Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1909-1915, 1910-09-09

The saving here is In the future
tense. There has been an actual re-
duction of the deficit to the amount
of ten or twelve millions for the year
that ended on June 80, 1910.
There cannot be a shadow Of doubt
that in the current year. when the re-
forms already made have been put
completely into practice and further
improvements are carried out, that the
Postoffice will be made self-support-
ing.
How has this large economy been
effected?
Some part of the saving Is doubtless
due to the increase in the business
of the postoff1ce. But, in the opinion of
the experts of the department, the
bulk of the saving has been effected
by better business methods.
Mr.. Hitchcock, like the Secretary of
the Treasury, started his campaign
for economy by forming committees
within the department to make thor
ough investigations and present re-
ports. Apart from any specific results
achieved, the formation of these COM
mittees introduced a new spirit of CO.
ordination just as it did at the Treas
ury and set everyone thinking about
economy and efficiency. A new spirit
was introduced and new standard set
up.
When actual proposals were formu-
lated 1t became apparent that there
! was room for big results by an accum
ulation Of small savings. Just as in
the operation Of big railroad, sue
cess depends upon saving cents or
fractions of a cent, so here, for the
first time, it was recognized that real
efficiency could. only BE achieved by
watching the pennies.
Perhaps the best example of this
principle may be found in the &C.
counting for the sales of stamped en-
velopes and wrappers. Formerly these
we're sent to individual postmasters
and charged up against him at fixed
sum per thousand. In retailing them
to the public singly and in odd lots
there was always profit Of few
cents. This surplus the postmaster
was allowed to keep and apply to the
correction of errors in making change
and SO forth. BY new regulation the
postmaster is charged with this ex-
cess as he ought to be. The saving in
the case of each postoface is trifling;
but the aggregate will amount to $780,
900 or 100000 a year.
On the other hand big lump saving
is made by an amalgamation of the
Star Route and the Rural Delivery
Services. Together these two services
cost the government about $4,000,
: 900 year. They supply the same kline
2 Of mail facilities and there has beer
D a good deal of conflicting management
t and duplication of work. The group
d ing of two under the Division Of Rura
8 Mails saves hundreds of thousand
= to the department
r The registry system has for year
h been conducted at great loss to tn
g government much of which has beel
It caused by several needless record
e ings. Mr. Hitchcock has eliminate
r the useless work without impairin
the safety of the registered letters
j. The fee has been increased to the fol
[e mer charge, but the amount Of linden
nifty for lost letters has been doubled
10 Similarly unnecessary forms hav
10 been removed from the money orde
It. service. It required an Act of Coz
lg gress to repeal that portion Of the r.
It. vised Statutes which provided ths
le postmasters issuing money order
g. should send notices without delay {
h the postmaster on whom they wer
I'd drawn. The new money order wi
Is soon be In use with stub and coupon
The postmaster where payment
0, made retains the stub and receipt fo
10 remittance. The sender mails the O.
le der with the coupon. This change wit
D. other reforms in the accounting SCI
Is vice Of the money order service wi
r save half million dollars a year.
VI Another large economy is made b
70 the simple process Of doubling up le
% ter carriers in summer when the wor
I, especially in large towns, is niue
J. lighter than at other times Of Il,
VI year. Two carriers can In many Il
o Istanees seeye three routes without an
impairment or tho service. BY thi