Arizona republican., 1917-12-06

because of this utilization and have within recent years threatened to strike and in one case actually did so by rendering their resignations and aban- doning the service in a body. In this case they were promptly indicted and prosecuted in the federal courts. While strikes in the postal service may be averted for the time being, yet they will inevitably come,- and the public will then be brought face to face with a most serious situation-one which will be menace to our government
 If by combining the report says, government employees are enabled to unduly influence members of congress and others seeking election to public office, the situation will naturally arise, if it has not already arisen, where congress will be unduly influenced by such organizations, the appropriations for the salaries of such employees will be greatly increased and economic pro- vision for the conduct of the service impossible
 The report, explains that postal em- ployes are differently situated from other workers in that they are not em- plOyed by private concerns but by the government whose officers are mere ly executing the will of the people.
 l for the year of $9S36,2l1. the largest in the history of the department. The increase over the preceding year was 566 per cent while the increase in cost was 445 per cent. The audited rev enues for the year, including money order and postal savings business amounted to sB29, ,726. 116.
 Remarkable growth in postal say ings is shown. In 1917 there were 674,72S depositDrs with total of $751; 954496 to thedr credit. The average balance for each depositor was Sl95.51. This was an increase over the previous year of 7l,7S in the number of de- positOrs, $45, &ss, Sl1 in the amount and $5290 in the Der capita balance. The large proportiom of this total is con tributed by industrial centers. In 143 offices in cities where there are big manufacturing plants "A per cent or the deposigs are held.
 The war has resulted in some postal routes not bein,e covered at times. Men drawn into industries by larger salar ies often have left posts that could not be filled, he report says, and recommends tlat the department be given more latitude in getting carriers when conditions are unusual.
 Mir BurleSOn again voiced Opposl- tion to the tubf. systems maintaining they are inefficient and cost more than the service, is worth. He also reiter- ated his belief that the government should control telephone and telegraph lines with supervision entrusted to the postoffice department.
 The postma,tter general again strongly urges 8 change in the system of erecting publiH buildings. He stated his belief that the government is not justified in erecting a building for postofice alone unless the rental amounts to 5000 and then only when the gross postal geceipts are sl5,000 or the population as much as 5000
 The postmaster general says the new space system of GGmpensating railways for transporting mails has been sue cessful The report says:
 The operation of the space basis is resulting in the direct saving of mil lions of dollars tD the government by reducing the car4mile service required of the railroads, and has released to the roads large Hmount of car eqlHp ment and car space of trains. The number of full bD-foot storage cars alone, which, through concentration and better loading of the mails, has been released to the railroads for meeting the present trelght, baggage and express congestion would equip daily three trains of 10 cars each operating betwees Boston and Chi cagO.
 MT. Burleson's report also makes this recommendation for further extending the civil service.
 ITO further elimt nate partisan poli tics from the postal service, to fecog- nize merit and efficiency, and in the interest of the public service, it is again recommended that the necessary legis- lation be enacted to include in the classified civil service the position of postmaster at presidential offices; and to extend and perfect the efficiency system obtaining in the post office de- partment proper at Washington it is also recommended that the positions of assistant postma sters general and that of purchasing s,gent of the post office department bt included in the classified civil service"