Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-10-16
P. O. EFFICIENCY
Continued from Page one)

put in cantonments to give soldiers effl-
cient mail service.
I'm one month also there were $1,000
missed train Connections"
For the treasury. Mr.. Burleson said.
Lis der artment distributed tens of
thous ands Of tone of Liberty Loan
Il ropaganda, sold 80 per cent. of all saw
ings stamps, sold and distributed new
TAX stamps which included the audit
ing of $1,000 accounts. The postal SER
vice also distributed millions of ques-
tionnaireh and acted as a recruitin, ;,
service for the war department, aided
in making the food conservation meas
ure effective and played leading part
il: adm .nistering the espionage art AMI
registering alien enemies.
Exclusion of seditious matters from
the mails was a very unwelcome task"
MIR. Burleson said feelingly." 1 was de-
nounced as suppressing free speech, an
autocrat and Prussian. but I moved on
in the even tenor of my way, performing
my duty with moderation, exercising
no arbitrary power whatever, but en-
forcing the law at written. It is great
satisfaction that in every case where
my action was contested the courts
have upheld me-" .. -l
Declaring he was not going to be
harsh. the postmaster general turned
to Individual policies for which he ha /
feen attacked. In reducing parcel post
rates and increasing the weight limit
Of parcels. he said he turned a deficit
irto a surplus but encountered opposi
ton from the express companies, which
came within one vote in the Senate Of
repeating he law.
He declared he met a similar sit
uation in planning the basis for pay
ment of railroad mail from weight to
space. Fifteen railroad presidents
called on him to ask an annual in
stead of a Quadrennial weighing.
Il never indulge in weasel words"
Mr.. Burleson said, 80 1 told them
was going to change to the fairer
basis of paying by space occupied.
They demurred and told me to for
get it, but 1 put it over all though
they were powerful enough to stran-
gle my department apprehension and
we operated under q continuing res
olution for the first time in history"
Pneumatic tubes were said by No.
Burleson to have been retained in
the service by graft until the pres
ent administration abolished them.
Much time was devoted by Mr..
Burleson to the fight on second class
mail rates, which he laughingly said
made him "the idol of the newspa,L
pers and the hero of the magazines"
He declared it had cost the govern
ment $160,00O above the postage to
carry one edition of we'll known
weekly which averaged $1,6O0,0O0 in
advertisements.
THAT deficit was paid by you," he
told the business men who were his
auditors. until my fight forced "a
change, and now I'm before the in
terstate commerce commission trying
to raise still further the rates Con-
gress fixed, which I know are too
low
Explaining his opposition to affilia-
ton of government employees with the
American Federation of Labor, Mr..
Burleson said he believed it was q
public danger for any federal, state
or municipal worker to be allied to
an organization that uses the strike.
Il want the postal service to be
a revenue producer" he continued,
"but we have a surplus despite our
selves because Of cutting out this
graft I have told you about"