The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-11-17
FIND RICHMOND HAS
MODEL POSTOFF|CE
OFFICIALS OF DEPARTMENT COM
ING HERE AFTER HoLI-
DAN RUSH.
VISIT OTHER CITE S
TO ESTABLISH MODEL OFFICES ALL
OVER CoTNTRY--RULE
ALREADY OBSERVED
HERE.
VISIT OTHER CITE S

When the committee Of officials Of
the postafiee department. making
investigation of employees, methods.
equipment and service at several of
the largest postofices in the country.
with view 10 establishing model
postoffices and standardizing the ser
vice in the larger cities. reaches Rich
mond it will find that practically all
the reforms to he proposed have been
in force in the Richmond ONCE.
Upon every matter. with one ex-
eption, on which the offices are to
be checked up. the committee will
report the Richmond office O. X The
exception Is. that inquiring whether
a supervisory pfiicer. with the rank
of assistant superintendent. is on duty
al all hours. = In Richmond there IS
a portion OF the day-the early morn
GER is not of the rank of assistant
uperintendent. though he is pos
sessed of the authority to instruct and
direct employees as though he were.
At the Richmond Ofice.
To put into effect at the Richmond
office a regulation that the supervis-
DRY officer during such hours be as
sistant superintendent. it was said at
the local office yesterday that 1t will
he necessary TO add al least one to
the present force. There are now at
the Richmond Office superintendent
of mails superintendent of finance
and three assistant superintendent
Each assistant superintendent, while
in charge OF his particular depart
ment has concurrent Jurisdiction over
the other departments. During the
hours when no assistant superinten-
dent lis in charge the supervisory ON
Ger is the chief clerk or foreman
The committee. which will investi-
gate. will leave Washington after the
Christmas holidays, will visit Atlanta
and Savannah. and then come to
Richmond. which has been chosen as
experiment.
\ New Postmaster.
There were several reasons FOR Sc
lecsing Richmond in preference to
some of the other cities in the State.
The Richmond Office has produced a
number of suggestions in the past that
have found their way into the
methods cf conduct of offices through
out the country. Richmond is the
largest Office in the State. has good
postoffice building, which will be used
for several years, and IN December.
IL is understood, will have a post
master in Hay I Thornton. who will
begin service al about the time that
such new methods as are to be APP
piled to the office are put into opera
ton.
The committee. named some time
ago. was to have begun this week its
Investigations at Atlanta the office
chosen for the first visit. The plan
was changed and the start will not be
made until after the Christmas holi-
days as making changes during the
holiday season might possibly have
created confusion In the Offices The
committee will begin its work in At
lanta, according TO the new plan
about the first week in January. II
Is estimated they will commence work
in Richmond the first week in Feb
ruary
q. u. Ellsworth, of North Carolina,
chief of the appointment division OF
the postoffice department heads the
committee. which Is composed OF men
from every branch of the department.
such as an official from the railway
mail service. auditing department,
equipment department. rural delivery
department. stamp department, sup
ply department. etc.
Richmond's Slate Clean.
Here are few matters they will
report upon: Whether a supervisory
officer of at least the rank of assist
ant superintendent Is on duty at all
hours in the larger Offices; whether
the office force is greater or less than
necessary: whether the maximum
number of clerks Is on duty when
the greatest volume of mail is being
handled. whether the eight-hour law
Is being observed; whether Sunday
work is reduced to the minimum.
whether clerks are examined on dis
tribution: whether every precaution
liz used to reduce overtime: whether
proper effort Is made to safeguard the
finances, and reduce to the minimum
the possibility of embeZzlement.
whether the furniture and equipment
Is properly located with regard to
light and ventilation; whether con-
veyors or other labor saving devices
can be used to special advantage in
handling the mail.
with the exception Of the first
proposition. all the foregoing are
strictly observed here,