Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-22
Annual Report Of Postmaster General Key.
WASHINGTON, Nov. Is.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 15..
The annual report OF Postmaster General
Key is made public to-day. Considerable
space is devoted TO the subject OF present and
prospective deficiencies in the amounts appro-
priated by Congress for salaries of Postmast-
ers and for railway mail transportation. In
regard to Postmasters' salaries he says: DE
fciencies, or prevention OF them, so far as
salaries and compensation Of Postmasters are
concerned, are not and cannot be controlled
by the Department. II the amount appropri-
ated by Congress for the purpose be not equal
to the amount of compensation established by
law, there must be deficiency"
After describing the rates OF compensation
prescribed by law for railway mail service, the
Postmaster-Genera says: The appropriation
made by Congress at It's last session was not
sufficient to pay for existing service on rail
roads, and should no additional appropriation
be made for this service, he shall feel II his
duty under the law so to curtail the service
as to fall within the appropriation, however
much he might consider public interests in
iured thereby. He Is satisfied II would lead
justly to much complaint. Mails would be
detained at offices of separation hardly ever
less than twelve hours, and generally twenty
four hours. Books, papers and packages
passing over great distances or circuitous
routes would be detained at more than one
such office In very many cases, and there
would be delay in an immense number of
transactions which are initiated, conducted
and completed by communications through
the mails. In his opinion II would cause
shock to our postal system from which Il
would not soon recover. Railway companies
which have been at the expense Of furnishing
postal cars might be slow to furnish us such
conveniences a second time, and there is no
law to compel them to do so.
In relation to the revenues Of the service
the report says: Time and again it has been
shown that matter Of second and third class
does not pay its way through the mails, and
Congress has been urged to Increase the rates
of postage thereon. The question has been
considered time and again by the appropriate
committees and discussed by both branches Of
Congress, and results have shown that Il was
not expected that the Department should be
self sustaining but that the deficiencies in its
revenues should be met by appropriations
from the general treasury. The amount of
matter sent through the mails free is very
large, adding greatly to our expenditures and
giving us no revenue. The franking privilege
has been restored to the members and chief
officers of Congress so as to allow them to
send free almost everything which they were
ever allowed to transmit through the mails free
except letters. Tons upon tons of books,
documents, seeds, shrubs and the like are
placed in our mails free Of charge on this
score
Now, most respectfully but earnestly sug-
gest that it would be better policy to reduce
the deficiencies of the revenues of the Depart
ment by curtailing or abolishing the list of
free matter and by increasing the rates of
postage on merchandise, than by appropriat-
ing sums inadequate to an efficient, prompt
and fast transmission OF mails.
The Postmaster-General recommends that
suitable provision be made by law for the de-
livery to addresses in this country, free of
customs duty, of all newspaper and other ar
ticles of printed matter received in mails from
foreign countries, when dispatched in accord
ance with the conditions prescribed by the In
ternational Postal Union. The following ref
erence is made to the free delivery system
There is an urgent need of greater frequency
in deliveries and collections in several of the
larger cities, and in view of the large excess
of local matter over the cost of service due
mainly to carriers delivery, a wise policy
would seem to justify a more liberal appro-
priation for the purpose suggested above, and
also for the extension of the service to other
cities having population of $4,000 emitting
them to it under the law.
In regard to the pay of carriers, the Post
master General, without repeating the argu-
ment, renews his recommendation Of last
year for material increase in their compen-
sation.
He again invites attention to the subject Of
service rendered by railway companies in car
rying mails between stations and post-offices,
and says 1t should either be made an element
of the basis of compensation to be paid for
| according to the work done on each route or
railway companies should be relieved from
this duty. Attention is again called to the
der the law for service on many
short routes. During the last session
of Congress bills were presented TO amend the
law regulating compensation to railway COM
panles Tor carry Ing mail SO as TO base rates Of
pay upon items of "space, speed and fire.
quency." 1t is suggested that space to be
! paid for on each route should be limited to a
| specified amount or certain weight of mails,
otherwise the compensation of all railroads
and consequently the expenditure Of more
| than nine million dollars annually would be
left to the discretion of the Postmaster Gen
eral, and he thinks it is clear this should not
| be done.
The other recommendations of general in
| terest made are, in brief, that Congress should
| authorize temporary contracts for Star Mail
Service; to be made for one year in case of need
without advertisement, instead of six months,
| the period to which, by the amended law, the
| Department is limited, and that he be author
lied to prescribe the uniform to be worn by
all employees Of the postal service, with aview
to preventing their persOnation by unauthOr
lied individuals. He also recommends the
erection of a new post-office building for San
| Francisco, and urges that accommodations be
| provided for the Washington City Post-office
outside of the Department building, where
all the space is greatly needed for general
purposes including the storage of valuable
| records, which are now exposed to danger
| from fire.