The Dolores star., 1923-05-04


the moving pictures Then Hubert Work
Of Colorado, practicing physician Of national
reputation. Now comes former United States Sen
ator Harry S. New, an Indiana newspaper man.
DR.. Work goes to the Interior department as sec
retary, succeeding Albert b. Fall of New Mexico
resigned.
Postmaster General Work, upon leaving the Post
Office department submitted a biennial report.
March 4, 1921, TO March 4. 1923, TO the President.
1t is an exceedingly interesting document. 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 of the Items
In this report which are of general public interest
Incidentally. two of the pictures are given as sam
pies 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 lot to the letter-carrlers A third
shows former Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock
sending the first package by parcel post December
81. 1913. 1t contained a silver loving cup nd
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 l92O2l the postal deficit was $751;
BS7,3S70s; in 1922 the postal deficit was $780,
s154Oo36; in 1929 the postal deficit will be S3O-
100000; in 1924 there will be no deficit
The methods employed to reduce the deficits
by nearly S20OOOOOO 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 II
profit of S130OOO with only single loss Of $1,000
Through the cancellation of m existing four-vegr
contract and successful negotiation cf a new agree
ment, an economy of SG.27G,O0O was effected
Sweeping changes In the method Of PURCHASING
supplies have earned approximately 81 5OOGoI to
S2,OSOOcO during the past two years These
changes consisted Of canceIlng mnny conrracts ot
wartime prices and In the elimination Of Iongterm
contracts covering every variety Of supDIies moo
essary for the Post Office department
1t appears that elimination of "tortrors" rod
tape, causing endless waste and delay in admin
istratiOn effected through the adontion os a
policy of decentralization the result Of " hch has
been the establishment of miniature Post Ofica
department In each state, known as A central ac.
counting post office Fifty-two Of them have heen
organized and in full operation throurbout tho
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 hnndling all postal business in the de-
partment at Washington. The new system also
changed accounting In post Offices permitting most
masters to finance themselves from thejr reca,nts
instead of sending the money to the department
ana then having It returned to them through
vouchers to cover their expenses Rendition and
auditing Of half 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 TAO employees at the de-
partment at Washington, thereby saving 81 100000
annually summary of the functions of the CEN
tral accounting post offices Includes: auditing of
quarterly accounts of postmasters adjusting and
payment Of parcelpost claims; distribution of sup
plies including stamps, within "a hours instead of
week ten days.
By way Of contrast 1t Is discovered in the renort
that rural route carriers of the postal service moda
a complete enumeration of the pig and SOW produc
tion of the United States. This census conducted
after other administrations had refused to coon
crate with the Department of Agriculture was con-
Quoted in every state Of the union, rural ronte
carriers filling and distributing over 100000 opaa
donnares to farmers. The result was the first no
curate statistics upon the number Of swine ever