Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-09-13
PLAN WOULD HELP MERCHANTS
siEer Of Lincoln Urges Delegates to
Fight for Sunday Closing.
EXTEND CIVIL SERVICE RULE
Pennsylvania Speaker Would Include
ALI Presidential Appointees.
WOMEN ARE BEING ENTERTAINED
s;1fr. and Mrs. Rome Miller Give Them
Party 1T the Orpheum While
the Men Are Being Man
Handled by samson.

The Postoffice department, under the
present administration. and during the last
year especially. has been in its most
healthy condition. and from present signs
the coming year will prove even more
prosperous. Instead of showing a deficit
at the end of the fiscal year. as is usually
the case, a surplus of approximately s9.-
10000 is found"
In his address before the national con-
vention of first class postmasters yester-
day afternoon President +. @. without Of
Dayton made the above remarks and the
condition is attributed to the administra-
tion of Postmaster General Frank Hitch
cock
Following his address the president ap-
pointed the committees on resolutions,
Nominations and convention, and all of
1 these committees will report on the last
] day of the meeting. To the committee on
= convention is given the task Of choosing
one OF the fifteen cities that want the
convention. and this is likely to prove to
be a perplexing problem. as all OF the
representatives of each of the cities seem
determined TO carry home the prize. The
election of officers will not furnish much
excitement, as the present incumbents
merely stup up one office and the presi-
dent retires A new fifth vice president
\ is elected.
De Gravv states Position.
The address made by Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General p. v. DeGraw who is
here to represent Postmaster General
Hitchcock, was an interesting one. Mr..
DeGraw advocated the parcels post and
said that contrary to the prevailing belief
parcels post would prove TO be boon tc
the merchant who catered to the trade in
his territory instead of being a benefit
TO the large mail order houses
''The parcels post law as proposed by
ME postmaster general" said Mr.. DeGraw
s'wil1 be bitterly fought by the mail order
houses. for it will cut off large part OF
their trade. In an interview with Mr..
Sears, late Of the firm of Sears Roebuck
Is Co. OF Chicago, which is recognized az
the largest mail order house in the world
lhe said the parcels post as laid down by
POSTMASTER General Hitchcock would mean
"a great loss to the mail order business
for It would increase the rate of postage
on all packages weighing over four pounds
until the gross cost would be more than
the price asked by the local merchant -
Mr. De Graw also asked that the post
masters try to educate the patrons OF theii
offies to use return address on all o.
their NAL, and thereby remove some o.
the burden which is increasing every II
the dead letter department
The afternoon session came to a clos
\ with talks by D. c. Owen of Milwaukee
Ma Il R. sizer of Lincoln who urged tn
closing OF the postoffice on Sunday. rh'
point that the government employee is en-
4 titled to his day of rest as well as ANYONE
else. was strongly brought out.
Extending Civil Service.
THE Extension of Civil Service Rule
to Include All Presidential Postmasters'
was the theme of the talks by j. n
Dersam OF McKeesport. Pa, and R.
Woods Of Louisville, Ky, who argued tha
the office Of postmaster should not be
political reward but should be given 70
merit Civil service examinations and pro
motion were advocated to make the idea
first-class postoffice
Last night the wives and daughters Q
the visiting postmssters were taken TO tn
Orpheum theater as the guests of Rom
Miller, who has placed the burden Of en-
tertaining the women accompanying tn
visitors upon his own back.
The National Associauor - F:-st-Clas
Postmasters opened it's convention Tuesda
Postmasters opened its eonvention Tuesda
morning at the Rome hotel with nearl
two hundred postmasters and nearly
hundred mall bosses OF greater OF less ue
gree in attendance.
Edward Maggi Of Lincoln opened the ses
sion with an address OF welcome in be
half OF the state Of Nebraska. Mayo
Rahln1an followed, and David Cole, pres
dent OF the Commercial club, voiced tn
desire OF Omaha to entertain the posi-
masters next year.
ID. r. Monfort OF clneinnati responded
the addresses made by remarking that
the postmasters receive anything like tn
treatment during the rest Of the conventio
that they already had been given, Omah
would certainly hold a warm spot in tn
hearts OF all OF the visitors.
The afternoon session was opened by a
address by President Without of Daytol
o.. who also appointed the temporar
committees for choosing the next meetin
place. for drafting resolutions and on nom
nations.
Last night all OF the visitors were II
guests OF Samson at the den, and while II
men were being entertained the woman a,
eompanying them were the guests
Mr. and Mrs. Rome Miller at a theat,
party at the Orpheum Mr.. Miller a,
sisted by his wife has taken almost all II
task OF entertaining the wives and daugl
ters OF the visitors off the shoulders
the Commercial club and has arranged (,