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Remarks to the National Association of Postal Supervisors.
September 13, 1950

Mr. Chairman, Postmaster General, ladies and gentlemen:

The Postmaster General told me yesterday afternoon that he was having a postal supervisors and assistant postmasters meeting over here today, and that you had been in session for 4 days and that it had rained every day, and some of you had never been to the Capital City before, and you hadn’t had a chance to see all the sights. And I thought maybe there was one sight that you might like to see.

About 2 or 3 weeks ago I had two nieces, wives of my brother’s boys here, who had never been to Washington before, and my daughter happened to be at home that weekend, and she took them around. And then Mrs. Truman was here, too, at that time, and she took them around after my daughter had gone back to New York; and then my secretary finished up the job. And the poor kids could hardly walk. But I had two letters from both of them after they had recovered at home, in which they said they had had a grand time, but they would rather live in Missouri.

I am very much interested in the job which you are trying to do. That is a job that tends to make efficiency in Government. It seems to be the pastime of a great many people to throw bricks at the people who have to carry on the Government’s operations. It has gotten so bad here lately that it is a difficult matter to find a man who is willing to take the rough treatment he has to receive in key positions, so that sometimes I have been refused the services of able and distinguished men because they have regarded their private lives as their own—
which all of us are entitled to have—and they have no private lives when they become Government employees, as you all know.

I hope that you will continue your efficient service. You know, my friend Jim Mead was chairman of the Post Offices Committee in the House for 8 years, and he was on that committee for 20 years. And he never brought in a minority report. Well, Jim and I worked together on another committee, of which I accidentally happened to be chairman for 3 or 4 years, and we never had a minority report.

You have as your Postmaster General a career man for the first time, mind you, in the history of the country. I have the reputation, also, of having appointed more career ambassadors than any other President that ever sat in the White House.

I like to reward people who have spent their lives working for the welfare of the country. I have just suggested to Congress that I would like to appoint a career man Secretary of Defense.

The welfare of the country as a whole is in your hands. The efficiency with which you do the job to which you are assigned means efficient service, economic service, and service that the people like.

I don’t think there is any other service in the Government which is as important-possibly with the exception of State, Defense, and a few others—as what you have to do. I have a lot of old letters that my grandfatherswrote to my grandmothers, without any postage stamps on them at all. There was a seal, and on the corner of it was "Collect"—19 cents—22 cents—whatever was necessary to pay the cost of the transporting of that letter from Kentucky to Missouri, or from Salt Lake City to Independence, or wherever it happened to come

Now you are responsible for the cheapest lines of communication in the history of the world—and the most efficient.

It gives me a lot of pleasure to come over here and let you see me as one of the sights in Washington.

NOTE: The President spoke at 9:05 p.m. at the Statler Hotel in Washington. In his opening words he referred to John A. McMahon, president of the National Association of Postal Supervisors, and Jesse M. Donaldson, Postmaster General.

The 32d convention of the National Association of Postal Supervisors was held in Washington September 11—13, 1950.