Milford chronicle., 1922-10-27
UNCLE TED'S
BEDTIME STORIES
THE BIGGEST BUSINESS IN THE
WORLD


the evening, as had Jack, and she was
writing a letter to one of her chums
while Jack sat back in his chair do
ing nothing. Freddie had been in the
hospital for some time and Ruth
thought Jack should write him a note
to cheer him up bit.
You don't let q fellow rest a min
ute, do you? Who wants to write let
ters this time of night after doing all
those lessons?" replied Jack.
"Well, we'll, WE'LL" said Uncle Ted
as he came into the room. Looks like
a suffrage meeting, with Ruth the lit
tie dictator. I heard you talking about
letters and 1 wondered how you'd like
me to tell you story about the big
department in Washington from
where all the great mail system of our
country is handled?"
Gee! that would be great" ans
wered Jack, "come on Ruth, Uncle
Ted is going to tell us about the Post
Office Department"
''Kiddies, there is probably no more
important department of our govern
ment than the Post Office Department.
1t is the biggest business in the world
and when the Harding administration
took hold of the reins of government
they found that department being run
in anything but a businesslike man
ner. President Harding appointed
Will Hays, who had been the chair
man of the Republican National Com
mittee. as the head of that depart
ment. He could have made no better
choice for Mr.. Hays is a hard work.
er who believes in system, fair play
and attention to details. 1t wasn't
long before he had that department
running like clock work. He started
welfare department for the entire sys-
tenn and as far as was possible, get
in touch with every postmaster in the
United States, urging him to run his
postoffice as he would his own busl-
ness and to treat everyone going into
the office as any store or business
would treat a customer. He held meet
ings with the employees of the de-
partment at Washington and became
personally acquainted with them all.
His office door was always open ana
his whole aim was to give the public
the same kind of service as they
would expect from their own pusl=
ness.
"The time came when Mr.. Hays
was offered a big job with the moving
picture industry and Mr.. Harding ap-
pointed DR.. Huber Work, the ASSIST
ant, as Postmaster General and Dr'
Work has been hard at work carrying |
out the general policy already estab-
lished and improving it wherever
possible. There have been about ht-
tv big changes made by the Harding
administration so far as the postal |
system is concerned. One of the first
accomplishments was the reorgan1za-
tion of about 100 of the largest post
Offices of the country serving about DO
per cent of the postal business. In
one of those offices alone where 1867
836 natorns are served 100000 year
has been saved without hurting the
service. in fact the service~has been l.
improved even with the cut in eX-
pense. All waste and eXtravagant
methods have been eliminated.
'In the old days a postmaster was
anpointed and he took up his work,
nrobablv knowing nothing whatever
about the Job. Today he attends
schools to learn every detail from ex-
merits of the big business he is to run.
Another splendid thing that is work
ing fine is what they call DECEN-
TRALIZATION of the work. Before
tbis was started all complaints and
troubles from any post office were
sent direct to Washington no matter
how far away. Today each state works
ont it's own post Office troubles as
near as possible with the result that
the main department at Washington
has been able to release TAO employ
ees. saving the taxpayers more than
81 100000.
az couldn't begin to tell you in de- Q
fail all the splendid things that have
been done. A wonderful new account
ing system ha sheen established with a
1uarterly reports to central stations. c
Mail robberies which for the year S
ending April 1, 1921, meant loss Of t
S6 346 4O7 have been reduced during
-he past year to $2,616,333 and for
the last seven months OF the nscai
year the loss was only $7O5,OOO OF
which 1851, ,791 has been recovered.
Great savings have been made in the a
purchase of supplies. More than =,
million dollars will be turned back h
nto the Treasury this year, besides "
. saving of $275,O0O effected in the II
purchase of motor supplies. A new II
contract with the firms printing the d
tamped envelopes will make saw n
ng of $6,276, ,194.SO. il
s'The people who live throughout HI
he interior of the United States are r,
oOre dependent upon the Post Office W
)epartment than any other class el
Tanv of them do not get to the near CT
st towns more than once month tt
nd many even less often. This ser el
ice known as the rural mail system W
as been greatly enlarged and improv el
4 since March 4, 1921. From that date m
! lime 80, 1922, 537 new rural a
outes were established making mail ci
elivery possible to about 76,415 more in
antilles. During the same time A. M
25 rural routes were heightened Civ so
70 service to about 40,500 more fam p1
les. Besides this, daily delivery in
cad of three times a week has been
stablished on 265 rural routes serv- at
lg $4,000 families.
'Besides the improvements for the 70
1b1ic. great changes have been made to-
nd benefits extended to the postal
nnlovees. Conferences are held in
,cb state to talk over the work and
1nrove it. Credit is given for mill 81,
rv service during the war. Physical ~ ~
-aminations are given free and ev- ON
" convenience possible has been in