Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-11
SPEECH TO POsTMaSTERs.
MIR. Perry Heath Responds to Toast
at Chicago BANQUET.

AT d banquet in Chicago last night to the
Postmaster General Mr.. Perry 9. Heath,
his first assistant, responded to the toast
Post Office management He said:
A post office without a manager is like
a locomotive without engineer. The
government provides the machinery, the
fuel and the stokers; but you, postma sters
are the men at the throttle. Upon you de-
wolves the responsible duty of keeping the
track clear, of having a good read bed and
of maintaining and respecting the time
card. AT Washington We may, by the CO.
operation of Congress, fix a general sched-
ule, but what is the result without your
direction? AT times you may feel the iron
hand of the executive. and the restrictions
may seem unnecessarily severe, but there
are limitations upon our power as well as
you may feel the restrictions of yours.
pom you We must depend not only for
guidance. but advice. The Post Office De
partment must of necessity be the arbiter
the restraining power, but it is as helpless
as impotent as you without your support
The public generally accepts the appoint
ment of postmaster as a political favor,
but none the less your selection is a bust
ness necessity. You are the president of
the bank, the general manager of the rail-
road, the editor of the newspaper. To you
the patrons look for service We place in
your hands the postal service Of the coun-
try. Your influence Is only restrained by
the necessities of the conditions. Only gem
on,y are the details of the service-the re-
ceipt, delivery and dispatch of mails, the
delivery, the issue and payment of money
orders, the registration and delivery of
valuable mail-but the efficiency and dig
nifty of the postal Service, both present and
pi ospective, is III your hands.
1t has been truly said that certain Off
GERS in the field are the eyes and ears of
the service. They see, hear and report and
| upon their advice the department acts But
you are the organism. Without YOU there
could be no official eyes or ears. Without
your intelligence, fidelity and business ca
pabilities there would be nothing for the
occupation of the officials who represent
the Legislative and executive branches of
of the government to do. You are the ave-
nues for the collection and disbursement of
the revenues Upon you devoves the work
of providing means with which Congress
designs the service
The post office is the only service within
the government having directly to do with
the people and providing its own revenues
And now for the first time within the
present generation it is very nearly paving
Its own way. Through your hands these
revenues pass To your efforts, your bust
ness instincts, as much the general pros
perity OF the country, is due the credit for
our having arrived at a time when the
postal service has ceased to be a burden
upon the general government l cannot too
greatly impress upon you the responsibility
viewed from a departmental Standpoint
testing upon you. Not only are your bust
ress capabilities taxed at all times, but
your manhood is always shown upon YOUR
official escutcheon We may have ewes
but they cannot penetrate beyond certain
bounds. No officers within the jurisdiction
of the federal government come so near
the people, those who contribute to the
support of our republic, as you.
TO the intelligence of the railway mall
clerks-always alert and occupying posi-
lions of trust and danger and exposure
and the post office clerks. upon whose in
teihsence. integrity and energy all de-
Ponds. and the faithful and tireless car
riers very much depends; but you, post
| masters. are, after ALL the directors, the
responsible managers. The derelictions as
We'll as the credit come home to YOU But
| from what l have seen and heard of YOU
the country may we'll be congratulated
that business instinct and capacity as well
| ton.