The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1903-12-03

How Our system Compares With
That Of Foreign Countries.
The Worlds Work for November
contains the first of series of articles
by NJ. G. Cunniff on the American
postal system. Prefaeing his article,
Mr.. Cunniff states that it is his pur
pose Ito tell the facts about our post
office, with the hope of arousing inter
est in the department of the govern
ment's business which most nearly
touches every citizen; TO lead TO a reali-
zation Of its shortcomings and to help
to secure Improvements which will
put the United States post office service
on par with the service Of other civ
ilized lands"
The following is taken from Mr.. Gun
niff's article:
l asked Postmaster General Payne
how, in his opinion, the United States
post Office compares in efficiency with
private business organizations and
with foreign post offices.
"How do l know said he. I've
been postmaster general only year"
An assistant postmaster general. once
invited to address a convention of post
masters, jokingly replied so runs the
story:
II cannot go couldn't tell you
anything anyway. What do | know
about the postal business
Said another assistant postmaster
general:
IF man attends closely to his work
he can learn to manage one Of these
departments in about four years. Then
he goes out and another pupil comes in
the chances are, politician. A busi-
ness? Why, it's simply training
school.'
These three remarks do not argue
that the speakers were regarded evel.
In cynical Washington as poor OIL
cials. Indeed the two assistants were
quite the reverse. But inquiring into
the workings Of the post office it is nee
essary first to understand the weak
ness Of the system at the top. and here
1t Is.
The postmaster general. however,
and his four assistants are not the post
Office. 1t was apparent as early as
1904, when there was only one assist
ant postmaster general, that the polit-
ical heads OF the post office do not be-
long to the machine. The machine be
gins with the chief clerks and superin-
tendents and their army of civil service
subordinates, who hold their places
while administrations come and 60 and
who manage the postnasters, the
contracts, the delivery service, the
money order system, the inspections.
These officials put their initials on ex-
ecutive documents and hand the docu-
ments, great piles Of them, to the as
sistant postmasters general who sign
them. 1t would require omniscicnce
for an assistant postmaster general to
know whether he should sign or not.
He trusts the initials, system still in
vogue. In brief, the system is one in
which the permanent subordinates
have every chance to direct all but the
y
heads-the cart before the horse. The
attorney generals Office superintends
the enforcement of postal laws. A
branch of the treasury department
audits the accounts. though. unlike all
other branches of the government. the
post office is its own bank and docs not
use the treasury for regular banking
purposes But the service of the at
tOrney generals Office and of the treas
ury department Is not paid for by the
post Office. Mistit bits of three depart
ments with separate accounts DO the
cOuntry's postal business.
The machine has grown up. not or
gnnically. but by accretions of unre-
lated departments, under laws passed
In l79a. Occasionally q postmaster