this line in its whole
length, from Altadena to Santa Monica
in April, 1896. when the road was first
opened, and made full report on the
entire line, recommending that railway
postoffice service be esta blished there
on. This report is on file with the de-
partment, and as soon as the additional
service can be allowed Ca thing con-
trolled by congressional appropriations >
1t will be established.
The distribution Of the Los Angeles
city letter mails by the railway postal
clerks on the line between Albuquerque,
N. NJ, and this city, is another matter
that has prominent place in the report.
1t has been demonstrated that the dis
tribution of city mails by the clerks Of
the railway mail service is success
and it now becomes necessary to per-
feet the system by which this is done.
and to increase the number of men upon
whom this work devolves.