New Britain herald., 1925-01-02

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 Eliminate all rural free delivery routes that don't show a profit, sav- ing sS7,OOO,OOO.
 If there Is any deficit left (which there would not be) after these eliminations. then raise the rates on various classes of mail including the second class, taking in publications,
 But the government Is not ex- pected to operate the post office as q hard-bolled business institution. It was built to serve all classes Of peo- pie in all sections of the country, and some of them at a loss,
 The express company or the tele- graph companies are business in- stitutions. They do not maintain offices in towns or villages where there is not sufficient business to warrant them. Their businesses are operated economically, and they pay dividends. The postal service serves every point on the map served by either express or telegraph com panics and many thousands more. Mail is delivered over rural routes that not only produce little business but are expensive to maintain. This is service. If the postal department is to degenerate into strictly dol lars and cents institution abandoning common sense for business cents, the people ought to have a chance to make their wishes known before summary action is taken. We imagine that most people will pre- fer service at loss to service for revenue only.
 Some persons-notably postal of- flcials-are wont to refer to the postal department as the "greatest business in the world" They are wrong. It is not a business, and Is not to be conducted upon strictly business principles. If 1t were 1t could not attempt to give the ex- tensive below cost service it does. A business institution could not afford to sink much money into profitless departments, which has been one of the prime developments of the serv- ice in the last 30 years.
 From its very foundation up a business institution would figure dif- ferently. It would regard its invest ment in buildings. and the interest on the investment and the sinking fund to pay them off, as part of the overhead. The postal department has. never done that. Buildings are constructed and equipped from con- gressional appropriations and that Is the last ever heard of the money.
 The postal department Is no busi- ness institution from the standpoint of its leading personnel, either. Post masters are selected by some species of civil service, but as everyone knows, politics plays an important part and the law is such as to per- init manipulation. But politics do not play an important part In a business institution.
 The head of the postal depart ment-Postmaste General New was not appointed because of his knowledge of the service but was given the carte blanche privilege Of bossing the department merely be- cause he was a flame duck,' having been defeated for re-nomination as U. s. senator and being fit person for governmental consideration re- garding the job. No business insti- tuition would choose its head the same way, although this Is not to be construed as intimating that the postmaster general Is not as efficient as his forerunners; as a matter Of fact he Is as good as most other have been and better than some of them were.
 The idea of suddenly regarding the postal department as a big busi- ness institution, 10 be run upon strictly business lines, is the height of insincerity. Postal officials know that will not be done and they wouldn't seriously dare to attempt it, Let an attempt be made 10 dis continue delivering weekly papers free in counties of origin, or drasti- cally curtail the rural delivery serV- ice, and then listen to what the poll ticians will say and do about it. How can an institution be big business and be run on business principles, yet be subscrvient to the pricinpals oi politics, the predllections of politi- clans and be a football of political policy at the same time?
 "STUDY ECONOMICS"