Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-04-01
PROPOSED REFORMS in PosToF-
FIcE DEPARTMENT. MAKE
FOR BETTER SERVICE.
ONE GENERAL MANAGER
TO BOSS THE ENTIRE JOB
Pending Bill Proposes Elimination Of
Postmasters General and substitu-
ton Of Assistant Manaser.-coun-
try to Be Divided Into Districts,
Each With Responsible Head.
Especial correspondence

Especial Correspondence
/. Washington, April 1.-The question
of reorganization of the postoffice de-
partment promises to become a live
one before the session ends. The move
ment for legislation establishing a d.
rector Of posts and abolishing the as
sistant postmasters- general is max
ing headway.
That a bill making provision for
such reorganization and a general re-
Mobilization of the system Of running
the postoffice department will be re-
ported out of the house committee on
postoffices and postroads before the
session is much older is probable. A
subcommittee of the postoffice COM
mittee, headed by Representative STAFF
ford, Of Wisconsin, is now considering
the question. 1t is going to report
bill to the main committee and the in
dications are the bill will be reported
favorably to the house.
One>Man to Boss.
The bill which, according to present
indications, will be reported out will
provide for a director of posts under
the postmaster general, to be a per-
manent official and sort of general
manager Of the institution. In the
place of the assistant postmasters-
general, there will be seven assistant
directors, who will meet in council ev-
cry seven days.
Second, the bill will provide for the
0f he. inf fifteen
districts, at the head Of which shall be
a district postmaster, to whom all post
masters in the district are to report
instead Of reporting to Washington as
at present.
Third, postoffices are to be divided
into two classes, accounting offices and
mprest offices. The postoffices which
are accounting offices will be required
to report to an auditor in Washing
ton Imprest offices will not be sub
ject to audit.
Fourth, the bill will provide for the
creation of court or commission of
postal appeals to which challenged
fraud orders and questions of the adj
INSTABILITY Of second-class matter may
be taken.
These are not all the features Of the
proposed legislation, but they are some
Of the most important.
Reforms Long Needed.
This is not by any means the first
time the matter of a Reorganization of
the postoffice department and the es-
Establishments of a director Of posts has
come up. It was urged strongly by the
joint commission which about two
years ago investigated the business
methods of the postoffice department
and the postal service. Former Repre-
sentative Jesse Overstreet of Indiana
was prominent in this investigation
and was a believer in the director of
posts. Senator Penrose, as chairman of
the senate postoffice committee, took
la leading part in the investigation. I,
The plan is to have the director of
posts Immediately responsible to the
postmaster general for the administra-
ton Of the entire postal service. The
commission two years ago said that
this position if created should be filled
by a man Of exceptional executive abil-
ity, familiar with the routine of the
postal service, and that he should be
given a free hand to effect complete
reorganization of the postoffice depart
ment- The director of posts is sup
posed to entirely relieve the postmaster
general Of the general administrative
duties which he has at present to per-
form and -leaNe him free to devote his
attention to matters of large public
policy, and questions of supreme inn
portance to the efficiency Of thf SER
vice.
Would Make For Efficiency.
When the subject was first agitated,
it was talked that the Office Of di-
rector Of posts would be made the
roosting place for some favored lame
duck: also that into the offices of as
sistant directors, there would find their
way various lame political fowls. Evil
IDENTIFY, the postoffice committee be-
lieves that the proposed reorganization
would make for the efficiency of the
postoffice department.
One of the features Of the bill will
be to provide for a system OF appealing
from the decisions Of the postoffice de-
partment in regard 10 fraud orders and
the admission of second-class matter to
the mails. Some of the decisions OF
| the department in the issue of fraud
orders have aroused bitter controversy.
They. have been condemned as unjust
and many complaints on this score
! have been made to members OF con-
gress. The result is good deal OF
feeling in house and senate for sys-
tenn Of appealing from such orders.