Thomas C. Jefferies

“ In a second or two it becomes a horse and rider, rising and falling, rising and falling—sweeping toward us, nearer and nearer—growing more and more distinct, more and more sharply defined, nearer and still nearer, and the flutter of the hoofs comes faintly to the ear—another instant and a whoop and a hurrah from our upper deck, a wave of the rider's hand, but no reply, and man and horse burst past our excited faces, and go winging away like a belated fragment of a storm! ”

“ He is aware, it is true, that letters are collected and that letters are delivered, and that continents and oceans may divide the sender and addressee; but by what mystic methods delivery is accomplished he has never stopped to think. Yet the organization that lies behind the words "New York post-office" is one of the most complex, efficient, and interesting in the world, and yet it operates with a simplicity and a smoothness that betoken master design and perfection of detail. ”

“ The duties of each of these heads are very clearly defined by Postmaster Morgan, and each head is held to strict responsibility for the faithful and efficient conduct of his division or department. The postmaster himself is ever ready to give advice and counsel, and is the most accessible of executives, not only to his staff, but to employees of all rank and to the public. He in turn requires of all of his aides not only a thorough knowledge of every detail of their work, but also that they shall be as accessible to those under them and to the public as he is himself. ”

“ Mail is forwarded to the Foreign Station from all parts of the United States, and is here distributed for the various foreign countries and cities for which it is intended. In this distribution expert knowledge of foreign geography and political divisions is required, for a large percentage of the mail received is indefinitely directed, and only an expert could determine for what points much of it is intended. The shifting map of Europe has added greatly to the difficulties, for many correspondents in this country are still ignorant of the new boundaries. ”

“ The clerks throughout the department, in character, intelligence, and dependability, are above the average. Not only must postal clerks be familiar with the location of several thousand post-offices, but they must know on what railroad each post-office is located, through what junction points a letter despatched to that office must pass, and many other important details. The schedules of railroads affect the method of despatching mail, and these are constantly changing so that postal clerks must be up to the minute on all schedules, etc. ”

“ The Foreign Station of the New York post-office stands out among the postal activities of the country [Pg 65] for it is the station at which are made up all the mails intended for foreign countries, with few exceptions, such as Canada. The superintendent of the station is Mr. Thomas J. Walters, who has been connected with it for many years. It is a busy place, particularly just before the departure of a steamer, when every effort is exerted to despatch all mail that can be crowded in, up to the very last minute. ”

“ The financial transactions of the New York post-office are of enormous volume. Through its Division of Money-orders it issues and pays money-orders of a value comparable with the business of the large banks of the city. The Postal Savings System also has on deposit a sum which is exceeded by the deposits of only nine savings-banks in Manhattan, and is operated as part of the organization of the Division of Money-orders. ”

“ The classified [Pg 47] or carrier stations are practically complete post-offices, so far as the public is concerned, affording full facilities for the sale of stamps, money-orders, postal savings, registration of mail, acceptance of parcel post, the distribution of mail, etc., and for the delivery and collection of mail by carriers. The financial stations afford all the conveniences mentioned for the benefit of the public, except that they do not make delivery of mail nor effect its distribution. ”

“ A survey of the post-office quickly illustrates the fact that it could only be successfully conducted by the agency of skilled employees, especially trained for the work. The distribution of the mail is dependent upon employees who certainly must closely apply themselves to the mastery of the schemes of separation, and we should imagine that these are rather tedious to study, for it seems to be largely a matter of "grind" and memory taxation regarding absolutely unrelated names and places, times of train departures, etc. ”

“ To those who are now enjoying the advantage of free delivery service it seems that it is the natural thing, and it is difficult for them to realize how a busy community could get along without it, yet as a matter of fact it was not established until 1863, when it was experimentally installed in forty-nine cities, with but 449 carriers, which number is about a seventh of those employed at the present time in New York alone. ”

“ The individual postal worker is now considered to be the unit, and the effort to maintain the service at a high standard of efficiency is based upon the betterment of his physical environment and the encouragement of the spirit of partnership by enlisting his intelligent interest in the problems of management and recognizing his real value to the postal organization. ”

“ Work who had direct supervision of the 52,000 post-offices and more than two-thirds of all postal workers. By persistent efforts to build up the spirit of the great army of postal workers and bring the public and the post-office into closer contact and more intimate relationship, the postal system has been placed at last on a footing of service to the public. ”

“ The Motor Vehicle Service of the New York post-office is in charge of Mr. William M. Taggart. The fleet consists of 329 vehicles. All these are owned by the Government. The Government likewise makes its own repairs, employs its own chauffeurs and mechanics, painters, upholsterers, and various artisans incidental to the operation, repair, and maintenance of the vehicles. There are two garages, and in all 727 men are employed. The garages include fully equipped machine-shops, and stock-rooms in which are constantly kept duplicate parts for all the machines in use. ”

“ The cashier is the disbursing officer of the New York office, and he likewise receives all money derived from the sale of postage-stamps, stamped envelops, postal cards, and internal revenue stamps which are disposed of at the different stations and in all the third-and fourth-class post-offices in thirty-five counties in the State of New York. ”

“ In the New York post-office there is a Welfare Council, which consists of representatives elected by the clerks, carriers, laborers, motor-vehicle employees, and supervisors. This council considers all matters pertaining to the welfare of the employees and makes recommendations in regard to them to the postmaster. ”

“ Rural routes now in operation cover a total of 1,152,000 miles and the number of patrons served is about 30,000,000. The Rural Free Delivery Service brings in but about one fourth of its cost. There are also about 11,000 contract mail routes (star routes) serving communities not reached by rail or rural routes.
Postal Business Increases
In the five years from 1912 to 1917, the increase in the volume of business as reflected by the annual gross receipts of the post-office was 33.64 per cent., and in the ten-year period from 1912 to 1921, inclusive, it was 87.84 per cent. ”

“ One has only to study the organization for a short time to discover that one of its strongest features is the manifest team-work, the one animating and controlling influence throughout it all being "the interest of the service." ”

“ In a force of 15,000 men there are, of course, many changes daily, caused by deaths, resignations, promotions, and demotions. Whatever action is involved in the changes is taken by the Appointment Section. The efficiency records of all employees are filed here, and likewise the bonds covering their financial responsibility. From the day a person enters the service to the time he or she leaves it, a record is kept of all ratings, of qualifications as determined by his superior officers, and of all delinquencies. ”

“ The handling of registered mail differs chiefly from the handling of ordinary mail in the extra care which is taken to safe-guard it. The aim is to record it at the time of receipt, and to thereafter require all persons handling it to account for it as it passes through their hands along its route. Receipts are required at all points, and the letters are forwarded in pouches secured by "rotary locks," provided with certain numbers running in sequence, controlled mechanically, the mechanism being such that the lock cannot be opened without raising the number at which the lock was set. ”

“ Every detail of the work is plotted; nothing is left to chance. At a certain hour and at a certain minute every clerk engaged in the same distribution at the same station ties out for the same office or route, and likewise at the pouching rack the pouches are closed, locked, and despatched according to a fixed schedule. If the pouch has to be carried from the rack to the truck a given number of feet, a time allowance is made. At a set time the truck that conveys the pouches to the station whence the train is to depart must leave. ”

“ Parcel-post packages are commonly very bulky. Such may now be mailed for local delivery and for delivery in the first, second, and third zones, that is, within three hundred miles of the place of mailing, if they do not exceed seventy pounds in weight, while packages not in excess of fifty pounds may be mailed to any address in the United States. The handling of these packages necessitates the use of entirely different character of equipment. As far as it is practicable to do so, this matter is segregated from mail of the other classes. ”

“ Work is an exponent of a business administration of the postal service, and representatives of the larger business organizations and Chambers of Commerce, from time to time, are called into conference, in order that the benefit of their suggestions and their experience may be obtained and their fullest co-operation enlisted in the campaign for postal improvement. ”

“ The future postmaster of New York, in 1972, will probably be the head of a number of consolidated post-offices in the metropolitan area, and, no doubt, other public services will be placed under his supervision.
The further development and improvement of the aëroplane mail service will no doubt result in a greater use of that facility for the transportation of mails. The transportation of the mails through the streets of New York is a great problem. At present motor trucks are principally used for that purpose. ”

“ Few people know that to-day a welfare department is in operation throughout the postal system which is directly interested in improving the working conditions of all the postal workers. The department was organized in June, 1921, by the appointment of a welfare director. Councils of employees meet regularly to consider matters affecting their welfare and to discuss plans for improving the postal service. ”

“ The New York post-office is the depository for surplus postal funds from all first-and second-class post-offices in New York State, and it likewise provides hundreds of offices with treasury savings stamps and certificates, and accounts for the revenue received therefrom. ”

“ There were about eighty pony riders in the saddle all the time, night and day, stretching in a long scattering procession from Missouri to California, forty flying eastward, and forty toward the west, and among them making four hundred gallant horses earn a stirring livelihood and see a deal of scenery every single day in the year. ”

“ A feature of the work is the endeavor to impress upon the employee the importance of his employment, the necessity for devoting to it his best efforts and of not only maintaining but improving the standard. ”

“ The most modern methods of accounting are in use, mechanical labor-aiding equipment being utilized wherever it is practicable. The method followed is to perforate a card by means of a small electric machine, so that the perforations show the various data upon the paid money-order that are required to record the payment, the amount, etc. These machines are operated by skilled women employees, trained in methods of accuracy and speed, and whose rating and advancement depend on their efficiency. ”