Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-03-22
RIDER WOULD BRING ABOUT
ELIMINATION OF ABOUT $4,000
PosTklAsTERs.
HuRLEsoN DESIRES ONE
posToEFicE FOR COUNTY
Other OFFICES Would Be Made Sub
stations With supsrintendsnt in
Charge w. House, After Killing
Scheme, Discovers Amendment in
Another Bill Passed by Senate.
Especial Correspondence

ISRSSAeSA
Washington, March 22.-Now and
then. congress gets excited these days
over something else than preparedness
or the International situation. One of
the things which is arousing it now is
what it regards as scheme Of the
postmaster general to abolish some-
thing over $4,000 postoffices in this
country, that is, all but compare
lively small number of them, and to
convert the abolished offices into sub
stations of larger offices.
Should this occur, it goes without
saying, a great army Of postmasters
would march out of official life and
cease to hold relations with the pub
lie treasury. In the place of the post
master whose affice was abolished
there would be a superintendent who
would presumably be under the civil
service.
A plan Of this sort has been talked
of for some time. Postmaster General
Burleson is responsible for it. Whether
he invented it originally Is not dis
closed. But before the house post
offices committee First Assistant Post
master General Roper some weeks ago
advocated 1t. He did so when called
On by the committee 10 explain d pro-
vision which he desired put into law
to give the postmaster general blanket
authority to establish branch offices
nnn accounting offices and Sub stations
OF any postoffice when in his judgment
the convenience Of the public required
it s,ss' S,s-s1--
z Ono Postoffice For Each County.
In the hearings, it was brought out
that what Mr.. Roper had in mind was
the abolition of a great many of the
existing postoffices, such offices to be
ma de branches or sub-stationS OF
larger offices, these branches or sub
stations to be in charge: Of superin-
-tendents designated by the postoffice
department. 1t was brought out that
the plan under consideration was as a
general rule to have a postoffice in each
county. with the rest of the Offices
branches Or sub-stations thereof. Mr.
Roper did not specifically commit him
self to making the county the unit but
Indicated that the plan might be
worked out on that basis
SOf course, the house didn't arise in
Wild and violent enthusiasm and de-
clare itself for this proposal. 1t is vio-
laltHS no confluence 10 make tnlS STATE
n2ent. @ VA a : At -f;.~ }4I+s j
1.-THE house evidently supposed 1t had
heard the last of this proposed elm
inatfon OF over half a hundred thous-
and postmasters. The, senate hadn't
heard of 1t. 81 $780,.
The other day the senate passed a
bill. already passed by the house> to
increase the limit of deposits in postal
savings banks. When that bill was
returned to the house, it was suddenly
discovered that there had been hitched
to- it the provision which Roper some
time before had advocated to the house
COMMITTEES, that is, the provision giving
the postmaster general blanket power
to- establish branch. offices and sub
stations. ''
Representative STEVENSON fell on the
provision with a whoop and savagely
attacked it.. The bin went to confer
ence and the expectation is that it will
be eliminated. If it isn't there will be
a row at each end OF the capitol which
will make prior controversies Of this
season look pale. Meantime, members
are matchmaking what they will call
the Joker which would rob them of
( their postoffices and their postmasters;
also they are telling how they love
BHrleson. =,