The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-07-11
Uncle Sam,
Letter Carrier
A Talk With Postmaster General
Hitchcock ON the New improvements
PLANNED for the Mails

uuo Postal Deficit Wiped Out and the
uenurtnncnt Now Run at Il Profit
increasing the Service and Cutting
nn,,u the Expfnscs-An Era OF
ucdcru Business Management-The
poetmastcr as Il Permanent Fixture
-nnc Cent Letter Postage and Why
We Have il NOt-Thc Railways and
III, Naii-Thc ParcelS-POSt to Be
T.Atc,i-Running Down the RascalS
Postal Savings Banks.
downright, 1911, by Frank 6. Car
penter.)
WAsHINGrON. D. C.
He MANAGES a business which costs
more taan S2O0. 000, geo a year. His
corps Of employees is three times as
many as the United States army. His
annual transactions include the hand
ling Of fourteen thousand million
articles. and his men go back and
forth over routes which if placed end
40 end would reach almost twice as
far AZ from here to the moon. Their
travels in the space Of one year in the
limited States alone are five times as
great as the distance between the
earth and the sum-, and their COM
mnnications reach to every spot on the
face Of the globe.
This man is unknown to many of
You. but by proxy he calls at your
front door every morning. and for
from | to 5 cents he will carry your
words to any Mace on this great round
world. His name is Frank Hitchcock:
his title is Postmaster-General; and
his business is the management OF
Uncle Sans mails.
Suppose We become better ac-
quainted. We shall call at the slate
colored Postottice Department WHOA
stands on Pennsylvania avenue be-
tween the White House and the Cap
itoI. for it is there he has his head
quarters, 1t is 5 o'clock in the even
ing and toe rank and file of the
clerks have all left. The big building
is quiet. except in the rooms of the
chief, where the work may go on far
into the night. The Postmaster-Gen-
eral is one Of toe men who do things.
tie is wrapped up in his great under
taking, and the hours pass unheeded
when he strives for results. lust now
he has Big matters on hand and mid
niG0t will come before his light will
so out. He is a dynamo in brooches
and he works like a dynamo. When
the current is on the sparks fly and
tie living dynamo goes to bed and
sleeps like a baby. During my talk
With the Postmaster-General today ]
asked hin if he could leave his work
III the office. He replied that he
never carried his troubles outside
Said he:
That is my only salvation. do the
thlng that is nearest me and | always
DC the best that [ can. l try to be
honest, and think | may a thai
] am not afraid to do What to me
seems to be rie>nt.'
The above l believe to be the key
note OF the life of Frank Hitchcock
IN A-l-1 - 49, ~ i " i
Is the secret of his success as post
masteT-General. He is spoken of as {
ShfeWd politician, but he objects tt
t@1S reputation. saying that he entered
p"lltIcS only at the solicitation of HI
friends to accom- pliSh an end, and tina
when that end was obtained he lef
Il for good. His actions in the Post
ounce Department are "A proof OF tn!
statement, He has fought the maya
zines and the railways. and has ever
waved the red flag Of defiance at tn
mad bun of Congress and that solel.
If the good Of the mails and tn
people.
Running Uncle Sans Mails at
Profit.
ituTInG my talk with the Post
master-General referred to thes
h&hts and his efforts to cut down tn
ue'cjt which has now been wipe
'"t then asked as to whether n
otjeNtd the lPOstOtfice Department
'"u'd continue to be run at a profit.
i do not hin we want to do that,
Itllled Mr.. Hitchcock. Uncle sam
hNslneSs is not to make money, bu
20 give back to the people in ~excellen
service the worth of every dollar the
spehd. Tnat is what we hope for tn
p"stothce. [ would not want a surplu!
except to extend the work of better
ny The mails and of increasing thei
N7iue to all the people. AS the de
l"iIment pays better, We shall reduc
"oF postage, and give additional facil'
,es OIL various kinds to those we hav
now.
AS TO running Uncle Sans mails g
l'oHt. however, t0iS is the first tim
- has been done within several geneI
"'"hs, and beiieve.We shall continu
~ make the ends meet. When tn
,'>'te was established it was sell
Oh PDbttlnP and ~ - e