Bisbee daily review., 1908-12-09
POSTMASTER GENERAL TELLS
 ABOUT HIS DEPARTMENT

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.--At the end of the last fiscal year, June %. 1908.
 there were in operation a total ot
 6I,l5S postoflces in the United States,
 according to the annual report of the
 first assistant postmaster general,
 made public yesterday. The number
 of postmasters appointed at presiden- tiai offices was 2l74, while 11,945
 were given commissions in the fourth class ofices
 The report regards with favor the
 meetings of EostTnastGrs associations
 in annual convention. and states that
 these meetings have been encouraged by the department by the sending Of representatives to join with the post masters in discussing postal affairs and making plans for the Detterment of the service. The first assistant, however, believes that better results
 would follow if a number of the as- sociations would consolidate. This. i be thinks, would effect a larger at tendance and exten1 the influence of the associations
 The policy of the department, it is stated, in limiting so far as possible the average daily hoars of service ot postofice clerks to eight, and to have only such work done on Sundays as ! is necessary to prevent delay iG the transmission of the mails and incon- vsnicnca to the public, has put the service practically on an eight hour 1 basis so far as the larger postoffices are concerned. In the case of the
 smaller offices, the report says, it has not always been feasible to establish an eight-hour lay, without increased expense, owing to the late and early arrival and departure of mails. To i offset this. the department has issued l instructions to pOstmasters to allow the clerks brief periods of duty at
 times when mails are not being re
 ceived or dispatched.
 The fact that millions are appropTi, ated by congress fOc sites and struct-
 ures to be used for postoffice purposes i with the department having no voice l in the selection of the site or the ue-
 signing and equippi1g of the building, | is cause for conside rabie comment and criticism. A convenient location
 an interior arrangement planed with l special reference 10 postoffice needs and a proper equipment are vital to ! the prompt and economical handling
 of the mails" says the first assistant | Moreover" he adds, the require ments of the larger pOstofIices with . respect to location and design differ
 so materially from these of the other
 government establishments usually housed in federal buildings that it Is
 rarely feasible to place them under
 the same roof without disadvantage to : the postal service"
 l Of special interest to the general 1 public are the recommendations re ! lating to the extension and improve ment of the City delivery service. Mill i ions of people residing in small towns ] il is stated, are without any form oi 1 free delivery. This condition, the re 1 port says, can be Temedied by amend 1 ing the law so as to permit of the es i tablishment of city delivery service 1 at pOstoffices where the receipts are
 as much as 5000 annually. The pre- yious recommendation that mail shal not be delivered by city carriers ex
 cept at residences or offices where suitable mail receDtacles are placed at the door or entrance, is renewed
 The expense to the patrons would bt 1 trifliRg," says the report, while tnt amount of time saved the letter car riers who now wait for an answer tt the door bell would in the aggregate represent a very large sum of mcael
 that might well be spent in givin;
 more frequent deliveries and collec tions."