The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-05-15
THE DEPA fT =
nIENT.


NIENT.
What lies beneath the Postoffice De-
partment nobody knows, says the Baltl
more Anaericna Tyner has been removed,
| Machen has been suspended and Beavers
resigned rather than be investigated. The
| connection of the first named with turf
| investment concerns that used the mails
to defraud seems assured. Machen and
Beavers between them had the spending
of one half of all the enormous postal rev.
enues, and irregularities appear to have
been discovered in their respective offices.
1t does not follow, however, that anything
has transpired or been discovered to JUS
tify criminal proceedings against any OF
those involved. The worst that has come
to the surface is proof that in the Post
office Department there exists an intoler-
able condition of things, and that thor
ough reorganization of the system en-
ployed is imperative. The things that are
alleged to have happened questionable in
character could never have happened had
the department been provided with an
adequate system of checks, and Congress
can easily afford to devote much time to
making good the methods by which $140.-
900 900 of the peoples money is handled
annually.
The system now employed in this de-
partment was devised and introduced by
Postmaster General Wanamaker. 1t was
good in its day, but the nations postal
affairs have entirely outgrown it. Since
it was introduced the rural free delivery
service has been invented and established;
the free delivery service in cities has been
extended amazingly: the pneumatic-tube
service has come into being and been in
troduced; the handling of arriving and
departing ocean mails has been perfected
until it is now science; the use of rail
way mail cars on city passenger lines has
come to be an important factor i'll the
department business, and with an ex-
banding popu, alton and great commercial
prosperity, the business of the department
has grown by leaps and bounds. What it
was ten or twelve years ago nobody can
appreciate by examining its ramifications
for the present day, and it stands to rea-
son that the system which sufficed for the
comparatively crude service of few years
ago will not endure the tests of that SER
vice grown to its present proportions.
In fact, it would be strange if the mere
attempt to employ the old system on the
new service did not invite to fraud and
irregularity of all sorts.
Certainly it has brought about state
of affairs that will will stand much in
curry For years the departments head
has pursued the ''self sustaining" fantasy.
From year to year it has seemed possible
in another year or SO to make the depart
ment revenue producer inst cad of de-
ficit-creator; to give the commercial world
the bool of penny letter postage; but
just so sure as this prospect drew near a
deficit has been created and the great
changes have had to be postponed. 1t
now appears that this constantly re-
curing deficit has been due, in large
measure, to the persistent extravaganza
of men who, finding no checks against
them, let things run on until they have
been brought face to face with searching
investigation. These men have striven
for efficiency with economy, and although
the departments receipts top the hun
dred million mark, its expen ditures have
been kept at figure few millions in ex.
cess of receipts There i'll not bust
ness man in the country but who can
prove that a business which produces
$40, 900, 900 annually in revenue can be
run at profit, and in the certainty that
there is profit in the postal service if
properly managed. Congress should
reorganize the entire Postoffice Depart
ment.
Senator Foraker has been spending
some time in Washington recently and it
is learned that there is prospect of Wig
orous fight between the Foraker followers
and the Hanna supporters in the Ohio
State convention to be held next month.
Senator Foraker has drafted plank for
the State platform endorsing Mr.. Roose-
velt's administration and urging him for
the nomination next year. The Hanna
contingent is understood to oppose this
plank They do not admit that their
leader is a candidate, but they claim it is
too early to endorse anyone and that there
will be plenty of time later on. Mr..
Hanna's influence among southern repub-
licans is we'll known. Of late he has
missed no opportunity to pose as the
workingman's friend, and it is possible
that he may at the last moment avoid the
f ght which Senator Foraker is preparin G
| for him, but in any event, unless he abso-
lutely defeats Mr.. Foraker and the pro-
posed plank, he will come out of the con
vention with seriously married presiden-
tial prospects.
Done FOOD
:ooftand crooked bones mean