Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-05

derby rule. and civic progress in Cuba.
Porto Rico and, SO far as practicable, In
the Philippines, the rehabilitation of the
postal service has been an essential and
important part of the work. 1t became
necessary to provide mail facilities both
for our forces of occupation and for the
native population. TO meet this re-
lquirenent has involved substantial
The existing systems
were so fragmentary, defective and In
adequate that a new and comprehensive
Organization had to be created. Ameri-
can trained officials have been assigned
to the directing and executive positions,
1 While natives have been chiefly en-
ployed in making up the body of the
| force In working out this plan the
merit rule has been vigorously and
/ faithfully applied.
The appointment of director general
!. of posts of Cuba was given to an expert
who had been chief postofiice inspector
and assistant postmaster general, ana
whounited large experience With admin
istratives capacity. For the postmaster
ship at Havana the range of skilled anu
4 available men was scanned. and the
4 choice fell upon one who had been TWEEN
4 ty years in the service as deputy post
master and postmaster of large city.
i This principle governed and determined
| the selection of the American oftlclals
4 sent not only to Cuba but to Porto Rico
4 and the Philippines, and they were m
4 structed to apply it so far as nractlca-
BILE in the employment OF the natives as
minor postmasters and clerks. me
|postal system in Cuba, though remain
ley11i 1anCo of the
postmaster general, was made essen
Il tally independents 1t was felt that 1t
( should not be a burden upon the postal
service of the United States and provis-
ion was made that any deficit IN the
a postal revenue should be a charge upon
the general revenues of the island.
Though Porto Rico and the Philip
pines held a different relation TO the
United States, yet, for convenience OF
administration, the same principle OF
an autonomous system has been e1-
Il tended to them The development OF
] 1.-the service in all of the islands has been
Irapd and successful. 1t has moved for
ward on american lines with free de-
: livery. money order and registry sys-.
5 TENS. and has given the people mail
& Iafacilities far greater and more reliable
than any they have ever before en-
4 Logged. 1t is thus not only vital agen-
! lev of Industrial, social and business
$ progress, but an important influence In
], diffusing a just understanding of the
true spirit and character of American
r admins tration.
i DOMESTIC POSTAL SERVICE
: The domestic postal service continues
f to grow with extraordinary rapidity.
+ The expenditures and the revenues Will
: each exceed Sl0o.OOO,000 during the cur
4 rent year. Fortunately. since the re-
g lvival of prosperous times the revenues
i. have grown much faster than the eX-
q penditures and there is every indication
= that short period will witness the OBJ
r elaboration of the annual deficit. In this
q connection the report of the postmas-
ter general efnbodies a statement OF
some evils which have grown up out
side of the contemplation of law in the
ltreatment of some classes OF mail mat
n ter which wrongly exercise the privi-
II lege of the pound rate. and shows that
i if this matter had been properly clas-
h sified and had paid the rate which u
d should have paid, instead of postal
i deficit for the last fiscal year OF $3.50,
II 600, there would have been on one basis
$. surplus of s17,637 $50, and on another
g of s5.T SO. S36 The reform thus suggest
= ed. in the opinion of the postmaster
d general, would not only put the posta
81 service. at once on self-sustaining
1t basis, but would permit great and val
e8luable improvements. and recomment
2 the subject to the consideration OF tht
y congress.