The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-27
POSTAL SERVICE
BEATS TELEGRAP \.
Wood Tells Postmasters
Government Should
Own Both.
CONVENTION GETS
HEARTY w ELCOME
National Association Goes
Promptly to Work, Dealing
With Vital Problems Which
Affect Public - President
Morgan Submits His
Annual Report.

Postmasters Of the first class as
sembled at the Jefferson Hotel yes
terday morning for a discussion OF
department problems and methods OF
Improvement and economy in the pos
tai administration. The gathering had
more the appearance OF meeting OF
business men OF large affairs. than
of the popular idea of the office hold
Ing class Welcoming addresses, re.
ports, ana speeches OF genera
character took up the morning hours.
but the afternoon was spent In an
earnest conference over ways and
means. The visitor was impressed
with the fact that the business or
operating the postal service Is per-
haps the biggest In the country to-
Day, and that the postmasters of firse-
class offices employing and supervis-
Ing the work of hundreds OF men, ana
coming In close touch with the bust
ness pulse of the community. are men
of affairs. Henry w. Wood, president
of the Chamber of Commerce of Rich
mond in welcoming the convention
asserted that the postal service, in
efficiency, in economy and in practical
results, had far outstripped the teie.
graph and express corporations. whose
rates are excessive, and whose SER
vice falls far short OF that rendered
by the greatest of all government
monopolies. the CARRYING of mai,
Welcomed by Governor.
There were probably $50 postmasters
from the larger cities of this country
in the auditorium of the jefferson, ac-
companied by many women and
number of visitors, when Presiden,
Edward Morgan, postmaster of this
city of New York. called the thirteenth
annual convention to order.
Postmaster Edgar Allan, Jr.. chair
man of the local reception committee.
made several announcements and pre-.
sented Governor William Hodges
Mann. who welcomed the delegates on
behalf of The State of Virginia. The
governor recalled In happy vein the
Gays when Virginia reached from the
Atlantic to the Rocky Mountains
Mayor ID. c. Richardson extended a
welcome on behalf of the CITY. Tho
Mayors references to the part Rjchs
mond has played In the history of tha
nation were received with the greatest
interest. Henry w. Wood. president
OF the Chamber of Commerce. nra.
sented the welcome on behalf OF tha
commercial interests. Promising his
ieilarRs as with the assertion that no
paIl OF the community was more
ni.aiy interested in the admnistra-
tlon OF the postal service than 10 ~,
commercial. he praised in the hiphast
terms the remarkable efficiency of IT,
i.'tl i.'aii service of to-day. and the manv
that have been maaa ~
aeceht years to facilitate the onick
tu aecurate handling of the mails.
or government Ownership.
De said in part:
doaa anullns, !,ls, as our firm freouentIv
ter 49, .'ousahds ..s OF pieces of mail mat
portunity TO observe the eftioiennv va o
of the postal ser,,c. aau
az uihiHistered to-day, and nnhestta,tn.
y state that the Post-Office res.
.iieht men mas shown far more nrogra.sd,,
na.s ana efficiency than the telepr.nh
= r.panies. -. the express companies ~
L i...; o.her transportation or trans
iRission $50. companies.
whl = M mas OFTEN been wonder to mo
ciniana, sovernment did not in It's IN
teia9ra cohtrol OF the means Of
ispnlc communicat ton. saa
reason why the government shonfd no
Seii.rol or acquire this absolute h,,s,
ness ness necessity of the present day tn,
tiesr rapn companies. L think, have
anoWh less enterprise in eytendinr
.nelr service for the needs OF the rnra,
-, business communities than anv
otner public service corporation Tba,,.
rates are excessive. and It seems -
me the time is ripe for a strong n,n,,a
ment for the government to nwn -
control the telegraph service or hi.
country. eti's
Another means OF communication
mi..en tsn., thlnk should receive more at
!, ,esiition from the government Is a
larger extension OF the pneumatto ~, 9
service, particularly for use IN aus
larger cities, both for distributin. ~,
receiving mail from distant narts
the cities. Now that our cities -.
spreading out SO rapidly, through ths
deveiopment of electric car service ann
automobiles, 1t is absolutely necessarv
to provide for quicker means Of cnn,
between different potnts IA
our cities Ind suburbs, so as to pro.
vide for prompt and quicker distr,.
button of the mails.
There should at least be pneum,ric
tube service between all the substa
tons and The central post-ofilc and T
would earnestly commend this matter
70 your consideration. hoping that
will be made for
more generally extended use OF tha
p''ouin'No Stupe service, Wherever 1t |
is practical to do so.
Remlttances by Mail.
Another matter In connection with
the postal service which / think wound
well bear your consideration is "a
adopt some methods to lessen the use
Of postage stamps for remittances and
IN payment Of merchandise through tho
mails The revenues Of all the larger
post-oft1ces Are very seriously affected
BY this custom existing throughout tho
country OF using stamps for these pur.
peses and II some method could be
devised for the Issuance Of postal
notes or postal remittanoes in small
denominations. say, for amounts under
5000. at the nominal cost of one cer, |
each,i would obviate and remove the
Objectionable form of remittance by
stamps TO u very great extent. The