Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-11-16
CAPITAL IDEAS,
EMAHATISG FROM THE SEAT O
GOVERNMENT.

| EMANAT1NG FROM THE SEAT OF
GoTERNuENT.
He Wants More Money from Congress-
/ The Appropriations for Railway Mail
Service ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Of the Gov
ernors of Utah and Montana--A Few Mis-
| cellaneous Notes.
| WASHINGTON, Nov 15.-Ths annual report
of Postmaster General Key is made public
to-day. Considerable space is devoted TO the
subject of present and prospective Glefcien-
cies in the amounts appropriated by Con-
gress for salaries Of postruasfers and for rail
way mail transportation. In regard to post
masters salaries he says: Deficiencies or
the prevention of them, SO far as the salaries
and compensation of postmasters are con-
cerned. are not and cannot b, controlled by
the department. It the amount appropriated
by Congress for the purpose be not equal to
the amount of compensation established nv
law, there must be a deficiency. After de-
scribing the rates of compensation prescribed
by law for the railway service, the postmaster
general says: The appropriation by
| Congress at its last session was
not sufficient to pay the exist
ing service on railroads, and should
no additional appropriation lie made for the
service he shall feel it his duty under the
law, SO to curtail the service as to fall within
the appropriation. However much he might
consider the public interests injured thereby,
/ he is satisfied it would lead Justly to much
complaint. The mails would be detained at
the 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 moro than ono
such Office in very many cases, and there
would be delay in an immense number of
transactions which are injtiated, conducted
and completed by communications through
the mails. In his opinion it would cause a
shock to our postal system from which it
would not soon recover. Railway companies
which have been at the expense of furnishing
postal cars might be slow to furnish us such
conyenienccs 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 the second and third class does not
| pay its way through the mails, and Congress
has been urged to increase the rates of post
age thereon. The question has been CON
sidered time and again by appropriate COM
mittees, and discussed by both branches of
| Congress, and results have shown that it was
not expected that the department should be
self sustaining, but that deficiencies in it's
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 members and chief officers OF Congress 50
as to allow them to send free almost every
thing which they We're ever allowed to trans
NIT through the mails frea except letters
Tons AID tens of books, sscnments, seeds,
shrubs and the like are placed in our mails
free of charge on this score. Now most
respectfully, but earnestly, suggest that it
would be better policy to reduce the defcien-
cies of the revenues of tho department by
ter and by increasing the rate of postage on
merchandise than by appropriating sums in.
adequate to an efficient, prompt and fast
transmission of the mails. The postmaster
general reco mmends that suitable provisions
be made by law for delivery to addresses i'll
this country free of customs duty Of all
newspapers and other articles, and
printed matter received in tie
| mails from foreign countries
when dispatched in accordance with the CON
ditions prescribed by the international post
81 union. The following reference is made
to the free delivery system: There is an
urgent need of greater frequency in deliy-
cries and collections in several of the largest
cities, and in view of the large excess Of post
age on local matter over the cost of service.
due mainly to the carriers delivery, wise
policy would seem to justify more liberal
appropriations for the purpose suggested
above, and also for the extension of the SER
vice to other cities having population of
10000, emitting them to it under the law. In
regard to the pay of the carriers the post
master general without repeating the argu-
ment, renews his recommendation of last
year for o material increase in
their compensation. He again invites
attention to the subject of the service
rendered by the railroad companies in carry
ing mails between stations and postofiices,
and says it should either be made an element
of the basis of compensation to be paid for
according to the work done on each route or
the railway companies should be relieved
from this duty. Attention Is again called to
the insufficiency of the compensation allowed
under the law for service on many short
routes. During the last session of Congress
bills were presented to amend the law regu-
lating compensation to railway companies
for carrying mails so as to base the rates of
pay upon the items of space, speed and fire.
quency. 1t is suggested that the space to be
paid for each route should be limited to a
nf nr rfoI1, oir,l,{ <>T
mails. Otherwise the compensation of all
railroads, and consequently, the expenditure
of more than $9,OO0,O0O annually, would be
left to the discretion of the postmaster
| general, and he thinks it is clear this should
not done. The other recommendations
| of general interest made are in brief that
Congress should authorize temporary con-
tracts for ''star" mail service, to be made
| for one year, in case of need. without adj
vertisement, instead Of six months, the Pc
Rod to which by the amended law the de.
partment is limited, and that he be author
lied to prescribe the uniform to be worn by
all employees of the postal service with view
to preventing their personation by persons
unauthorized. He also commends the cree
ton of a new postofice building for San
Francisco, and urges that accommodations
be provided for the Washington city post
Office outside the department building,
where all space is greatly needed for general
purposes, including storage of valuable
records which are now exposed to danger
from fire.
THE GERMAN-NATIoEAL.
The receiver of the German Nationa
bank states the liabilities to be $293, e34
assets 1884, $50. In addition there is the
r,arcnna1 Iiabilitiaa nf ctock holdnro +oc
at 800, 600.