Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-05-04
SOME POSTMASTERS'
CONVENTION NOTES

The postmasters were surprised yes
terday afternoon by the sudden appear
ance of John M. Masten, superintend-
ent of the railway mail service of di-
vision No. Il of Omaha. The surprise
however, on this occasion was very
agreeable for the reason that Supt
Masten is not an Inspector Further
more his slipping in on the postmasters
gave the postmasters a chance to call
upon him for enlightment on the rail-
way mail service. Supt. Masten made a
few remarks yesterday, stating taat II
was great pleasure to him to be able
to hear the discussions and to make the
acquaintance Of SO many prominent P
M. S. has just recently been established
M. s. has just recent been established
President Of the Presidential Post
masters w. r. Law of Waterloo never
turns up lacking when it Is up to him
to keep things booming. He Is always
on his mark, ready to start the post
masters off on another line of discus
sion when a lull comes. Yesterday att
ernoon he started the parcels. post ar
gument to the great pleasure of the
Uncle Sam men. When the progressive
members had exhausted Themselves
and the conservative p. MS were toe
modest to make expressions 2on the
subject. President Law lost no time in
pulling them out Of the bush. To get
into the game himself: the president al
ways voiced his sentimen on the ques-
ton. 49,.
Postmaster A. M. Henderson OF
Story City was the only man who
thought Of the postmastership7 "at
home" in the session yesterday. He was
mo lrtT a ~ ant fnN nay onlc
Before he concluded, he stated that he
did not care to have his speech get to
his home people or there might be a
petition out for another postmaster
when he returned to Story City.
Postmaster A. l. Risely of Rockwell
City hit the nail on the head yester-
day. The postmasters knew it too.
Said Mr.. Risely, when the postmas-
tership was vacated in my town took
a notion I wanted to be postmaster.
job but l just thought I wanted the
place l got it and am still getting It,
Mr.. Riley is quite a humorist although
he may not realize it. His manner Of
speech alone produces smiles.
Charles Daniel, inspector in charge at
st. Louis, created very pleasing at
mosphere among the postmasters when
he announced that he had called in all
his inspectors Yin Iowa for today's ses-
sion. The announcement was greeted
with applause. re E
Postmasters usually greet inspectors,
it is said, with 9 frown, for the reason
that 1t makes them much additional
work. Whether or not it causes them
worry is strictly a private matter. In
this convention. there Is no cause to
worry. Inspectors are nice fellows,
think the postmasters, in a case Of this
kind. They are not looking for trouble
and Furthermore, they have lots OF
knowledge" that the P. MS want. All
inspectors are welcome to this conven-
ton. A flag of truce has been shown for
the time being. g.
Alex Sampson Of Cedar Rapids, who
delivered paper on civil pensions yes
terday that was very much appreciat-
ed by the delegates declared the sub
ject was not Of his choosing but 1t had
been showed onto him. A better topic
could not have been pushed on him,
Judging from the excellence of his pa
per. Mr.. Sampson displayed a deep and
thorough knowledge of conditions call
ing for civil pensions and talked as II
he was working hard for it. The post
masters entertain no doubts but that
he is civil pensions booster. 1t might
be we'll for the postmasters to shove"
another topic on him some time. f..
One postmaster declared yesterday
afternoon that he was classed as a
standpatter in politics. He further de-
clared that when it came to parcels
post, he was a rank insurgent He fur
ther declared that if it took any more
than insurgency he would turn dem
ocrat to get parcels post. BY becoming
a democrat he meant that he wanted
parcels post If it did not call for a
"protective tariff to protect home in
dustries, that is, the retail merchants.
The frolics Of the types in last nights
Courier gave A. NJ Anderson credit for
delivering the paper on What Con
vention program Should Consist Of
The paper was the work of A. M
Henderson the Story City postmaster
instead Of Mr.. Anderson.
Postmaster Geo. Nye Of Agency, and
his grandson, Loren William Sternel
attended the postmasters' convention
today.
H. c. Hill, postmaster at Milton, is
one OF the interested spectators at to-
days sessions.