Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-18

The explanation sufficed for most of
the complainants. but in the case of
one editor in the south the DELAY of
an individual letter among these pouches
was made the subject of a violent at
tack on the postoffice department and
the postmaster general.
The statement of the department
comprehensive and interesting. fol.
lows:
Statement OF Department
Newspapers complaining editorially
Of delay in the mail associate this wit h
the fact that under the administration
OF Mr.. Burleson the postal service has
been economically administered ana a
large surplus of postal revenues has
been turned IN to the general fund of
the treasury.
In effect the criticisms of the most
office department are aimed at the pol.
icy of economical administration and
the complaints Of delay in the delivery
OF mail are citations in support of the
antagonism toward the curtailment of
unnecessary and extravagant expendi-
lures
The gravaman of the complaints ap-
pear to be that $5,00O,000 or $4,000. :
900 has been saved to the government
from the postal revenues and turned
into the treasury. and that the delays
in the edlivery Of mail which have been
Occasioned by traffic conditions. like
those in the delivery Of all freight, ex.
press and in the passenger service of
railroads, are chargeable to a policy OF
the department which has curtailed ex-
travagant and useless expenditures OF
public moneys.
So far as has appeared in any edi-
tOrial criticism of this sort which has
come to the attention of the department
no attempt has been made to indicate
how by the expenditure of more money
by the restoration of a system OF
prodigality of expenditure-the deliv-
cry of mail could be made more prompt.
Reports from all branches of the pos
tai service show promptness and eff
cheney in the handling of the mail al
this time in so far as the postal serv-
ice is concerned, not surpassed in any
period of the history of deficiency which
drew upon the taxpayers to support
this branch of the government that
should have been self-supporting. The
records of the department do not show
that efficiency has been promoted by ex-
travagant expenditures.
Waste Avoided
Under the present administration Of
the postoffice department the aim has
been to avoid wastefulness of public
money. no matter what privateor cor
porate interests might be served by eX-
tranvagance; but no expenditure re-
uuired for the good of the service has
been cut off and not a dollar has been
saved at the sacrifice of efficiency. The
department welcomes criticisms and
suggestions Of Improvement of the serv-
ice. and does not complain even of such
criticism as is unjust. But where the
public interests are equally concerned
aei nF &c
and in the expenditure of money which
must be drawn from the pockets of the
taxpayers il is essential that an I'M
Unsuitable complaint of inetficiency in
the service should not be made an eX-
cuse for reckless expenditure of public
money without resultant benefit.
Reports on the daily operations of the
railway mail service, the postoftices and
city deIivery-all that is under the con-
troll of the postoffice department-show
that the mail, though presented in great
er volume than before in the history OF
/ the country, is being handled more expe
ditiousIy by the postal employees than
7 IN previous years. There is no indica-
I ton of where by more liberal lawful eX-
penditure OF money in any branch of the
4 service under the control of the depart
ment of mail could be facilitated.
That there has been delay, sometimes
quite serious, in the transmission of the
mails is a matter of public knowledge
not disputed by the department. But this
IS no more due TO the inefficiency in tbs
administration Of the postal service thar
is delay. which is much greater thar
that OF the mails. in the delivery OF
/ freight and express carrying the neces.
stiles of life TO merchants for distribu'
/ ton.
Congestion Brings Delay
The congestion of the railroad system
Il of the country, which has resulted in de-
privation and suffering to the publi'
I through fuel and food shortage. has re
I Gently made necessary the taking ovel
of the entire system by the government
Z The postoffice department is no more re
sponsible for the delay in the delivery o.
a letter than il is for the delay in tho
delivery n coal and sugar. and, were
additional sums expended much in eN
( cess of the surplus of the past ten years
the mail could in no wise be expedited
The postoffice department has regular
" received Geographic reports from al
branches OF the service. and these re
ports show that, Notwithstanding an in
crease of above Is per cent in first clas:
matter and approximately 40 per cent Il
parcel post. there was a marked improve
ruent in the service during 1917, as com
nared with that of other years. a large
volume of packages heretofore handled
by express companies has been diverted
10 parcel post by the public to facili
I tate its deliveS. The reports on the