The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-10-14

1Oun thar the Cost VI OOAAsOAAho -
motor vehicles varied from one and
one-half cents to nearly fifteen cents
per package, whereas delivery by
vehicles showed a varia-
ton OF from one cent to nve cents per
package. We are now investigating
how to deliver goods the o cheap
ly."
The conversation here turned 70 the
political business of the o once
and OF it's ~closeness to the
people. Postmaster General Burieson
said:
The Post Office Department out
ranks any other OF the executive
branches in it's direct value to and
connection with the people. 1t is the
that is closest to every
Individual, and 1t is, more than any
thing else, a representative of the ma
tional government. In many commu-
mites, it is the only representative OF
the national government Tne state
Department is a very important part
Of the administration, but there are
millions Of our citizens who
come into contact with 1t, or have any
knowledge Of what it is doing. The
Agricultural Department and the
Treasury Department touch hundreds
of thousands Of our citizens, but the
Post Office Department into al
most daily contact with every indi-
vidual in the United States who is old
enough to read and write. It is a
concern that touches the individual,
and that every day. If there is any
department that should not be con-
Itrolled by politics, 1t is this depart
ment. And STILL" continued the Post
master General, with a smile. the
head Of the Post Office Department is
the man who is supposed to keep the
executive and legislative departments
-. IT, Az
Intermediary and go-between Of the
two"
but why is that, Mr.. Postmaster
General?" l asked.
zone reason for it is hat the Post
Office Department is the one place to
which every congressman must come
from time to time. The senator or
representative may seldom ave Occa-
sion to go to the State Department.
to the Agricultural Department. but
he is sure to come to the Post Office
Department. . It Is Tor this reasOn
that the Postmaster General has
dropped into the business Of keeping
harmony between the executive and
Legislative branches. There is no rea-
son why this should be SO, and he
does not always succeed in his job,
but it seems to have devolved upon
him., nevertheless.
referring to the political aspects
OF the department, I see that O are
making the fourth-class postmasters
undergo a civil service examination to
show their fitness for Office"
THAT is a result of the executive
order Of May Z. 1913, which prescrib-
ed a test for determining the fines
of fourth-class postmasters under the
civil service law. It was President
Roosevelt who first brought fourth
class postmasters into the classified
civil. service. He did that In 1908 a.
to certain Of them in the northern
n northwestern states, n It was IL
October, 1912, that President Tai,
extended the order to cover tn.
United States. These orders brough,
lau he postmasters under the civt
service laws without requiring then
to show that they were At for sucl
protection. President Wilson's order
requires that every fourth-class post
master whose compensation is $18t
or upward must submit to q compe
titive examination. and It Is baee<
upon such examinations that the ap
ipolntments were made. On March
and since then we lave had over 4.5O,
fourth-class postmasterships vacant
and of these LOO have been file,
through civil service examinations O
on inspectors reports. We have be
= ~AAN All &C S1IOoSAuO Oh Ih3S
, fourth-class postmaterships yet to b
| disposed Of We are handling them q
! rapidly as possible"
t What r you doing as to tn
. rural mails 2"
w have put on over 200 ne,
e routes, involving an additional expen
d1t0re Of something like 500, 900 :
S year: That branch of the seryic
s steaoily grows. It now has in tn
2 If 1GnnA -@~-
n clerks. and it costs something 1ik
$z0,O00,000 a year. The number {
: miles Travelled per annum runs hir
INTO n millions. and moro tina,
zoo.oo0 people are now receiving thej
). mail at their doors instead of at rs
It mote post Offices"
d How many post officer are there :
e the United States"
=, The number Is almost $4,000"
It Give me in a nutshell some idaa +,
n Uncle Sans post Office business
y AZ Is a big thing to put into a nu