Show n OF I FifTEEN MilLION IN MAIL SERVICE Business Manager Instead of Political Head Necessary to Success of British Poste Posta Postoffice Postoffice Post- Post a e office System tI j By Universal Service i pt I LONDON Nov 5 The 5 The fact that the British postoffice with Its moY mor mo- mo uv r Y of the postal electric and telephonic telephonic telephonic tele tele- phonic communications throughout the country ran last year at a loss of has brought about much r discussion In Ih England Leading Leading busIness business busi- busi ness ness men declare that the p s needs a management such as great private industries have They charge the failure to show a profit to the fact I t that that the politicians are not forced by 1 t fear of bankruptcy to relieve the t. t business of its indifference to suc- suc x- x cess cess suc L e Tj By DUNCAN CAMPBELL r General Manager of Horne Home Hornef f Bros The postoffice is the largest business bustness bust busi- ness ness in England and the largest mo mo- It controls without compau compe- compe u all written electrical and tele- tele telephonic telephonic phonic communications communications- throughout out the country and all written communications abroad On Its efficiency depends depends depends de- de that of all other business Yet this this' great monopoly which makes its h ow own charges and has a revenue of f. f per annum resulted result d last year ear in a loss of rt t r t Remember it is a business which h makes no no bad debts Ninety-nine Ninety per cent of its revenue Is paid In advance o other other business has such superb loss it shows opportunities opportunities Yet a I which ch would send any other business r unto into the bankruptcy court H f The reason may be summed up in a E E Existence tr tence The postoffice heeds needs a aH H 1 Business u chief and organizer and not nota a political head It needs reorganization ton tion by bya a a business man with an efficient ef- ef 1 staff of business heads of de- de J. J men pa men who have fought In o n fl ho ie hard world of commerce and have had to exercise skill and ingenuity In face ace of b bitter lter competition M IN HIS SPHERE a The The average civil servant Is a loyal I admirable man In his proper sphere that is to say In offices which h kire Ira tl not called on to show a profit and ri removed from the raging vortex f business It Is absurd to expect p to be successful out of his to m nt f 4 Certainly the postoffice has lias shown a profit In in Inthe the past but the postoffice c has h ha always been a monopoly and could c O ld by increasing Its charges al always always ways wars show a balance on the right side It was only when continued increases r became so large that they ch checked trade that the incompetency of the I organization was apparent t I. I The average postoffice in our own neighborhood Is thoroughly representative of the system as a whole Its AL dirty dirty and untidy condition its notices stuck tuck up anyhow its pens and pencils almost invariably unusable Its Its whole a atmosphere of decay and indifference a n n g ve g ve silent yet eloquent testimony to the f the general incompetence of the theman- theman man man- n I SLIPSHOD METHODS These defects are apparent on ent entering en- en t the average postoffice What ft w-i-i w i s not apparent is that these defects run right through the service and are responsible for this deficit of over The same slipshod methods methods meth meth- 0 are employed in the technical work work of the telephones and telegraphs u. u and nd the same indifference and Inc In- In 01 t c efficiency exist behind the scenes Small wonder that the postoffice is ithe the the greatest monument of Incompetency lcy cy cy that we possess t i With a a. business head not only would the postoffice become highly UJ remunerative and able able to to- transfer every every year a handsome sum to the chancellor of the exchequer but its IJ charges could be reduced by 50 per Jer cent Many successful business men would welcome the task of reorganization It tion Hon and would accept say one tenth per per cent of the profit shown And Andt Andi t i t such remuneration would be a princely prince prince- ly y reward reward for for a business brain I In a future article I hope to outline a a. scheme for or postoffice reform JU |