Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-20

Barnes. but thus far he has expressed his
entire satisfaction with the work of Capt.
Henry l.. johnson, superintendent of the
delivery division.
Last summer Postmaster Barnes APP
pointed Capt. Johnson superintendent
Capt. johnson took hold of the job and
was learning the ropes when along came
the Christmas rush. Then. il is said. the
post Office and found itself unable TO cope
with the situation.
Various notifications of the system
which he found in vogue have been intro
duced by Supt. Johnson. but none of radi-
cal Importance. In discussing the matter
with authorities in the Post Office De-
partment. who take a lively interest In
what is going on in the turmoil of the
city post office downstairs. reporter OF
The Star was told by an official who has
had many years of experience:
The trouble down in that delivery divi-
sion is that effort is never concentrated
upon any point of congestion. Matters
are permitted at all times to run along as
usual. each man doing a certain appoint
ed task. whether he has much or little
to engage him. One man may at a certain
time be overwhelmed by an amount OF
work which il is impossible for him 10
clear out of the way in time. while an
other man. who should be sent over to
help him. has at that time little or moth
ing to do. except to dawdle perfunctorily
N.
been detached from duties where they
could have been spared for little while
and put to work on the rush of valentine
mail, and that would have helped at that
time, though it would not have served to
clear up the general difficulty. without
constant attention and practice of the
same system"
Postmaster Is Satisfied.
AS for Postmaster Barnes. he expresses
complete satisfaction with the work of
Capt. Johnson. He denies certain state
ments that have been attributed to him
in interviews. He told reporter for The
Star that he had never, as charged, pro-
NOTED man in that division after six
months service. saying that such thing
would be impossible under the law. He
also denies having made sixty transfers
in the service. charged, saying that
he substituted only three men for three
other men. making total of six transfers.
Two of these men thus transferred, Mr..
Barnes says. had signed petition three
months ago for restoration of the Sum
day schedule system formerly in vogue.
but this. Mr.. Barnes says, had nothing to
do with the transfers. The postmaster
also denies that he has received a petit
ton from the clerks of the distributing
And this brings the question to the sec
ond possible explanation Of the trouble In
the division.
1t is known that a petition. signed by
about seventy clerks. asking for the re-
nOval Of Capt. Johnson from the head
of the delivery division has been sent to
Mr.. Barnes. Mr.. Barnes denies having
received 1t. One explanation of Mr.
Barnes denial is. one clerk said, that
perhaps the petition was mailed in the
Washington Office and is still on its way
to the addressee. suffering the usual de-
lays.
In the meantime the public is the suf-
ferer. To business house the delay OF
two days in a letter may mean serious
financial loss. To an individual such a
delay may. conceivably. be matter OF
life and death. II is of the utmost i'm
portance that it should be possible tO
trust the mails and to be able to count
confidently upon the delivery of a letter
within a reasonable time.
No statement could be obt aimed from
Postmaster Barnes today. as an effort
made to see him by a reporter from The
Star was met with the announcement tina,
Mr.. Barnes was out of town and might
not return until Saturday.