The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-02-28
Our Government
How Il Operates
POSTAL, SAVINGS
SYSTEM
By william, Byuckart

= Ing that if you watch the PEN
MES. the dollars will care for them-
selves. must have some reference
10 the postal service, for a vast
amount of its annual income, which
exceeds $6000O0,OO0 annually is in
the form of the lowly one-cent piece.
But like to think of the postal
service as a gigantic corporation
having branches in every city, town
and hamlet in the United States.
! like to imagine it as an enterprise
operating not for profit but for
services 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 institu-
ton 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 a.
postal money order
Respecting the evidence of faith,
the figures reveal that more than
$S00,000,O00 of funds, mainly from
individuals, is held by the postal
savings banks. -
The postal service, however, con-
sidered in its correct light as a gov
eminent agency or visualized as a
great private corporation, has to
have management, supervision, guild
ance. Without distracting one whit
from the splendid type of service
rendered by those workers which
constitute the vast machine, it must
have policies formulated and pur-
poses planned If its future equals
its past. Hence, the postmaster
general sits as member Of the
Presidents cabinet to take counsel
as he serves as the titular head Of
the service, and the Post Office de-
partInent exists for the purpose Of
supervision Of the machinery that
handles our mails.
The chief deterrent to clear con-
ception of the postal service is its
size. It Is so vast that eomprehen-
sion of its various activities at once
is difficult, yet an idea may be
gained of its various ramificationr
by examining the structure at the
top for the purpose Of seeing how
supervision of the work is divided.
The postmaster general has four
assistants, each with allotted work
to administer.
To the first assistant postmaster
general is assigned supervision of
1.-THE service rendered. that is. he is
responsible for maintenance Of a
service to meet the needs of the
public, and that includes manage
inent Of postmasters. In the last
analysis it is he who determines
whether a rural route will be ex-
tended or whether uniformed car
rier shall be assigned to deliver mail
in the new development Of homes
Mt the edge of town. This official
is the one also who theoretically
disposes Of letters and papers and
parcels improperly addressed or
never called for at the local post Of
fee and which eventually are
elassed as "dead letters"
Railway mail, international mail
end 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
maid for hauling the mails. and the
schedule of payment has to he re-
vised frequently because of chang
ing conditions and expanding opera
lions. The international mail in
wolves treaties and conventions with
foreign nations, and its complexities
are myriad.
ALI of the finances OF the postal
service are assigned to the jltrlsdic-
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
programs TO keep income and outgo
somewhere near even. though II has
happened I'm very few years in his
tory. To do that, the third assist
ant must seek TO find the cost of
handling the various kinds of mail
and the performance of the many
services now imbedded in the postal
service. For example. the parcel
post rate on pound package from
Washington to Kansas City should
be approximately the same as II
costs to collect. transport and de-
liver thar package TO the addressed
II Is nice problem. but without the
answer or an approximate figure, the
postal deficit can get out Of hand
In the hands Of the fourth assist.
! ant postmaster general are concen.
trated all OF the mechanical and en-.
igineering phases OF the service. de
runs a gigantic shop for mannfae,
turing mail bags and other equip.
ment, and buys the equipment which
the government does not make. II
Is under his supervision that the
new post Office bnilding In your towr
was designed and constructed (li
owned by the government and he