Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-24
REVIEWS HIS SERVICE
MIR. MADDEN TELLS OF HIS WAR
ON ABUSES

Edwin C. Madden, who retired Friday
from the position of third assistant post
master general. which Office he had held
for nearly eight years, last night issued q
statement giving q resume Of his work in
instituting reforms in the postal service,
and declaring that IF the reform work be
carried on 1t can no longer be said that the
failure of the department to enforce the
classification laws and the abuses which
develop on account of that fact are
scandal upon the postal establishment"
Mr.. Madden intimates that his leaving
the service was not entirely OF his own
vohtfon. he remarking, IN this connection.
that he wishes all to understand that he Is
mot leaving the task unfinished for any
reason over which myself had control"
The statement, in part, is as follows:
Scandal Of the Service.
when came to the department abuses
OF the newspaper and periodical laws
were a scandal upon the service, and the
government was losing much revenue from
carrying at newspaper rates vast quaint
ties of print not lawfully entitled to that
classification. The more fiagrant abuses
Of the privilege have been corrected ono
by one, and their re-establishment pre-
vented by legal tests resulting in judicial
sanction Of the rulings made. Out of some
thirty-five cases only one has been lost.
Although many abuses remain to be cor
rected II the reform work be carried on.
1t can no longer be said, as was once said.
that the failure of the department to en-
force the classification laws, and the abuses
which develop ON account of that fact, are
a scandal upon the postal establishment
Mr. Madden speaks of the many I'M
provements in the service wrought Dy hlm
by authority Of his superiors. and adds:
Special Privilege Denounced.
''The bane of our postal system Is the
special privilege: and there is scarcely
session of Congress but 1t Is sought IN
some way to extend that blight Inere
should be no relaxation in the Efforts for
postal reform until the service is free
from all special privileges and 1t Is mace
open to all upon equal terms-the same
rate to all for the same service IoT the
same kind of matter; until the classffca-
ton laws are simplified. and until business
like conditions are established.
After referring to the fact that but Tor
the railroad labor organizations, which
were instrumental in securing his ap-
pointment he long ago would have been
deposed, he says:
Feels No Resentment.
me-those who have won and those who
have lost-I have but the kindest feeling.
They we're not to blame for the conditions
which I found 1t my duty to correct: the
blame was In the department itself. They
were not wrongdoers in a bad sense, even
though their practices or publications were
regarded as abuses of the newspaper and
periodical laws They merely took ad-
vantage Of the opportunities given through
lax administration. To those who regard
my rulings as unwarranted I simply point
to the judgment of the courts which have
passed upon them; and I would be glad If
the publishers of the country could know
HON much was urged to do, but which re-
sisted doing because my conscience would
not approve under the circumstances. To
those who have regarded me as extreme
have to say that the newspaper laws will
sustain a much more strict Interpretation
than 1 have put upon them