Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-24
MORE PROTESTS ON :
The MAIL CHANGES
Mail Clerk Shows Inconsist-
ency of Reforms Being
Inaugurated.
CLERKS FEAR BURLESON

Protest after protest comes to The
Bee in reference to the delays in the
walls and in the changes which are
being made in the interest of econ
omy," but which in reality are demon
alizing the service and causing all
sorts of dissatisfaction in the ranks
OF the large army Of men who are
in that branch Of the government
employ.
Here is just one more OF the many
letters OF protest which are received:
To the Editor OF The Bee: would
like to have permission to answer a
statement published in the State Jour
nails March p issue, made by John NJ.
Butler, chief clerk railway mail serv-
ice, Lincoln. He said that the de-
partment officials are aiming to work
out centralizing system OF handling
this mail without impairing the eff
cheney of the service. Mr.. Butler
knows, as we'll as you know and as
any business man will know, that
this statement can not be correct.
Il do not doubt Mr.. Buffers hon
esty OF purpose in making this state
it sounds absolutely absurd for man
of his experience to even hint at the
plan mentioned as being adequate to
the growing needs of the postal serv-
ice and business demands.
Why not?' you will say.
Not Feasible.
well, in the first place you can't
centralize the mail for distribution
and be efficient for the simple reason
this mail is collected from towns all
along the lines through which the
trains run.
in the second place, every time you
stop mail to have it worked in the CEN
trail points you are going to delay
that mail. You can't help it.
I'm the third place, the only way
you can advance mail and get it to
its proper destination without delay is
to keep il moving and how in the name
OF good sound reasoning can you keep
IT moving when you stop It at one Of
these central points TO have it
worked? Why not put men enough
on the trains to work this mail up
as it is received and then when a
train arrives at the terminus Of the
run the mail is all worked, routed and
dispatched to the proper train, leay-
ing within few minutes after this
mail has arrived.
Another thing: When is this de-
partment aiming to establish this So
called system Mr.. Butler speaks of
What do they intend to do with the
mail while they are working out this
systema
Change Too Quickly.
"Why did they not leave the rail
way postoffices as they were until
they had this plan worked out and
thus avoid the piling up of hundreds
OF sacks of mail in some terminal?
These terminals all over the country
are completely showed under now and
what kind Of chance have you OF
getting your mail through these
points when there is ten times more
mail than these terminal men can
work.
iii tell you what the whole trouble
is. We have mule driver called
Burleson who thought he could do
this by the aid OF his inexperienced
inspectors and so he sent them out
over the country at random, because
he has no systematic plan OF investi-
cation, and told them to look the field
over because We must get rid OF SO
many men. Does that sound as
though these surplus men would all
be replacede
"1hese wouldbe inspectors came
out over the different lines. two or
three Of them being on one line at the
same time, spending 81 per day for
hotel expenses, looking wise, not be-
ing able to figure out any plan that
would really help the service. When
they completed their ride over the
road they would recommend to Mr..
Burleson so and SO.
Now let me say right here be-