The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-01

which IL was intended to assign him,
and that the vacant position could MOI
be adequately filled by promotion"
Many OF these cer~ti1cations were IN
justified.
THE records show hat during the
four years from March 4, 1909. to
March 4, 1913. vacancies which were
allowed 20 exist for periods Of from
one month to more than M a
aggregated the equivalent of thirty
four clerks employed continuously
during the above period"
The committee asserts hat i'm
rn.ediateiy hafoye the time when the
new administration was TO take office
there was q complete reversal OF
policy. and THAI all availabl places
In the Department that had remained
vacant for months were filled On
Jnuary al. 1913" says the report
urgent verbal instructions were given
January FL, 1919" LAY h report
for Immediate Ana action every pos
s.bic favnrably approved rural route,
and acting under these instructions,
over one hundred rural mai dc
livery establishments were authorized
in three days. Directions were given 10
expedite as much al possible inspec-
tors report on all cases then under
investigation of rural delivery routes
and OF allowances"
A considerable section OF the re-
port is devoted to an account IF the
measures taken by Postnaster-1en-
era Hitchcock TO impress upon the
service generally the announcement
thu, economy would be the watch
word of the administration. Notices
20 this effect" tho COMMITTEES says
were carried by the press, delivered
personally by representatives of the
a ~ ~x ~ ~ NJ nAgfr ~, q CT arS' 1nnUnn-
tons and in official letters to post
masters at first and second class
postofices ut Is assumed by the
committee hat tho stress laid upon
this matter induced many postmasters
to exercise drastic economy at the ex-
pense of the service. The result has
undoubtedly justified such complaints
vice as have cen received recently
from New York. Philadelphia and
elsewhere.
During the early part OF the ad-
ministration." the committee says,
action was deferred on all cases IN
volving the establishment of city de-
livery service in which there might
be any excuse for delaying action,
notwithstanding hat the people were
entitled to the service, n that its
establishment had been recommended
by postofice inspectors. Many such
cases were acted upon only after per-
sistent requests of senators and repre-
sentatives"
A similar condition obtained. ac-
cording to the committee. with regard
to requests from postmasters for addi-
t.onal clerks and carriers, though n
Icommittee thinks 1t t'safe to say that
these requests were made in most
cases only when the additional help
had become absolutely necessary, es-
pecially In view of the postmaster
generals repeated Injunction In re-
gard to economy" The committee
adds in Justice. by the way: 'Since
changed to the extent OF allowing
temporary assistance pending inves-
legations by Inspectors"
THE practice Of delaying action
until the pressure for II became too
strong liz even more noticeable by ex-
animation OF the records OF the d.
vision OF rural mails" the commit
tee says. During the greater part of
the fiscal year ended June 80. 1911,
lished only in cases OF extreme emer-
gency, except where q net saving to
the govcrnmnt was involvd. Prac-
tically no extensions OF existing routes
we're approved. On October l. 1910.
LISA approved petitions for rural
route establishments were held In
the division Of rural mails awaiting
cumulate. and yet at the end of May.
following (May. 1919 the record for
tho eleven months Of the fiscal yea
shows q net increase of only 210
routes.
"In the single month of June. 1911,
375 routes were established and s dis
continued. making . net increase OF