Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1933-04-13
Our Goverumeut
How 1t Operates
BY William Bruckarf
POSTAL SAVINGS SYSTEM

\ that Ii you watch the pennies, the
dollars will care for themselves, must
have had some reference to the postal
service, for vast amount of Its an.
nual income which exceeds 100000
600 annually Is In the form OF the
lowiy one-cent piece.
But | like to think of the postal
service as a gigantic corporation hay-
Ing branches In every city, town and
hamlet In the United States. like to
imagine 1t as an enterprise, operating
not for profit but for service In my
interest and in yours.
1t might be mentioned In this con-
nection that no better evidence OF the
faith OF people In an institution has
been recorded than has been shown In
the last two years by the growth OF
deposits in the postal savings system.
That Is just as much part OF our
postal system now as Is the right to
send money through the mail In the
form OF q postal money order.
Respecting this evidence Of faith.
the figures reveal that more than $780,
100000 Of funds, mainly from individ-
uals. Is held by the postal savings
banks.
The postal service, whether consld-
cred In its correct light as govern
ment agency or vfsualized as a great
private corporation. has to have man.
WI Ell eyttfd With
out detractIng one whit from the
splendid type OF service rendered by
those workers which constitute the
vast machine, 1t must have policies
formulated and purposes planned II
It's future equals Its past Hence, the
postmaster general sits as men,
Der OF the Presidents cabinet to take
| counsel us he serves as the tftufar
head OF the service, and the Post Of
fee department exists for the purpose
OF supervision OF the machinery that
| handles our malls.
The chief deterrent to clear con-
ception OF the postal service Is Its
size. It Is so vast that comprehension
OF Its various activities at once Is
difficult, yet an idea may be gained
or its various ramiflcatlons by exam
| lining the structure at the top for the
purpose OF seeing how supervision OF
the work Is divided.
| The postmaster general has four as
| Gistants, each with allotted work to
administer. He has his legal aides.
the solicitor and another attorney who
Is a special assistant to the attorney
general of the United States. and he
has chief Inspector and corps OF
inspectors to see that the laws are
observed. to look after those pennies.
To the first assistant postmaster
general Is assigned supervision OF the
service rendered; that Is, he Is respon-
sible for maintenance of serylve to
meet the needs OF the public. and that
includes management OF postInasters.
In the last analysis, 1t Is he who de-
| termines whether rural route will
| be extended or whether a uniformed
carrier shall be assigned to deliver
| mail In the new development Of homes
at the edge OF town. This official Is
/ the one also who theoretically dis
/ poses OF letters and papers and par
cells improperly addressed or never
called for at the local post office and
which eventually are classed as dead
letters
Railway mall, international mail
and air mail are supervised by the
second assistant postmaster general.
With the aid OF the Interstate Com
merce commission, he decides how
much money the railways will be paid
for hauling the mails, and the sched-
ule of payments has to be revised fire.
auently because OF changing condi-
lions and expanding operations. The
| international mail involves treaties
and conventions with foreign nations
and its complexities are myriad.
All of the finances of the postal
service are assigned to the jurlsdlc-
ton and control of the third assist
ant postmaster general.
The third assistant Is responsible
for determination of the income of the
postal service. In other words, he
seeks to work out policies and pro-
grams to keep income and outgo some
where near even, though II has hap
pened IN very few years IN history.
To do that, the third assistant must
seek to find the cost OF handling the
various kinds OF mail and the per-
Torrance OF the many services now
Embedded In the postal service. For
example, the parcel post rate on a
pound package from Washington to
Kansas City should be approximately
the same as 1t costs to collect, trans
port and deliver that package to the
addressee. 1t Is a nice problem, but
without the answer or an approximate
figure, the postal deficit can get out
of hand.
In the hands OF the fourth assistant
postmaster general are concentrated
all OF the mechanical and engineer.
Ing phases of the service. He runs q
gigantic shop for manufacturing mail
bags and other equipment, and buys
the equipment which the government