The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1916-07-18
THE INTELLIGENT MANAGEMENT
OF A PUBLIC INDUSTRY
By the Introduction of Modern
Methods in P. 0. DEPARTMENT

Government are wisely and judicious- !
" managed A statement of econom'-
cal expenditure which is susceptible
of proof will always attract attention
and please the thoughtful reader.
Among the vared industrial enter I
prises of the Post Office Departments in
Washington is an establishment dero-
ted entirely to the manufacture cf mail
locks and the bag attachments used in
mail transportation. When the admin
istration came into power the Depart
ment sorely needed an improved type
Of mail lock. The shop was Immediate
" reorganized, placed on a business
basis, and its activities enlarged so as
to meet this imperative demand. With
in a very short time a new and great
" improved lock had been devised and
it's production begun.
The lock in use weighed 5R ounces;
the new one weigh ? 4-5 ounces. AS
43O. 900 of this new product have been
put into service, the difference III
weight (the Government paying as
much for the weight of equipment as
it does for the mail itself) can be cas-
| ilv calculated. The locks replaced by
this new and better style cost 81 cents
each to make: those now being manu-
factured cost Sla cents, direct and IN
direct charges considered, the saving
thus shown on original cost of produe-
-. tn 60 Tl0 OF
the old style, $4,000 were annually re-
turned for repair at a cost OF about o
cents each. OF the new style, out OF q
great number sent into service, but 906
have been returned, and as these new
stvle locks can be repaired at a cost
of , cents each, the annual saving oil
this item Will amount to over S2,loo.
The Department has in this admin
istration encouraged its employees to
give their best service to the Govern
,nent and many instances have recent
lv come to ,tctice wherein the Dcoa"t-
gnent has greatly profted by this wise
public police. In the lock shop re
cent achievement in this direction Is
an improved cord fastener, the work
Of three of its employees, for sc on
bags: also one designed for locking
large quantities of parcel-post matter,
which has heretofore been without this
protection. 1t can be made at a verE
, low price requiring less material and
a fewer number of operations. The IN
significant part of this lies in the great
, number required in the service, be
1 tween three and four millions, the out
/ put being 10000 annually. AS the
IL cost has been reduced by the new me
: thod from ~ to 3 cents each, 1t vii
be seen what a splendid showing this
. makes for administrative economy.
Another valuable improvement ha
been the perfected locking cord fas
tener designed for use in the sacks
c something the Department for year
: has needed and va,nly endeavored t.
: accomplish. This device will be o
II great value to the postal service a
l" large by increasing the capacity an
efficiency of mail bags to a degree dl1
IL of business methods and the proper Ell
Id couragement of employees to take a
active and earnest interest i'll tie
IL work, both Of which desirable fc& tur>
- this a,lminist rations of the DepartmeI
III has favored and put into prac'ce, is r
n0 sDonsille for the many improvement
made and the advantages gained.
No Active experiments are constant
e' being made for the betterment OF IL
III service. For many years tremendo
expense has been labelling of the II
an mense quantity Of mail bags LII Us
~ The form Of label used in the past a.
still used by clerks all over the cou
'' trv is doubling and refoiding of wh
is known as a ''facing slip The p
'io Daration of these labels by the tho
' sands has been and is an expensive p
position, yet there appears to nave DC
'''' no effort on the part of previous
ministrations to progress from the
method. Under present direction
INV foratcd label in sheets and runs
\. been designed which is practica
cen ready for use when furnished to
De ployees. Every postal clerk III
g. country and thousands OF post or
omnlovees will find this new met
of great advantage and it will res
IN a large economy i'll the service.
There have also been some other
INT table improvements made, VIZ, the
stitution of steel where brass was
rcen mcrlv used at a very considerable
owe sening of expense; device Tor fas
city. ing foreign mail pouches, dong a
mon with the old shiored method OF st
r Of and seal; q scheme for saving "
the lv means of simple holder winch
al mits free and easy use with out W.
for and a flexible stamp design, for w
issue the contract price was 81 cents,
the which will now be made at cos
o. of Int cents. A mechanical plck-u
vcen facing table for use in facing
1i,e stacking letters in first class post
,,r+ fces has also been developed ana