The Washington herald., 1913-11-26
Rearrangement Of Bureaus Is
Effected by Postmaster
General.
FORTUNATE In HIS AIDS
Head Of Department Only the Second
Man from South in Position
Since Frankiin's Day.

the country, would seem to show that
the South can furnish quite as capable
and energetic business men as the East,
from which section nearly half CT all
our Postmasters General have been
chosen.
1t is a noteworthy fact, however it may
be explained, that excluding the border
States, the South, properly speaking, has
had but two men in that office since the
DAYS of Benjamin Franklin-Joseph
Habersham Of Georgia, and Albert ;.
Burleson. The more, popuious states OF
~the East, with their political power and
material advantages, have had the great
est number of such appointments, twenty
three Of the forty-eight men who have
held that Office having come from that
section. The border States have had mr.
teen, and the West only eight 1t was
not until 1866 that the West was at all
recognized in the appointment Of such
Cabinet Office when Alexander w. Ran
daIi, of Wisconsin, was chosen by Pres
ident johnson. Subsequently that state
furnished three more Postmasters Cen
eral, viz: Howe, Villas. and Payne.
PennsyIvania Heads List.
In considering the States of the Union.
which have been most fortunate in this
respect, it is found that Pennsylvania
heads the list with seven to its credit
New York comes next with six, Cameo
ticut, Kentucky, Tennessee. and Wiscon-
sin with four each; Massachusetts,. Mary
land. and Ohio, three each. and the re-
mainder scattered among the seventeen
States from which all the Postmasters
General have been selected.
The term of service was, ii seems,
much longer in the olden days than at
present From I75 to 1850. seventy-five
years, there were only seventeen men IN
that position, Gideon Granger, OF Con-
necticut, having served thirteen years
and eight months, and Return J. helgs'
of Ohio. nine years and three months.
From 1850 to 1912, sixty-two years, there
have been thirty-two men in that once.
Whether the shifting currents of politi-
cal life and expediency, or other causes
have operated to make changes in TINS
Office, 1t appears that many occurred in
the administrations of some of our chief
executives. Roosevelt for instance. had
five Postmasters General; Grant Arthur,
and Cleveland lin the latter's two terms),
mad four; Washington and Buchanan,
three; Jefferson. Jackson, Van Buren,
Fillmore, Lincoln, johnson, Hayes, and
Mckinley, two each. The remainder OF
the Presidents evidently held on 10 the
men they originally had appointed.
Question of Economy.
The Postmaster General being, by the
nature of his official duties, brought into
close contact with the people, 1t might
be of interest to know something OF these
men, who they were, why chosen for that
great Office, and what notable achieve
ments were connected with their names,
but all that is past history. We live In
an age where new subjects and vital
questions occupy the stage and demand
considera tion, prominent among which al
this time is that Of economical, yet enec-
tive, public administration. To this sub
ject the present Postmaster General has
given his attention, and having served
in Congress, on the Committee of Ap-
propriations, is evidently interested to
know how the public money is spent and
what return is received for it. and being
in position to find out, at least so far as
his department is concerned. is taking
the necessary steps to discover it
The survey Of existing conditions dis
closed the fact that because Of frequent
divisional changes, the different bureaus
were found to be overlapping each other
in various instances and exercising sep
arate authority in correlated matters. A
Encouragement, whereby these officially
related duties were brought under one
head, soon corrected this, insuring not
only prompt attention and fixing def
mite responsibility, but simplifying as well
the administrative features, which has
proven to be OF recognized benefit and
value.
II the selection of the right men for
public station is one of The essentials to
successful administration, the Postmaster
General has been fortunate in his choice
of the men to whom these great trusts
were committed All are well qualified
and have given satisfaction in their sew
eral stations. The First Assistant. Mr..
Roper. has an extended political acquaint-
lns nFr.C
and has the discriminating judgment his
position requires.
Has Competent Aids.
Second Assistant Postmaster General
Stewart is, by training and experience,
abundantly able to deal with the great
problem of railroad transportation, where
much CT the appropriation goes. The
Third Assistant, eX-Gov. Dockery. who
has general supervision OF the financial
operations OF the postal service, to which
has lately been added the increasingly
popular branch of postal savings. Is SO
weI known by his successful public ca
reer that comment is quite unnecessary,
and Fourth Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Blakslee has shown himself fully
Z capable OF handling the growing expense
which the rural delivery and the postot-
Z fees of the country have brought about
His frequent visits to the Annex, the sup
ply house of the department a custom
which he has inaugurated and which al
ford him direct insight into the numer-
Gus items of public expenditure connect
ed with equipment and supplies, evidence
an intelligent appreciation Of the respon.
sible duties of his office and his desire to
meet its utmost requirements
Equipment is Good.
As the nation grows, theAaemand from
the people for postal extension and from
the postmasters for increased facilities
for conducting their Offices, must needs
receive consideration. Provision must he
made and measures adopted to meet this
demand The first is met by the generous
regard of Congress in appropriate Iegis-
iation, and the department answers the
other by considerate effort to afford all
possible assistance to those who are en-.
deavoring TO further the interests OF the
people they serve. The great division OF
supplies of the Fourth Assistants Bu-
reau deals directly with the postuasters,
and, as now conducted, is an excellent
example of what order and system can
accomplish in the management of public
affairs. Every method and appliance
known to the commercial world for the
speedy dispatch of business is brought
into requsition. No concern in the coun-
try is better organized and directed, or
better equipped for the vast amount of
business which comes there for atts-tion
from the many thousand postoffices of
the United States.
BY the system in vogue, a glance is
sufficient to tell the condition of public