, 1923-04-26

the moving pictures. Then came Hubert Work
of Colorado, a practiclng physician of national
reputation. Now comes former United States Sen
ator Harry S. New. an Indiana newspaper man.
DIR. Work goes to the Interior department as sec
rotary, succeeding Albert b. Fall of New Mexico,
resigned.
Postmaster General Work, upon leaving the Post
Office department, ubmitted a biennial report,
March 4, 1921, TO March 4, 1923, to the President.
1t is an exceedingly interesting document, SO much
so that the senate ordered 1t printed In the Con-
gressional Record in body type. The purpose of
this article is simply to set forth some of the items
in this report which are of general public interest.
incidentally, two of the pictures are given as SAM
piles of progress. The postal card printing machine
is really up to date and the solution Of the prob
lem Of the most comfortable carrier for mail mat
ter means n lot to the letter-carriers. A third
shows former Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock
sending the first package by parcel post December
81, 1913. 1t contained n silver loving cup adj
dressed to Postmaster Morgan of New York which
is now In the National museum at Washington.
The report bears the title. Regeneration of the
American Postal System and begins with these
statements: In 1920-21 the postal deficit was $751;
8S7.3S70s in 1922 the postal deficit was SEQ.
S15,40o36 in 1929 the postal deficit will be $780,
100000; In 1924 there Will be no deficit.
The methods employed to reduce the deficits
by nearly $20,O0O,OOo in the first period above were
varied and ingenious. Examples are these:
Through the purchase of foreign exchange In
anticipation OF settlements of balances on money.
order business, the Post Office department made a
profit OF 100000, with only a single loss OF $1,000.
Through the cancellation of an existing four-year
contract and successful negotiation Of n new agree
ment, an economy of S6.278.O00 was effected.
Sweeping changes in the method of purchasing
supplies have earned approximately 81. 100000 to
S2,0Oo,O00 during the past two years. These
changes consisted OF canceling many contracts Mt
wartime prices and in the elimination of long-term
contracts covering every variety of supplies nee
essary for the Post Office department.
II appears that elimination OF "tortuous" rod
tape, causing endless waste and delay in admin
istration, was effected through the adoption of n
policy Of decentralization, the result Of which has
been the establishment OF a miniature Post Office
department In each state. known as a central a-
counting post office. Fifty-two of them have been
organized and are in full operation throughout the
country. These central accounting Offices conduct
the postal affairs Of their respective territories.
serving their post offices with promptness and dis.
patch almost incredible In comparison with the old
method of handling all postal business In the de-
partment at Washington. The new system also
changed accounting In post offices, permitting post
masters to finance themselves from their receipts
instead of sending the money TO the department
and then having II returned to them through
vouchers to cover their expenses. Rendition and
auditing OF half n million money-order accounts
was abolished and these activities were trans
ferred TO the central accounting offices. Instituted
with absolutely no extra cost, decentralization re-
suited In the release OF 740 employees at the de-
partment ut Washington, thereby saving 81. 100000
annually. A summary Of the functions of the cen.
trail accounting post offices includes: auditing OF
quarterly accounts of postmasters: adjusting md
payment Of parcel-post claims; distribution Of sup
plies. including stamps. within "a hours instead OF
a week or ten days.
by way OF contrast Il Is discovered In the report
that rural route carriers of the postal service made
a complete enumeration OF the pig and SOW produc.
ton Of the United States. This census. conducted
nfter other administrations had refused to coop
crate with the Department of Agriculture. was con.
Quoted in oyprv etnte of the uniOn rfiral roufa
carriers filling and distributing over 100000 ques-
tonnaires to farmers. The result was the first nc.
curate statistics upon the number of swine ever