Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-06-10
.BURLEsON TELLS
WHAT He IS DOING
POSTMASTER GENERAL GIVE OUT
STATEMENT SHOWING &C. +
INVITES OF OFFICE.
June 9.--Postmaster

Washington, June 9.-Postmaster
General Burleson today gave OUT
etateme nt summarizing various meas
ures adopted or contemplated IN the
administration of the postal service
The statement says in part:
During the ninety days of the new
administration about 1000 addluonal
clerks and approximately 500 addition
a city letter carriers have been at
tached to the various postofilces
throughout the country, and besides
these additions to the regular force APP
proximately $1,00O,000 has been author
lied for temporary clerk hire, ana
about 100000 for temporary city let
ter carriers These unusual financial
demands made it necessary for the
postmaster general to 60 to congress
In May for an emergency approprla-
ton of 100000, which was promptly
granted, and 100000 allotted for
temporary clerk hire and a like amount
for temporary carriers.
ION March s, 1913, there were about
1900 vacant misunderstanding OF the
presidential grade, and some 300 have
become vacant since. OF these more
than l 800 cases have been briefed ana
about 1900 nominated to the senate.
OF the fourth class postmastershlps
which were found vacant on March D.,
including those which have become
vacant since, amounting to about 1880,
more than 100 have been filled as
the result of civil service examinations
or inspectors reports, leaving at the
present time about 1000 of the presi-
Dental grade and some $500 Of the
fourth grade class to be disposed OF.
These are being dealt with expedite
ously.
"Within the last sixty days 4Ss petit
tions for rural delivery routes have
been disposed of, resulting In the es-
Establishment of 203 routes, involving
an annual expenditure for maintenance
OF approximately $4,000. BY the
establishment of these new routes and
the extension of old routes more than
2CO,0 people are now receiving their
nail at their doors, instead OF at re-
mote postofaces.
I'm pursuance of the policy of ex-
pediting the delivery of mail, the post
master general has ordered the dis
continuance of the backstamping OF all
ordinary mail which heretofore has de-
layed It's delivery anywhere from tWen-
ty minutes to one-half hour.
"The condition in the railway mail
service was found to be most urgent
where through mistaken ideas OF econ
omy the clerical force had been so re-
duced as to affect efficienct service
and car space cut down to a danger
point. With the advent of the parcel
post system on January l., which IN
creased tremendously the volume of
business handled additional clerks and
increased car space were most 1mpera-
tive. But nothing was done to relieve
this. II being left to the new admins
tration to restore the efficiency of this
important branch of the service. Nine
hundred and ten additional clerks have
boon added to the service since March
4 and increased car space costing
S267. 900 a year has been provided. AL
ready a marked improvement is noted
in this service.
THE parcel post regulations have
been modified so as to permit the de-
livery to the addressee, without addi-
tlonal charge, Of matter reaching the
ONCE OF address with improper stamps
afixed.
t'By an arrangement made with the
Canadian postal service the rates OF
postage on Sunday editions Of daily
mailed to subscribers In
Canada, who also are subscribers to
the weekday editions, has been fixed
at one cent pound or fraction thereof
instead of at one cent for four ounces
or fraction, as formerly"
In conclusion the statement says:
ut is Postma ster General Burleson's
desire and earnest endeavor to estab-
lish, in the interest of economy and
efficiency, uniform methods and prac-
tices throughout the entire service and
to direct postm asters to the best way
OF administering the postal facilities.
To this end he proposes to keep in
close touch with their operations and
thus bring the service to the highest
possible degree Of efficiency
OCTOGENAR
GOT FREE HAIR CUT
Sigourney, June John Carris of