The record-union., 1899-12-06
POSTAL SERVICE.
Has Been an Important Factor In
Restoring Civic Progress.

In restoring peaceful conditions, or
derby rule and civic progress in Cuba,
Porto Rico and, so far as practicable,
in the Philippines, the rehabilitation Of
postal service has been an important
part of the work. It became necessary
to provide mail facilities both for our
forces of occupation and for the native
population. To meet this requirement
has involved a substantial reconstruct
ton. The existing systems were SO
fragmentary, defective and inadequate
that a new and comprehensive organi-
cation had to be created. American
trained officials have been assigned to
the directing and executive positions,
while 1.-THE 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 a Director Gen
eral of Posts of Cuba was given to an
expert, who had been Chief Postoffice
Inspector and Assistant Postmaster
General, and who unites large expert
ence with capacity. For the Postmas-
tership at Havana the range of skilled
and available men was scanned, and the
choice fell on one who had been twenty
years in The service as Deputy POST
master and Postmaster of large city.
This principle governed. and determined
the selection of the American officials
sent not only to Cuba, but to Porto
Rico and the Philippines, and they were
instructed to apply it so far as practic-
| able in the employment of the natives
as minor Postmasters and clerks.
The postal system in Cuba, though
remaining under the general guidance
of the Postmaster General was made
essentially independent. 1t was felt
that it should not be q burden on the
postal service of the United States, and
provision was made that any deficit IN
the postal revenue should be a charge
upon the general revenues Of the ISL
and. Though Porto Rico and the Phil
| ippines held a different relation to the
United States. yet for convenience of
administration the same principle OF
tended to them.
Development of the service in all of
the islands has been rapid and success
full 1t has moved forward on Ameri-
can lines with a free delivery, money
| order and registry system, and has
given the people mail facilities far
greater and more reliable than any they
have ever before enjoyed. It is thus
not only vital agency of industrial,
social and business progress, but an
important influence in diffusing a just
understanding of the true spirit and
character of American administration
DOMESTIC POSTAL SERVICE.
The domestic postal service con-
tinues to grow with extraordinary ra-
pidity. The expenditures and the rev.
enues will exceed S100,000,OOO during
the current year. Fortunately, since
the revival OF prosperous times, the
revenues have grown much faster than
the expenditures, and there is every in
dlcation that a short period will Wit
ness obliteration Of the annual deficit
In this connection the report of the
Postmaster General embodies a state
ment of some evils which have grown
| up outside of the contemplation Of law
In the treatment of some classes of mail
matter which wrongly exercise the
| privilege of the pound rate, and shows
that if this matter had been properly
classified, and had paid the rate which
it should have paid, instead of a postal
defc1t last fiscal year of S6,610O00,
there would have been on one basis a
surplus of SIT. 637. $40, and on another
80, To-, S336. The reform thus suggested,
IN the opinion of the Postmaster Cen
eral, would not only put the postal
service at once on a self-sustaining
basis, but would permit great and val
liable improvements, and I commend
the subject to the consideration of Con-
greSS.