The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-04-24
THURSDAY. APRIL -. 1919.
BURLESON GIVES A TASTE.


master-General Burleson for having
given the people foretaste of the
workings of government operation OF
the wires before they committed
themselves to that policy. They had
experience of that policy as applied to
the postal service, and they found
il nthe whole good. with quite a
fefw butts" They had heard much
of the beauties of government owner
ship from those who could see moth
ing but good in its workings in other
countries and from those who could
see nothing but evil in any business
that was conducted by a corporation.
We seemed to be drifting toward gov
eminent ownership Of the wires as
well as the railroads when Mr.. Burle-
son came on the scene as the great
demonstration. says the Oregonian.
He began with the parcel post,
which had been established by the
Taft administration with a zone sys-
tenn Of rates. 1t Immediately attract
ed great business, for which no pro-
vision had been made in the con-
tracts with the railroads. Mr.. Burle-
son compelled the railroads to carry
this additional tonnage at first for
small compensation and he later in
daced congress to vote what was still
inadequate compensation. That course
~as popular then. for 1t was the Gus
tom to swat the corporations" but
Ar. Burleson did not realize that he
was storing mp trouble in the future
Tor his colleague, w. G. McAdoo.
Second-class postage rates were ad-
mittedly too low. and efforts had long
been made to raise them. Congress
men were only to willing to raise
them to the roof. for congress had
been muckraked without mercy. Mr..
Burleson saw his opportunity to graf
tfy his ambition to show a profit on
postal business and at the same time
TO hit the unfriendly newspapers and
magazines. He induced congress to
apply the zone system to periodicals,
thus attacking the revenue of the big
publications, and incidentally making
more enemies for his party.
His rage for economy attacked also
both the big cities and the remote
settlers. He insisted on cutting out
the pneumatic tube service OF the
former and he cut down the star
route and rural service of the latter
by refusing to make higher payment
in proportion to the increased guam
tity of matter coming from the par
eel post. He had been able to force
former measures thru congress by
judicious use of postoffice, but by this
time the supply of postoffices had
about run out and he had narrow
escape from defeat on the tube ques-
ton, being saved only by presiden-
tion veto. BY abolishing the tubes he
aroused the anger OF New York, Bos-
ton, Philadelphia, st. Louis and other
cities, and he caused such congestion
of mails that he was compelled to ask
congress for authority to construct a
tube system of his own in New York,
thus reversing himself.
In order to remove the popular be-
lief that the spoils system still rules
his department, he introduced cam
ouflageed non-partisan merit system
for appointment of first-class post
masters The papers of applicants are
examined by a joint board Of men
from the civil service commission and
the postoffice department, who report
on their order of merit and leave Mr..
Burleson to make his selection. The
scheme has not been working long,
but at Newark, N. j., a republican in
headed the list last jan
lary and. no appointment has yet
,een made. The civil service commits
lion objected to this hybrid system
md wanted to follow the plan provid-
ID by law. Mr.. Burleson took his
roubles to the president, who de-
handed and got the designations OF
wo commissioners. Thus Mr.. Burle-
on won for the administration the
nemity of the civil service reformers.
Ever since he became boss of the [
nails, Mr.. Burleson has ached to add {
he telegraph and telephone systems /
D his domain. When war came, he g