The Washington times., 1912-06-28

resolution Il will act on IT," says the
statement in the Senator'S office, and
there will be no delay in securing maj
action. The situation Will thus De re-
lieved at once"
Mail Service As Usual.
Mail service In Washington and
throughout the country will be run
on schedule, each postmaster assum-'
ing the responsibility.
Up to a late hour this afternoon
Public Printer Donelly had not de-
termined whether or not the employees
of his office would be instructed to
report or not to report.
ployes at the Navy Yard that they are
not to work still stands. but 1t may
be changed or amended later In the
day to conform to the policy Seins
Director Ralph of the Bureau OF En-
craving and Printing announced to-
day that bureau employees would be
expected to report and work as nsuai
Treasury Bailey said that the thou.
sands of employees of the Treasury
Department in Washington, and
thrOushOHt tH the :USntry we you'd a1. e0o 0o
crossing that bridge until we come
to it." ne said. I'VE will not reach
1t until Monday. That Will be time
enough"
Appeals to Comptroller.
Secretary of Agriculture Wilson in
an appeal to the Comptroller for a
decision cites the fact that his de-
partment has several hundred con-
tracts, leases, and agreements, with
persons throughout the United States,
each Of which expires June 80, but by
its terms is subject to renewal for
term of one year, at the option OF
the Secretary.
The Secretary wants to know
whether or not he can extend these
ceding an appropriation. The Comp
troller cites precedents to show that
such action would be illegal but sug-
gests that they be conditionally re.
il the necessary appropriation Is
made, but gives no decision of the
tangled questions involved.
The effect on the country at large OF
the laps Of an appropriation for the
Postoffice Department alone, automau-
cally stopping the activities Of that
great machine, would be appalling In
the opinion Of Postmaster General
In a statement today the Postmaster
General says that such a contingency
! would be a national calamity OF almost
unbelieveable extent II would .S. ,1en, pc a a
| confidence in it's government
| According to the Postmaster General
this will be the effect upon the postal
employees:
with the stoppage of all mails. which
will of necessity accompany the cessa-
| tion of work by those who handle them,
will come loss of employment by those
whose duties are connected Wlth the
receipt, dispatch or writing OF letters.
For instance. one large establishment in
| Chicago employs more than 1000 persons
merely to open the letters received.
| There must be a commensurate force Ia
answer them. The employment OF all
these and of many thousands in similar
positions throughout the United States
will be affected. Crews employed by
the railways on mail trains, transfer
porters and contractors, will also fnd
themselves without work and without
"A great many postoffice leases will
| expire automatically; contracts for en-
velopes, twine, and other materials uset
in quantities in the service will become
imperative, and the great plants which
| furnish these commodities to the Gov
ernment will have to close their doors
or cut their force to the limit, sending
their workmen home with no Idea o
when they can expect employment
! again.
"All over the country the cessation
Of all mail service will work the great
est inconvenience and often inestimaol'
| hardship. Important letters cannot evel
be set, much less delivered. Not ever
| a stamp could be bought at postoffce
for there would be no one to sell tina
| promise of the Government to do some
thing which it Guild mt perfrm.
All Will Be Affected.
Banks and business houses awaiting
checks and drafts must either do with
out or send money by express or tele
graph The convenient money order vii
no longer be available. lndividual
awaiting letters must continue to wait
and perhaps suffer great losses or sor
rows The farmer will look In vain fo
the familiar rural carrier. Subscriber
to newspapers and magazines mus
either do without the periodicals TO
which they have already paid or pur
chase them from newsdealers, witt
would have to get them by express
freight. .,
Every individual in the country vii
be affected-the great majority directly
and all indirectly
THE postal machine Is tremendo l
machine. the greatest business estab
lishment of the whole world. The peo
pie have come to take 1t SO much as a
matter of course that 1t seems par