Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1905-08-11

| ReQ tape Is always aSSoclaCeQ~ WIN
| the business methods of government
whether in America or in other coun-
| tries. Nearly every one who has had
dealings with Washington will testify
| as to the tedious regulations which
| must be observed and the vexatious
| delays which exhaust the patience of
| those who have to do with the depart
| ments. The President, who, by tenn
permanent, has no sympathy with I'M
necessary cOnyentionalitieS, and who
| desires always to see work done in the
| quickest and most effective way, has
| appointed a commission of five men,
| selected from four Of the executive de-
| partments, to investigate the govern
| ment methods of doing business, and,
| If possible, to discover and recommend
better ways. In private business red
tape practices are killed off by compe-
| tition; for, other things being equal,
| the firm which does its work in the
most direct and economical way has
an advantage. In government business
| competition plays no part and, as q
rule, has no influence; and custom as
suit is tendency, characteristic of all
departments of the public business, to
become clogged with rules and entan-
gled in petty details, to the great detri-
ment both Of speed and of economy.
-
Families living in large towns or
| cities have sometimes been asked by
their letter carrier to buy tickets to
a picnic, excursion, concert, ball or
other entertainment. Even if the re-
quest has not been formally made, the
tickets, with the price plainly printed
on them, have been left at the house.
It is not generally known that such
distribution of tickets is forbidden by
| the postoffice department. Indeed.
even those who have known of the
prohibition have seldom been inclined
to complain against the postman who
has delivered their mail daily in rain
and shine for years. At the beginning
of the season OF picnics and excursions
this year the Postmaster General call
ed the attention of the postmaSters to
the regulation and said he would hold
them responsible for its enforcement.
The regulation applies to rural-free-
delivery carriers as we'll as to those
in cities; but on the rural-free-delivery
routes the carriers have certain privi-
leges of their own. They may carry
articles or packages of unavailable
merchandise for hire for and upon the
request Of patrons residing on their
respective routes"
Now and then one gets an amusing
glimpse of the variety of duties which
the President is called upon to perform
While he was settling the difference
between Assistant Secretary Loomis
and Minister Bowen, and deciding
what should be done in the case of the
Santa Fe Railroad Company, and ar
ranging for a peace conference be-
tween Russia and Japan, a delegation
Of Gloucester fish merchants called
upon him to complain of the conduct
Of the mackerel. These inconsiderate
fish, formerly very regular in their
habits, have lately become dissipated
and erratic. They take long and fire.
quent vacations, without giving any
or when. they will return, and in other
ways give evidence of leading a double
life. The Gloucester fish merchants,
who have SO often fed these mackerel
and looked after them SO tenderly, are
naturally hurt. They want the Presi-
dent to get after the rebellious schools
with his big stick, and compel the
mackerel to be good; and he promised
to have the fish commission make an
investigation.
Picture postcards, which are now
so plentiful, bring to the government
a most profitable line of postal bust
ness. The rate, at a cent each for
carrying them through the mail,
amounts to about one dollar and a
quarter a pound, varying somewhat
with the weight of the card This
compares advantageously with the
cent pound on newspapers, the 8
cents on books, and the 16 cents on
merchandise. Letter mail would pay
twice the postal-card rate even if ev-
cry letter weighed it's full ounce. The
collecting habit, in other ways, brings
to the Treasury many an honest pen
n.y. The postcard craze, which is the
newest collecting habit and the most
recent source of revenue, leads small
communities to see what they have in
the way of natural beauty or of artistic
work that deserves a wide circulation.
-
Heavy receipts in June resulted in
surplus of $13 100000 in the Treasury
operations Of that month"; and reduced
the deficit from $37,000,000 to about
S24 100000 for the fiscal year. Re