Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1908-05-08
ASKS BISbEE
POSTOFF|CE FOR
SUGGESTIONS


The government has awakened to
the fact that there mas been no
change in the business methods On
its postoffice department, of any con-
sequence. since the beginning OF the
government. A commission appoint
ed for that purpose has been at work
Tor several months. and the changes
that will be made upon the recon-
mendation of this committee, when
it makes its final report, are expected
to be sweeping in their character.
Inquiries have been sent to ire
leading postofices of the country.
asking for suggestions as TO improve
ments, ETC.. for the improved eff
ficiency of the business methods of
conducting this great enterprise of
Uncle Sam. Bisbee was not overlook
ed in these inquiries, and it is quite
a tribute to the sanding OF the Bis
bee postofflce and Postmaster CASSIDY
that inquiries were directed here.
The postal service constitutes the
only large business operation in
which the. government is engaged. It
Is a cash business ard involved sd
expenditure of over s2I0,009 900 dur
ing 1907, and this stupenduous ex-
penditure is destined to grow with
the growth of the country. The pres
ent investigation by Joint committee
composed OF members of the House
and the Senate, is the first effort in
the history of the government to thor
oughly inquire into the defects of the
system under which this business is
being conducted, and to devise Ii ros-
sible more satisfactory system.
The preliminary report of the con-
mission is an exhaustive document.
representing the views and results
of the Investigations of some of the
leading accountants of the United
States. Among other recommend
tons, the commission reports that
it's members are Profoundly impress
ed with the wisdom OF the account
ants report in recommending the fol-
lowing:
(a) That the actual direction of
the business of the postoffice depart
ment and postal service be commit
ted to an officer with necessary as
sistants, for long terms, so as to in
sure the continuity of efficient service,
and that the postmaster general, as
member of the cabinet, be charg-
able with only general supervisory
control and the determination Of
questions of policy. @
Oh That the business of the de-
partment be deeentraliZed, 50 as to
avoid congestion at Washington,
which is believed to seriously impair
the efficiency of the service through
cut the country, while at the same
time greatly increasing its cost.
(c) That the bookkeeping, audit
ing and accounting be simplifed, uni
fed and centralized, as far as is
practicable, so as to secure greater
accuracy, the record OF profit and
loss somewhat in detail, a more
prompt method of accounting for
money and property, and the elimina-
ton Of apparently needless repetition
of work ..- .-s...-
Cd That the practice OF requiring
needless detailed reports from small
postoffices be discontinued. This
will undoubtedly result in large saw
ings in the matter of bookkeeping,
while in no sense, impairing the ef.
ficiency of the service, is the opinion
of the commission, which estimates
that the moderate application of the
non-accounting system will eliminate
about 10000 or nearly one-haK, of all
the postoffice accounts from the pres
ent complex report and bookkeeping
system.
Says the commission: Before the
postmaster general and his assistants
can become reasonably familiar with
the operations Of the service they
are replaced by others, who in turn,
are called upon to resign before they
can, in the nature of things, become
qualified by knowledge and experience
to perform their allotted tasks. I'm
der such a system a large railroad
Office department has ayerted that
fate only because the United States
treasury has been available to meet
the deficiencies"