Passaic City record., 1898-10-15
PRICE 2 CTS.


bly, the best-equipped post ONCE man
in the country for the important duties
assigned to him. Before leaving for
Puerto Rico, Maj. Stewart said:
This is the third time l have been
summoned from my regiment to look
after postal affairs. have protested
against leaving my boys on each occa-
sion, but since the war is over. and L
can render service in this line which,
will be valuable to the country, l am
content. I went into the postal serv-
ice in 1866, and have been in that serv-
ice ever since. l was in the clerical
force, in post Offices, chief clerk of
the railway mail service, established
the railway mail service to and for
the Pacific coast, was sent into the in
spection department, and in 1877 was
made chief inspector for the WESTERN
division, position which l have held
continuously ever since, excepting a
couple of years during the first Cleve-i
land administration, when the post
Office department managed to get
along without my services.
Having been made chairman of this
commission to Puerto Rico, / under
take the work with full appreciation Of
the responsibility, and l am looking
forward with some degree of anxiety
concerning the result. If the work
proves to be satisfactory to the de-
partment, and every way successfully
ii will add to my reputation as post
Office man. If I make any serious mis-
take, it will detract from my lifetime
reputation in the departmental serv-
ice. There will be no middle ground
on which I can stand. Therefore. you
may be assured that the work will be
undertaken with due deliberation and
none of it will be too hastily done. This
postal commission must establish an
entirely new postal system for the
island of Puerto Rico, and make that
system conform with the system al
ready established throughout the
United States as far as possible.
"The existing postal system in
Puerto Rico will summarily cease on
the date of the evacuation of the is
land by Spanish troops and civilian of
fcials. When that occurs, a few weeks
hence. the postal service of the Unitedi
States must Immediately begin.
Therefore it will be the duty of the
commission of which am chairman to
not only study the maps, but travel all
over Puerto Rico. We must establish
post offices for every town, esta blishl
railway mail service on their short line
OF railroad, establish star routes all
over the island, and make the service
economically equal to the public de-
mands. Some of the star routes must
carry mail seven days in each week,
while others must carry mail fewer
days of the week, according to the pop
ulation. Probably some of the star
routes will carry mail only once or
twice month.
"All of the post offices must be es-
tablished there as first as fourth-clasS
post Offices are established in new
communities in the United States, and
must be subject to our laws and Gus
toms. Therefore, after approximate
ing the facts in the different sections
of the island, we will establish star
routes, make contracts with men to
carry the mails, and select postmastersl
who are Intellectually and education
ally competent, and establish fourth
class post offices, leaving the salaries
to adjust themselves.
'At the end of the last term of this
calendar year, December 81, all of the
postmasters in Puerto Rico will re-
port the amount of their business to
the third assistant postmaster general,
and these reports, having been record
ed, will be transferred to the office of
the first assistant postmaster generals
Continued on page 4.