The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-12
REORGANIZATION OF THE POST
OFFICE DEPARTMENT.


When the reports OF Irregularities in the
Postoffice Department first began to be cir
clulated. with what seemed to be consider
able coloring and exaggeration, the Journal
said there ought to be a thorough investiga-
ton, and suggested that whether irregu-
larities were discovered or not, it would
probably be found that the organization
and business methods OF the department
needed reforming. 1t stated that the or
ganization of the department was of
patchwork character. not based on up-to-
date business principles. and that there
were too many doors open for favoritism
and extravaganza. IL not fraud. The re-
sponsibiIity for this condition did not rest
on the present administration nor any pre-
vious one. 1t was due to the fact that the
department had grown up as a rambling
house is sometimes built, without reference
to anything but temporary necessity or
convenience. 1t has never been reorgan-
lied by a master mind.
1t seems the postmaster general has
reached practically the conclusion fore
Swallowed by the Journal at the beginning.
Latest dispatches say there is some doubt
whether the investigation will disclose any,
thing criminal or corrupt, though it may.
but it is added:
1t is the intention of the postmaster gen.
eral TO place The department upon a sound
business basis. He contemplated such a
step when he first entered the department,
but so far has been deferred from putting
his ideas into force by the tremendous
amount of work which has fallen upon him
branches of the service. AS early as last
fall he decided to make an extensive In
quiry into the working of the service in the
field. with view to adopting radical re-
forms. 1t Is believed that by the time Con-
gress convenes Postmaster General Payne
will be In position to make some impor-
tant recommendations which, when put
into practical effect. will place the postal
system of the United States upon more
businesslike basis than it has been in the
history Of the government.
The reorganization Of the Postoffice De-
partment is too large a task to be under
taken by postmaster general whose time
is fully occupied with current business. It
| is work for commission of first-class
business men who should be well paid for
the time given to 1t. The present organize
tion-or lack OF organization-is the result
OF a century OF growth under a succession
of postmasters general of different parties,
many OF them mere politicians and figure
heads, and none serving long enough to be-
come master os the situation. That is one
| of the defects Of our political system. The
only postmaster general appointed as a
business man and not as politician was
| John Wanamaker. When President Harri-
SON appointed MIN he broke the record by
not appointing a politician. Mr.. Wanna
maker was the best postmaster general the
country ever had, for the simple reason
that he ignored politics and administered
/ the department on business principles. He
\ introduced more reforms, made more i'm
provements. adopted more and better bust
ness methods and did more towards reor-
| ganizing the department than any other
postmaster general ever did, but his term
was too short to allow him to complete the
work In his last annual report, that of
| 1892. he said:
The Postofiee Department is to-day
| much more a business department than
| ever before. The department should be as
| much business office as a great bank or
| trust company, receiving the deposits of
| money for the issue of money orders and
| postal notes and the payment of them, re-
ceiving the deposits of mail matter and
protecting, forwarding and distributing II.
Its work should be performed upon the most
| exact business principles, and with very
| special excellence of method, as the gov
eminent insists on exclusive control.
To a man Of Mr.. wanamaker's business
training and executive ability the Post
Office Department and the postal service
generally must have appeared like a will
derness Of political underbrush. He did a
good deal towards clearing it up, but there
came a change Of administration and he
left the work Incomplete. 1t can never be
completed by one postmaster general nor
by a succession of them, starting in with
out any knowledge of the situation and
working without any fixed plan. If the
greatest department Of the government is
ever to be properly reorganized and placed
on a business basis 1t must be done by q
commission of frst-class business men,