Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-15
Effect of the Order.

This order will carry into effect on De-
cember 1 a plan the Postmaster General
has been perfecting for the reorganization
Of the Post Office Department, with the OBJ
ject of consolidating the work and group
ing together related subjects in one bureau,
Thus by taking the division of appoint
ments, the division of bonds and commits
sions and the division of city delivery from
the fourth assistant and giving them to the
first assistant the latter official will have
under his immediate supervision the entire
personnel of the post offices throughout the
country, including postmasters, assistant
postmasters, clerks and carriers except
rural carriers), and a great deal of needless
correspondence between the two bureaus,
with serious delays In action arising from
q division of authority, will be avoided.
The office of the second assistant post
master general will continue to have charge
OF the great subject Of the transportation
of the mails, and, while its division organi-
cation Is not affected, the transfer to the
first assistant postmaster general of the
control of the movement of mails within
the Jurisdiction of the larger post offices Is
contemplated under the order.
The office of the third assistant postmas-
ter general Is affected by the transfer to it
of the division of money orders from the
office of the first assistant. The third as
sistant already has the stamp division, the
registry division and the division of postal
finance, and the addition of the money or
der division will bring the principal rev.
enue-producing branches of the department
under one head. The division of files and
records in this office is abolished and its
personnel and work are assigned to the
chief clerk of the bureau, making that off,
Gals duties conform to those of similar
positions in the other bureaus.
While the office of the fourth assistant
postmaster general has had taken from 1t
the preparation of cases for the appoint
ment of postmasters, it gains in having
transferred to it the division of dead let
tiers, division of post office supplies and the
topographer's office. 1t will continue to
have the rural free delivery service, the
growth of which in recent years has been
phenomenal, and it Is here that much can
be done in the direction of improved service
and economies of administration. In being
relieved of the immense task of the ap-
| pointment and bonding of postmasters and
| the supervision of the city free delivery
| service the fourth assistant can devote
larger share of attention to this newest and
| IN some respects most important branch of
the postal service.
The chief post office inspector in addi-
| ton to the supervision of the inspectors,
| VIII hereafter have charge of the rural
| agents, who, as members of the investi-
| eating force of the department, can with
great advantage be assigned to the division
| Of inspectors.
The division of supplies Is being reorgan-
lied and enlarged so as to embrace prac-
| lcally all of the supply work of the de-
| partment
The order also involves a change In the
| names of several divisions SO as to secure
| uniformity and simplicity OF designation.
Summary of Work.
Under the reorganization secured by the
Postmaster Generals order the broad plan
| upon which the departments work is now
allotted may be stated briefly as follows:
Postmaster GENERALIZATION and super
vision Of the postal service.
| First assistant postmaster general-Post
| office personnel and management.
Second assistant postmaster general
Transportation OF the mails.
Third assistant postmaster general-Pos-
| tai finance.
Fourth assistant postmaster general-Ru-
| raj free delivery and miscellaneous postal
business