Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-02-23

sinSularly appropriate that the ami
Sersary of Washington's birthday
should have been chosen by the postal
employees for an event of this kind. for
OF all the institutions founded and hand
ed down by the continental fathers of
which Washington was the chief, the
postoffice system is the one most in
tlmately associated with the people,
tne one nearest to the people. Without
II, life would lose its charm. the entire
social organization of life fail. and all
that makes for human progress in ev-
cry avenue of endeavor would be lost.
Interesting Statistics.
Mr.. Simpson spoke of the postal en-
ployes as consisting of an army of
100000 men and women enlisted to
serve the country in a branch of the
service comprising the biggest bust
ness institution in the world, doing a
business of s1,000,O00 a day, serving
over one hundred million people and
dispatching mail to every part of the
earth, operating through $4,000 post
Offices, and $500 postal stations. 1t is
a system handling annually ten billion
pieces of frst-class mail, billion
pounds of second-clas mail. and bill
lion parcels. Bringing it nearer home.
the business of the Rock Island post
Office in year amounts to from $780,
oOo to 100000 in receipts, while the
money order transactions mount up to
considerably over $2,000,000 a year.
From 10000 to $4,000 pieces of mail
and an average of one thousand par
cells are handled daily The Rock
Island postoffice is manned by
force of 60 employees, whose monthly
pay rolls amount to $500, which with
the salaries paid from the Office to rail
way postal clerks operating out of
Rock Island, brings the outlay of the
office for labor alone up to $4,000
month.
The public should know. and the pos
al employees should realize, said the
speaker, the great responsibility that
attaches to the individual in whatever
capacity he or she may be employed in
the service, and the necessity and value
Of individual and cooperative effort
was expressed
1t is always a source of pleasure and
satisfaction to the postmaster to have
the public brought into contact with
the service, for while the general i'm
preston is gained through the carrier,
and Mr.. Simpson said he was always
glad to have the service of the Rock
Island postoffice judged by the car
riers, the fact should not be lost sight
of that back Of the screens In the post
Office is corps of men and women
clerks which constitutes the force te-
hind the man who wears the uniform,
and upon whose efficiency and training
likewise depends the merit and sue
cess of the service.
Other POstmasters Talk.
Edward Coryn, postmaster at Mo-
line, was next introduced and respond
ed with happy remarks. In his opin,
ion gatherings of this kind and on this
occasion would be of vast benefit to the
postal employees. Explaining that the
clerks in Moline probably heard
enough Of him during the day, he ex-
pressed his pleasure to see so many
ladies present and to be privileged to
say few words. William Hoeft, post
master at Geneseo, former resident of
this city, followed in a pleasing talk
and then the POSTMASTER introduced
States Attorney Thompson as the ora
tor of the evening. After defining the
ideal type of the American citizen Mr.
Thompson went on to say that George
Washington was not the greatest man
that ever lived, nor could Lincoln as
sumo this title. These two men were
called upon to fill big mans place at
critical time and they succeeded.
Others, too, may have been just as well
fitted to lead, but they were not called
upon at that time.
We Have Task to Perform.
I'VE are heirs to the greatest insti-
tuition on earth" declared Mr.. Thomp-
son. We were not the founders, we
were not in the army which created,
not in the army which saved this
country, but we have before us just as
great a task, as confronted our fore
fathers, perhaps greater. 1t is proba-