Evening star., 1923-03-21
CHANCE RESIGNS
AS POSTMASTER
TOGO IN BUSINESS
Thirty-Five Years in Federal
Service to Be Ended April
15-WiII Join Coal Firnl.
HAS MADE ENvIABLE
RECORD IN 8 YEARS
Raised Washington Office to Level
Of Nations Model and Won
Great Personal Tribute.

Postmaster Merritt o. Chance today
resigned as head of the Washington
city post office to become first vice
president and secretary of the newly
Incorporated Griffith Coal Corporation
of this city.
Mr.. Chances resignation will be-
come effective April Is, thus ending
thfrty-ffve continuous years of service
in the postal system, with the excep-
ton of three years spent in the War
Department. He has been post
master of Washington for the past
eight years.
New Firm Incorporated.
Papers Of Incorporation for the new
coal organization have been filed un-
der the laws of Delaware. W. w. Grif-
fifth to be president. Mr.. Chance first
vice president and secretary, and Will
liam d. Griffith to be second vice
pI esident. The organization meeting
is TO be held April /. The main Of
fees of the corporation will remain at
lst and y streets northeast and
branch yards will be established
throughout the city.
The resignation Of Postmaster
Chance today brought vividly to the
front in postal circles the question
OF successor Among those men
toned for the postmastership OF the
National Capital are William NJ.
Mooney, chief clerk of the Post Office
Department.: Edgar NJ. Snyder. United
States marshal for the District: Ed
ward Graham. president of the Ma
ttonal Electrical Supply Company;
,n1 ln; ;rv, 1f h. br., .,rj
of the Federal American National
Bank. and Ralph Lee.
Pays Tribute to Workers.
II is understood that Mr.. Chances
new position carries a considera BILE
increase in salary over the salary
paid as postmaster of Washington,
which is $4,000 a year.
High tribute to the supervisory
officials. clerks and carriers of the
Washington city post office was paid
by Postmaster Chance. as he prepar-
ed to lay down the reins OF which he
has been head since September /, 1916.
Il have never worked with a more
loyal set of people than those at the
city post Office" Mr.. Chance said. 1T
is with deep sense of regret that I
sever connections with the postal
service. after thirty-five years in it,"
He also expressed his appreciation OF
the treatment received by him from
the administration.
Made once a Model.
Friends and associates freely gave
Postmaster Chance the credit for
taking a good city post office and in
eight years making it the model office
of the country, the postal business OF
which has increased from more than
s2.000,000 a year, in 1916, to more than
S4,000,0O0 last year. the increase being
larger than the total receipts in the
former year.
Since Postmaster Chance took
charge, the number of employees has
increased from $50 to 1863 persons,
the clerical force of the Washington
city post office having been increa sed
from 69S to $40 persons. Carriers were
increased from 339 to 396 men. Clas-
sified stations have been increased
from nine to thirty-two. Cancella-
tions have increased from 115,211.445
in 1916, to 214.200,434 in 1922, an in
crease of more than 98,000,000.
Population Increased,
Especially striking in showing the
growth of the local post office are
the records of money orders issued
and paid here. In 1916. money orders
issued amounted to $2,614.s53. while
Continued on Page 2, Column 81