Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-04-05

the city post Office must find shelter
elsewhere. It is quite likely that the
latter course viii be pursued. 1t will
be nothing new, however, for the city
post Office to move to some other To-
cality. 1t has been accustomed to
moving. In fact, it reminds the writer
of the capital of Dakota territory.
which Gov. Ordway once said was "al-
ways on Wheels" moving from city to
city according to the whims of corrupt
legislatures.
Reverting to the fact that the gov
eminent business increases with the
growth of the country in population
and wealth, by way of illustration it
may be said that Is years ago it cost
$780, 100000 annually to pay the gov
eminent expenses. The appropria-
| numbers, $500, O0o, 900. Just think Of
that! It costs S500,o00.o 900 more
every year to pay the expenses of the
government than it did Is years ago.
OF course, it requires an army of
clerks to attend to this business.
Not less than 10000 people are writ.
ing letters here and mailing them
through the Washington post Office.
also through the Washington post Of
flee. And this business is increasing
year by year.
The clerks in the state, war, navy.
treasury, interior, agricultural and
post Office departments, and the de-
partment of justice are busy all the
time; each one looking after specified
business and writing letters. Think
| Of f1o ~ IL
vast correspondence since the begin
ming of the war with Spain, the ac-
QUESTION of additional territory. the
maintenance of an increased army
and all that is meant by those con6i-
tlons. Then think of the additional
correspondence required by the navy
department because of these changed
conditions. Is it any wonder that the
work of the city post office and the
post Office department have been
enormously increased? Then again.
think of the fact that all of this
business is supervised, in a sense. by
the treasury department; because all
of the increased expenditures must
be watched and noted by the great
corps of bookkeepers and vigilant in-o
spectors. The mail matter sent out
and received by the treasury depart
ment alone is so great that only
slillful attention to every detail can.
keep it in proper bounds.
All of this correspondence Is car
ried on without the use of postage
stamps. 1t goes free through the
mails. Consequently, the salary of
the Washington postmaster cannot be
fixed according to the amount of
stamp cancellations, as in other
post Offices. All government business
is carried in penalty envelopes" up
on each of which is printed the
warning that ga penalty of $500" will
be required of anyone using such en-
velopes for private correspondence.
These are the reasons, concisely stat
ed, why the salary of the postmaster
of this city is arranged by special
law.
Lieut.. Gen. Miles dictates about 500
letters daily; Admiral Dewey, about
800; Adjt- Gen. Corbin and his clerks.
about 5000; secretary of the navy.
5000; secretary of war, about s,0o0;:
the pension Office, about 10000, and
so on all along the long departmental
line.
So you see that the post Office of
the national capital is a busy bee
hive, which the people of the .coun-
try seldom hear anything about, but
it is an important factor in carrying
ON the multifarious business of tho
great and growing federal govern
ment- SMITH d. FRY
vaseline Prevents Rust