The Detroit times., 1911-01-18
INTIMATE CORRESPONDENCE.
ny RATH.


washington, ID. C., Jan. ~, 1910.
Dear Dad: From Postmaster Cen
eral Hitchcock's press agent comes
dope TO the effect that the post
master general has discovered n way
to adjust the railway mail charges SO
as TO save for the dear public four or
five million dollars. Now the facts
are these:
The total expenditures OF the post
Office department last year were nine
million dollars greater than the pre-
vious year. Where this money has
gone Is a mystery. During the past
year, under Mr.. Hitchcock's orders.
there have been no extensions OF the
rural free delivery service or the city
delivery service, nor any other gen.
eral facility. A great saving has been
effected by the law OF 1907, passed
before Mr.. Hitchcock took hold. re-
ducing the railway mall charges some
two MILAN dollars. The abolition OF
the false divisor' resulting from Vie
tor Murdocks fight has cut the rail-
way mail charge also five millions.
This amounts To saving of seven
million year In that department
alone, with which Mr.. Hitchcock had
nothing To do.
During Mr.. Hitchcock's administra-
ton there have been no increases In
the salaries OF employees OF the postal
service. During the term OF his pred
ecessor. Mr.. Meyer, twelve million
dollars was added to the annual cost
by salary increases alone. The total
revenues OF the postoffice department
were twelve million dollars greater
last year than the year before. So
there you are. Mr.. Hitchcock's press
agented retrenchment and economy
looks to me very much like skim milk
and cheese pairing
The associated lawnbrokers of the
district OF Columbia have pooled their
interests and raised q sum of $4,000
which Is TO be paid to former Senator
John M Thurston II he succeeds In
killing the loan shark bill now pend.
ing In congress.
One of the most important officials
I'm tho general postofiice department Is
Postmaster General Frank Hitch
cocks press agent. He has an office
adjoining that of the postmaster gen.
eral, has clerks, assistants and type
writer's, and does land office bust
ness at government expense. Even
the first. second and third assistant
postmaster generals dare not give out
anything to the press, except through
Frank Hitchcock's censor.
Ask any architect what Is the most
beautiful, as we'll as the most charac-
teristic structure In the United
States, and ne will answer the dome
of the national capitol. The archi-
tects of the capitol, when this dome
was constructed, were Walter and
Clark, and they have gone down to
fame as the designers OF this dome.
AS a matter of fact. they were not.
The real creator Of this dome was
young German craftsman by the name
of Schoenborn, who worked under
Walter and Clark. and who lived on
est and died only short time ago.
Schoenborn came from Germany with
modest disposition and an excellent
technical education. He was kept Sc
creted in the crypt somewhere and
was content TO hold it's job and let the
glory go to others. The dome is what
the architects call false DOME aud
IA one OF the first structures made
of structural cast iron.
l.. w. Page, director Of the United
States office of public roads. says:
Our annual loss on account or In
correct and inadequate methods IN
the administration OF our public roads
! estimate to be $40,000.000. The bur-
den which bad roads annually impose
on us through excessive cost OF trans
portation is not less than $25O,OOO-
O00."
There is one point on which stand
pat and progressive Republicans Ill
both the senate and the house seem
TO be unanimous. II Is this: That
William Howard Taft will be renomin-
ated for the presidency and viii be
beaten oy a Democrat. Sincerely,
RATH.