The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1933-02-27

tS SchSuEy HAS witnessed Cnat de
yelopment. There are regular mails
now between North and Central and
| South America, service operating
with much more frequency than did
the transcontinental mails a little
more than half century ago. And
there is the projected transatlantic
mail, something more near realiza.
ton than is generally anticipated.
These facts are cited merely to
snow that the postal service never
stands still, either literally or fig
urauvely. 1t is growing at all times,
even as our nation expands. be.
lieve its history jnstifies the asser-
ZION that no service of our govern
ment has greater flexibility, none
tnat can adapt itself so quickly to
conditions, as can this agency of
government.
More than 80 per cent of the work
ers OF the postal service hold their
places by reason of having met civil
service tests, making their appoint
ment one or permanency.
So much attention has been de-
voted to this class, the bulk of the
postal service, as a means of con-
trasting them with the political ap.
pointees who hold higher posts by
| title but whose importance to you
and to me is not nearly so great. I
believe that the majority of the po-
iitical appointees among the post
masters throughout the country rem
der patriotic service. 1t is I'M
fair to criticize all of them for the
shortcomings of some of their num-
Der, but too often has it been found
that a postmaster, supported by the
political leaders of a community, is
not the person whom the majority
of the patrons of that office would
select. But in our country, the
spoils of political victory go to
the winning party at the polls, and
postmasterships constitute no small
part of the patronage that can be
used to pay political debts.
! The flexibility of the postal serv-
ice. has permitted it to operate on
a basis as nearly like private bust
ness as possible. It has to have
several rules, of course, and these
have to be rather rigid, but con-
slider how a postmaster is author
| lied to arrange for the receipt of
letters from an established firm
without requiring them to be
stamped and how it receives the
newspapers without payment Of
postage In advance Private bust
ness would operate that way: it
would extend credit" SO to speak,
to reputable patrons. So the post
master is permitted to arrange for
''metered' mail. avoiding the use
of stamps. and for collection Of the
| postage at stated times. Newspa.
! pers are handled the same way.
The "metering" of mail is A com.
| paratively new practice. Arrange
| ments having been made by the firm
| or individual who desires to use the
privilege, the letters are received at
| designated points, either the main
or branch Office, and they are run
| through a meter for counting and
cancellation of the place where the
| stamps are placed by individuals
| posting only one or few letters.
That machine stamps cancellation
| that ayers that the required post
age has been paid. which, of course,
it has not been, but the postmaster
knows It win be- Millions Of pieces
of first-class mail are sent that way
each year and the practice Is In.
creasing because 1t does away with
labor to attach the stamps.
In handling newspapers. weight Is
the governing factor, and the post
master requires periodical reweigh-
Ing to arrive at a determination OF
postage due. It avoids Weighing
every shipment. thus saving time,
and the postage Is paid at intervals,
| ftss avoiding bookkeeping and
transfer of smaller amounts of
money.
Congress has kept Its finger on
the pulse OF the postal service by
retaining the right 20 fix the rates
that shall be charged, except with
respect TO the airmail service. II
has granted many privileges. such
as those mentioned above, however,
TO meet everyday business require
nents. Control of the rates. IL must
he said. properly remains In con-
gress because the federal legislators
are supposed to represent their con-
stituents. and rate changes have
such a far reaching effect that the
power TO make them should rest
/ with the representatives OF those
who pay the toll.
With the airmail. a different cir
cumstanee exists. IL is in the na-
ture of special service. II must
| be done by special contract. and
none knew when 1t was initiated
how successful It could be made or
what the cost would have TO be. So
the postmaster general fixes the
rate We all pay when we want to
send a letter or package In such a
hurry that we mark il for dispatch
by airplane. This delegation OF
| power 10 the postmaster general has
enabled the gradual expansion Of
the airmail service until now it
not only reaches from coast to coast.
from Canada TO the Gulf Of Mexico.
ana dozens Of intermediate IInex