The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-02-01

| the Atlanta division. All five members
OF the committee are men Of long eN
perience and thorough experts in their
particular line.
First Visit to Atinntn.
After It's organization the commit
tees first visit was made about Jan
uary ., to the Atlanta Ca post office,
where a new postmaster had just been
appointed The members remained
there about ten days and so thorough
~ reorganized the office that doubt was
expressed that the old postmaster
should he drop around" After finish
Ing up the job TO its satisfaction. the
committee went TO Savannah where it
spent about a week, put it in such shape
that 1t VIII we'll serve as q model" and
returned to Washington. 1t has been
very busy since its return week ago
( in preparing its voluminous report
In anticipation of its visit to Rich
mond and TO secure some outline OF the
work ahead of II, the committee to-
day forwarded 10 Postmaster Hay r
| thornton, printed form bearing a
| large number of questions regarding
/ the Richmond office With the reply in
hand the committee will be more fully
/ prepared TO get right down to work
upon its arrival
The plan of reorganization which has
been adopted is To divide the execu-
| tiEe branches OF the Offices into two
| divisions. This has been done By plac-
| Ing one division in charge of the super
intendent OF mails. and placing in his
/ charge every branch OF the Office which
mas to do with mailing, distribution OF
mails delivery. collections, city car
riers and substations
The other division has been headed
py the assistant postmaster. who has
( neeh given charge OF every division of
| a, financial ,,IS nature in connection with
money order. registry. postal savings,
ooSes. rent collections, key deposits
and other similar divisions
After these lines have been CLEARLY
aehned II has been found n compare
/ lively simple matter TO place men al
ne, heads Of the different divisions,
without possibility OF shifting respon,
sIDility or doubt as TO whom to ioo.
/ loiore the different branches of n large
post Office have. as n general rule been
supervised by a multiplicity of super
intcndents each division being sepa
rated by an imaginary line only. fire.
I quehtlY resulting in MISUNDERSTANDING.
~, nnu azure TO satisfactorily perform
cheney "a
system OF Uniformfty.
/ ca A ~ me organization is completed,
so iar as methods are concerned. the
committee VIII take up the nuaiifra
.ion ana fitness of each individual. par
ucularly supervisory o-icers win 3,
I view to ascertaining whether or nor
ney are suitable for the positions they
| are attempting to fiji. The safeguard
Ihs OIL government funds will also he
| given consideration to ascertain II
cmeck ups and audits are made fire.
9uently enough, and. ii possible. TO oh
Niate any divided reSponsibilitv. ana
IN each instance to fix the individuni
! responsibility i'"'''
10 this end il is required. if possi,,la
lnht only one individual shall have
access 10 the funds in his immediat -
charge, which means the abandonn,"nt
( or the common safe or drawer which
three or four have access to. This in :
novation, besides possibly preventinp.
! loss TO the postmaster or the rovern
i a,,.II, rs great protection to the in
dividual himself The government has
! IN former years lost "a considcrahIc
amount of money in the postal system
! due chiefly to lack OF Uniformity in
/ these methods. "a
| The committee has no set purpose of
reorganizins the personnel OF any Of
| nee, but where inefficient emploves
nave been found they have been placed
| In positions OF less responsibility and
more able men brought up from below
ana put in their stead.
1t Is the intention of Postum
General Burleson ultimately to have NJ
least one model" post-oftice in each
state, so that postmastcrs in other
| cities may visit them and place their
own offices as nearly on that basis as
| possible. q III N