New-York tribune., 1906-12-28
REFoRuS J., THE POSTAL SERVICE.

REFORMS ~ THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Good example is often infectious, and it is in
teresting to note that zeal for administrative
reform in the departments at Washington is
taking bold in unexpected quarters The work
done under President RoOSevelt's instructions
by the Keep commission has borne substantial
fruit. Having induced Congress TO mOdernize
the consular service. Secretary Root is now en-
gagged in systematizing and undermining State
Department methods. In that. however, he is
only repeating the experiment which he made
when Secretary of War-an experiment TO which
the War Department owes its present clear pre-
eminenCe among the departments for business
grasp and business energy. The Public Printers
Office has been reformed. and no publishing house
in the world ever clamOred more dOlorously for
reformation. But wonders never cease, and it
looks like another case Of Saul joining the
prophets when a committee Of Congress wakes
up suddenly TO the necessity of putting the Post
office Department on a sounder business basis.
Suggestions Of reform in the postal service have
not hitherto found an enthusiastic welcome In
the committee rooms and halls of Congress; for
in no branch of the federal service has the old
spoils idea died harder or the divorce of a great
public utility from politics been more haltingly
accomplished But progress is in the air. and
we may live TO see the day even when the local
village postmaster has ceased TO be a power In
election dreams are longer vexed by visions
Of wrath TO come at the hands of the patriots
whom he has turned down for fourth class Of
fees.
The joint Congressional commission. appointed
under a resolution approved last winter. has
discovered that the Postoffice Departments ac-
counting machinery is out Of date and practically
useless. 1t announces that the bookkeeping
methods in vogue do not show. and cannot show.
~, Fo.o oIoS 81
matter handled and that no exact computation
can be made Of the loss incurred or profit real
ized on any particular classification BY direc
ton Of Congress- the Postmaster General is now
making an investigation to determine the actual
cost to the department of the franked matter
carried Heretofore there have been only vague
computations available to show the debit charge
able to that service, or even the debit charge
able 10 cheap rate second class matter. Yet it is
easy enough TO understand why the methods Of
the department have become antiquated For
one thing. the postal service has been expanding
enormously, while the office methods of earlier
and simpler days have been retained In 1892
'93 the postoffice apprOpriaton-which measures
the volume of business for the year-was $50
100000. For 1906'07 the appropriation is $172,-
100000. Each year now brings an increase of
S100O0000 in business and II IS evident that TO
adjust cost 10 revenue for any class of mail
matter, and 10 appOrton loss and profit fairly
among the several branches of the service. q
modernized system Of accounting
must be provided.
Let lis hope that Congress will authorize such
a system. The PoStofice Department has too
long been forced 10 run of its own momentum.
Postmasters General, even when, like Mr.. Wan
amaker, they possessed great organizing and
executive capacity We're rebuffed by the law
making branch. and in the later halcyon days OF
Beavers and Machen the postal machinery was
directed from the bottom rather than the top,
influence with Congress giving these two
worthless power greater than that welded by
their nominal superiors. Under the present
Postmaster General much has been done toward
improving the service and making it the sub
ject Of intelligent study. Cooperation on the
part Of Congress would easily put It on a mod
ern working basis.