Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-08-20
POSTAL SAVINGS Due
new BANK SYSTEM STARTS
ABOUT NOVEMBER |.
SO Says Postmaster General Hitchcock,
Who Has Organizations in Charge
He Tells How the Big Saving Was
Made in His Department-Gives
Credit to All Employees Under Him.

Credit to All Employees Under Him.
Postmaster General Hitchcock is ready |
to take up the work of organizing the |
postal savings bank system, inaugural |
ing more reforms in his department, |
still further reducing the deficit, and
assisting the president and his admin
istration in the solution of many i'm
portant political and patronage ques-
tions.
If Mr.. Hitchcock ever had any idea
of retiring from public life his most
recent accomplishment of reducing the
department deficit of 100000 has
made him change his mind. Mr.. Hitch
cock sailed for Europe some weeks ago,
predicting that when the accounts for
the fiscal year ended June 80 last were
made up it would be shown that the
deficit had been reduced by 100000,
600. He was gratifed to learn that
this figure had been exceeded by
81 900, 900. Asked about the recent re-
ports that he would retire from the
cabinet and move to Arizona, Mr..
Hitchcock said:
Likes Job-Will Not Retire.
"Those reports are all dreams. 1
like my place, and am interested in
my work. ] believe there is an OPP
portunity to make a record here, and
1 propose to stay"
"Many of your predecessors have
talking about abolishing the deficit.
How did you come nearer to doing it
than any of them9'' Mr.. Hitchcock
was asked.
| "The remarkable showing the de-
partment has made is the result of CO.
operation among the officials and en-
ployes of the department, replied the
postmaster general. "More than a
year ago we began a reorganization
in the department proper and many
changes have been made in methods
of doing business here. They would
have counted for little by themselves,
however. At the beginning of the last
fiscal year L wrote a personal letter to
every presidential postmaster, telling
him of the desire of the administration
to economize, and asking for their
earnest personal cooperation of them
selves and their employees. They re-
sponded magnifcently. 1 have re-
ceived hundreds of letters telling about
their work. Not only has money been
saved in every Office in the land, but
the service has not been injured. The
clerks and carriers felt that the de-
partment was interested in their wei
fare, and they made it possible to eff
feet changes in personnel and methods
Important Economics.
For instance, instead of employing
many substitutes during the summer
clerks and carriers left on duty will
lingly took on the work of their asso-
ciates who were absent on vacations
There has been no working overtime
and no lack of help.
"The good results of many changes
in the money order service, registry sys-
tenn and other branches of the service
will be even more manifest during the
current fiscal year, and unless there is
severe business depression, which no
body looks for, 1 expect that the re-
naming $5,00O,000 deficit will be wiped
out by next July, and for the first time
in many years the department will be
on a self-sustaining basis"
Work of Starting Banks.
From now on until fall the postal
savings bank will occupy most of Mr..
Hitchcock Is time and attention.
"We want to start the bank right
and we do not want to start before we
are ready said Mr.. Hitchcock
"There is an enormous mass of pre-
liminary work to be done in organizing
the postal bank system, in the way Of
preparing regulations, arranging for
deposits, stamps, pass books, methods
of accounting, rates of interest, etc. If
the system was inaugurated before the
department is ready to handle its bust
ness it would not be long before every.
thing got into very bad tangle.
No Additional Expense.
81 do not expect that any branch de-
positories will be established until No
vember 1. The first branches will be
located in the smaller frst-class offices
where postmasters have records for eff
ficiency. This plan will enable us tC
extend the system more widely to be
gin with them would be the case if we
established branch banks in the larger
/ cities. 1 did not investigate the posta
, savings bank matter abroad, but I die
l look into it in Canada last summer
/ We will have a satisfactory system
1 without additional expense to the gov
eminent, as it is expected the differ
! ence between the rates of interest tn,
d department will pay and receive OF
- funds it receives and deposits under thu
r law viii pay the cost of the system.
81 Mr. Hitchcock saws be has selected