The evening times., 1899-11-14
THE POS4MASTERS MEET
Proposed Reforms to Be Discussed
in Annual Convention.
Members Listen to "a Speech by Mr..
Smith and Call Upon President Nc
kinIey-The EiEht-HOur Day for
Letter Carriers to BE Considered.
Other Matters for Discussion.

The second annual convention of the Ma
! the Arlington Hotel today. About seventy
five postmasters from various parts Of the
country were in attendance. The morning
session was taken up in perfecting the Or
ganization of the convention, and in listen
ing to q speech by Postmaster General
Smith. Postmaster Dickinson. OF Detroit,
president of the association, called the con-
vention TO order.
The convention will continue for four
days. One of the principal matters TO be
decided is the probable consolidation of
third and fourth class mall matter. The
rate for the third-class matter is cent
for two ounces, and for fourth-class mat
ter 1 cent for four ounces. There is some
probability that the convention will decide
on a uniform rate for the two classes which
will impose no loss in the revenues. The
association will then recommend the pro-
posal to Congress for the necessary legis-
lation.
Other questions to be decided are the
eight hour law for carriers. 4 change in
the present form of giving contracts for
carrying mail to and from railway sta
tions, the interchange of postoffice Gppli-
cations. and the advisability of asking
Congress to limit the size of cards sent
through the mail.
1t was o'clock when President Dicken-
son called the convention to order and
stated the object of the meeting. He then
introduced Hon. Charles Emory Smith,
Postmaster General, who said in part:
1T is, it seems 10 me, fortunate and
auspicious circumstance that you have Sc
lected the National Capital as your meeting
place. 1t permits of free interchange OF
views between yourselves and the officials
of the central administration of the great
service in which We are all engaged. II you
came together with any thought of propos-
ing measures which might not harmonic
with the policy of the Department, or OF
looking TO ends which were not feasible or
judicious, your assembling would be re-
garded with different feeling from that
with which 1t is now greeted and welcomed.
1T is because you do not come with any
selfish purpose, because you seek only the
best interests of the postal service and the
people, because you aim at the same OBJ
jects which the department itself cher
ishes, that / am greatly gratified at your
presence.
You represent a service which stands
for the greatest business undertaking in
the world. This age is witnessing colossal
business enterprises: 1t sees enormous
capitalizations for the application of ma
terial forces; it develops gigantic railroad
and financial organizations; but, vast as
they are, the postal service of the United
States is the greatest business establish
ment of this or any other country. 1t en-
braces more than half of all the civil es-
tablishment of the Government; it counts
on its roll more than 250000 men. While
its expenditures as recently as 1880 were
about S36 900 a year, and its receipts
about $33 000. 600, We shall this year spe1d
about $105, ,O00, 900 and our revenues will
be over s100, ,000. 900.
Take a period in which our population
increases so per cent, and you will find our
postal business increasing 300 per cent.
The service has become so great, SO intri-
cate. and SO comprehensive, it is SO vitality
interviewer with the whole business and
social life of the people, as to put SOL
emn responsibility upon those who admin
lister it, and to forbid any consideration in
its conduct other than that of securing the
best possible results with the best avail
able means.
The department is disposed to help you
lust SO far as it is possible to do SO within
the limits of the appropriations made by
Congress. The revenues are growing fast
er than the expenditures. They are grow
ing so fast that there is a fair prospect Of
soon wiping out the deficit.
when the legitimate expenditures are
crowding upon us the illegitimate expendi-
lures growing out Of the fragrant abuses Of
the privilege accorded to second-class mat