Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-07
His Predecessors
Failed to Make Effective.
PRACTICAL AND TACTFUL
Wants Parcels Post and Postal
Savings Banks.
STRONG OPPONENTS CONVINCED
Shining Example Of the Rich Young
College Men in Politics-The
Friend of Sovereigns.
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.

BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
Written for The Star and the Chicago Record
Herald.
I hope the people of Chicago will get
a good look at George Won Lengerke MeE-
err the new Postmaster General, while he
is out there to make speech to the In
dustrial Club, because they are likely to
hear a good deal of him during the COM
ing winter and the next few years. Mr..
Never is a mixture of Dutch and Yankee
stock and shining example of the rich
young college man in politics. He comes
from one of the oldest and most eminent
Puritan families in New England and has
inherited great wealth and business re-
sponsibiliti $. He is the best polo player
in the great commonwealth of MasSachu-
s.tts. belongs to the Imp Tennis club
tat plays every afternoon back OF the
Whit Housa: is a p ers )nal friend Or the
King OF Italy and Emp eror Nicholas IL.
While h was in Peters, burg as ai!i.assa-
dor of the United States he played bridge
every night with the Grand Dukf Nlaol-
mir and persuaded tn. car of all the
Russias 10 maxi pace with Japan. 1t
was one of the most delicate and difficult
duties that any diplomatist was ever call
ed upon to perform, and the peace con-
ference that was held at Portsmouth
few months later was evidence of the
success with which Mr.. Meyer CARR I'd out
his instructions. He received a telegram
one day from the President of the United
States suggesting, In effect that the war
had been going on long enough and that
he must go out to Peterhof and convince
the car that it was tima to quit fighting
Meyers Work for Peace.
Mr. Meyer did it. and if he will tell the
story Of his Interviews with the GEAR at
the banquet of the Industrial Club TO-
night ne will make hit. Or. If he will
relate some of his exciting experiences In
playing polo with the King of Italy the
banquet will be enlivened. But l under
stand he Is going to talk about his plans
to persuade Congress to expand our par
cells post system so as to make 1t more
useful to all concerned. and to establish
a postal savings bank, which is needed in
this country more than in any other.
Whenever business man comes into the
cabinet or Ia appointed to any important
position under the government he in
stantly perceives the defects and ncon-
gruities in our administrative policy and
organization. and, If he has any patriotism
in his soul. he Immediately begins to re-
organize and Introduce reforms. Some
times he succeeds and sometimes he fails.
Mr. Wanamaker, who was Postmaster
General under the Harrison administra-
ton, undertook the same task that Mr.
Meyer is attempting. and had to give up
because Congress was too stupid and
conservative to adopt the parcels post
and the postal savings bank systems that
he recommended. Secretary Root and
Secretary Bacon have succeeded in reor-
ganiZing the consular service, which sew
eral of their predecessors failed to &C
complish, and they did 1t by the applica-
ton of the same practical influence and
the same bustness-like arguments upon
Congress that they would use before the
board of directors of a corporation. Mr..
Meyer will undertake the same tactics. If
he succeeds he will be entitled to
pedestal in the Temple of Fame inscribed
He Did It." But he Is not a miracle
worker. and the inscription upon his
monument is more likely to be similar to
that which was carved on the gravestone
of heroic cowboy who failed:
He done his damnedest;
Angels could do more
Meyers Thoroughness.
When Mr.. Meyer came into the cabinet
some OF .his best friends thought the
President had made mistake in as
signing him to the Post Office DEPART
ment, which. next to the Interior De-
partment. Is the biggest business propo-
sition in this country. They had known
Mr.. Meyer as a polo player, a tennis
champion and the crony of kings and en-
perors and naturally inferred that he
was man for sports and frivolities
rather than for hard work. but they made
mistake. Meyer was in Harvard Col
lege with the President and Assistant
Secretary Bacon of the Department of
State, and he is a director In twenty or
thirty manufacturing, mercantile and
financial companies, including several of
the largest and most important in Amer
lea He is director in the Amoskeag
Company. which owns the largest cotton
mills In the United States: the Ames Pillow
Company, the Walter Baker Chocolate
Company, the Old Colony Trust Com
pany and the National Bank Of Commerce.
two of the largest financial institutions
Of Boston. He has not only inherited
unusual executive ability. but Is putting
into his administration of the Post Office
Department the same thoroughness. en-
ergy and zeal that gained him his polo
reputation. and Is required by any one
who transacts game Of tennis with
the President.
Mr.. Meyer has been equally successful
in politics. While he was In college he
took an interest in political affairs, just
as the President, did, and shortly after
graduation was elected a member of the
| Boston common council. Then he was
| promoted to the board of aldermen; next
| to the legislature of Massachusetts, and
was speaker of the house for two years.
Then he was appointed ambassador to
| Italy and sent to Russia In the same
capacity to restore peace in the world
He has had considerable experience in
| political management, represents Massa-
chusstts on the republican national COM
mttee and raised more money for the
| republican campaign fund at the last
| presidential election than any other man
except Cornelius y. Bliss.
Educating the Country.
If anybody can persuade Congress to
| give us a parcels-post system and a pos
| tai savings bank Mr.. Meyer Is the man,
| and he Is going at 1t in the right way.
| He is visiting 1.-THE commercial centers of
! the country. like Boston. New York
Philadelphia and Chicago. explaining his
plans so that they may be Thoroughly I'M
| derstood by the business interests, is
| answering the objections that have been
! raised to them in the past and Is tact
| fully removing the obstacles that have
| tripped Mr.. Wanamaker and other men
| who have undertaken a similar task
| That is the reason why he went to Chi
| cago, and in his speech tonight he will
| explain in detail how he proposes to give
| the people a government savings bank
| without interfering with private institu-
| lions of that sort and how he proposes
| to afford the people the privilege Of send
| Ing small packages through the mails
| at low rates as is done in Europe with
out interfering with the local trade OF
| the country merchants. They have al
| ways opposed parcels-post because they
have feared it would ruin them by throw
| ing their business into the mail order