The Washington herald., 1914-02-12

PRAEGER NAMED
AS POSTMASTER
Newspaper Man Is Nominated
to Succeed Norman A.
Merritt.
FIGHT FOR PLACE ACTIVE
Favorable Committee Report and Con-
6rmaion Expected to Be Made
Without Delay.
FIGHT FOR PLACE ACTIVE

Nomination of Otto Praeger. Washing
ton representative Of Texas newspapers
TO be postmaster of Washington, was
sent to the Senate yesterday AFTERNOON
and was referred IN regular routine %
the Senate Committee on Postomces ana
Post Roads. A favorable COMMITTEES re-
port and confirmation by the Senate y
is expected, will follow uickly.
Mr.. Praeger's selection, forecasted oy
The Washington Herald several days
ago, as successor to norman A. Merritt,
who resigned to enter business in Penn
sylvania, Is the end of nearly noiseless.
but very active contest for the position.
W. J. Dwyer, who was reported to have
the Endorsement of Secretary of State
Bryan for the postmastership. was the
most prominent of the men spoken of for
the Office. Mr.. Dwyer' not having been
selected is regarded by local politicians
TO be an indication that Cotter T. Bride,
said to have Secretary Bryan's indorse-
m~at for marshal of the District, may
not land the job for which his friends
have claimed he was sure candidate.
Came Here in 1904.
Mr.. Praeger is a well-known Washing
ton correspondent. When he moved to
Washington from Texas in 1904 to rep
resent several Texas newspapers and the
Mexican Herald. of Mexico City, he al
ready had had wide experience in his
business. which he entered in 1857. In
1882 he made an overland trip by bicycle
through Mexico for the San Antonio Ex-
press, travelling alone from San Antonio
TO Mazatlan, on the Pacific Coast, and
recrossing the Sierra Madres to Mexico
City by way of Colima and Guadalajara.
Another long bicycle Assignment" was
covered by Mr.. Praeger in 1895, when he
travelled 1.146 miles through Indian Ter
ritory, Oklahoma, Kansas. Missouri, and
Illinois to Chicago, where he was the
resident representative of the San Anto-
nio Express during the Worlds Fair.
Mr.. Praeger was city editor OF the Ex-
press from 1887 to 1900. when he left
newspaper work to serve as city clerk
OF San Antonio for two terms, after
which he re-entered service with the
Express For the last five years Mr..
Praeger has been Washington represent
ative OF the Galveston News and the
Dallas News.
Native of Texas.
Mr.. Praeger was born February q, 1Sn.
at Victoria, Tex, and was educated at
the public schools Of San Antonio and
the University Of Texas. He IL q Demo-
crat He married Miss Annie c. Hard
esty at Sebastian, Fla, in 1887. They
have three sons attending the public
b Postmaster General Burleson, in accept
ing the resignation Of Postmaster Mer-
ritt yesterday, said:
TN accepting your resignation, to take |
effect March 81, I wish to express my |
qualification for the efficient manner IN /
which you have discharged your duties /
as postmaster in this city since have
been Postmaster General Your incum-
bency has been accompanied by a great
development in the business of the office |
and 1t should be a source of much graft
hcation|to you to have been connected
with the postal service during SO i'm
portant a period of its history"
Mr.. Merritt was appointed acting post
master at Washington October q, 1soe,
following the sudden death
Of B. r. Barnes, who had been appoint
ed postmaster by President Roosevelt.
He was later nominated and confirmed
as postmaster by the Senate December
Il. 1910 SO that under the four-year
term precedent Mr.. Merritt had still until
December next to continue as postmas-
ter