Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-06-06

- Silver City, N. NJ, June 8: On ar
riving at Silver City today from the
Mogollon mountains, where he has been
spending some weeks, former Post
master General Hitchcock was shown
the statement issued q few days ago
by Postmaster General Burleson at
tacking his administration Of the post
office department. Mr.. Hitchcock Is
sued the following statement: "A
committee, composed In the main, OF
newly appointed assistants having less
than three months experience In post
Office business, attempts In report 10
the present head Of the department 70
discredit the financial showing made
by the postal service under President
Taft's administration. After reporting
alleged discrepancies that are insigni-
ficant when compared with the great
sums known to have been saved by
their predecessors, this committee OF
noyitiates proceeds In its published
statements to enlighten the American
people as to the character Of the pos
tai service they have been receiving.
Their statement Is as inaccurate as II
is gratutitous, for the public well
knows that never was the postal ser.
vice conducted more efficiently, or mail
handled with greater precision ana
dispatch than in the closing years OF
the Taft administration. During that
administration nearly 5000 new post
offices were established, delivery by
letter carrier was provided In about
400 additional cities, and over 5000
new rural routes, aggregating about
75. 900 miles, were authorized. Not
withstanding the great extensions OF
service. and the heavy increase In ex-
penditure, they required, the postofice
department was placed on q self-sus-
tanning basis and that was Its condi-
ton when, on the fourth OF Marcn II
passed into the hands OF newly-ap-
pointed officers, who seem tnus lar 10
have been exhausting their time and
their energy In vain attempt 10 ae-
tract from the record made by the de-
voted public servants they succeeded.
The postal committee Of q Democratic
house of congress endeavored last
year in a similar manner to at
tack the audited accounts OF the pos
tai service, but after investigation tnat
committee was fair enough to admit
that the department had become SUD-
stantially self-sustaining. The returns
as to surplus or deficit are made up. not
by the postof1ce department, WheLs
all postal income Is received and All
secretary of the treasury reported the
wiping out of the postal deficit ana
the record thus certified to In his MS
cal report, is likely to stand In history.
The United States postal service com.
prises altogether more than 100000
officers and men. 1t Is the largest
business organization in the world. 1t
expends annually about $260.000,0O0
and now takes in approximately that
amount in postal receipts. II requires
a high order Of business ability and
the closest kind Of application on the
part Of the various officers In charge
to conduct successfully public ser
vice so extensive and so intricate. the
question may very naturally present
itself in the public mind, as to why
the present officers Of the department,
instead Of consuming all this time In
an endeavor to discredit the good
work of the men they succeeded, are
not devoting themselves more atten-
lively to the important branches OF
the service entrusted to their care,
even II they are thus far unable In
their inexperience to map out and ex-
ecute a constructive postal pro-
gramme, so as to broaden still furth-
er the usefulness Of the pos stofice.'
at s2,276, ,363,00o. ..