Omaha daily bee., 1881-06-13
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Ia the year 1862 the post Office de-
partment for the first time since its
organization found itself without a de-
iicit. Postage rates we're at once re-
duced on the ground that the public
and not the government should share
the profits of the postal department.
It was openly announced in congress
that when the department again
showed an even balance sheet il
would reduce its letter rates from
three to two cents, and inaugurate a
really cheap system of postage on the
same basis as that which prevailed in
Great Britain. Thirty years have
passed, and Notwithstanding the in.
creased use Of the postal service and
the large additions to the wealth OF
the country, the department has
failed to find itself able to make the
desired change, and the three cent rate
still remains in force.
The time seems to be rapidly ap.
preaching when the change to q
cheaper postage can be safely made.
The annual deficiencies in the postal
department are steadily decreasing
year by year. For last year,
the deficit was only 1876,
341 on a business of $36, 100,
$50. This year the deficiency
will be about So, 600, 900 on a business
of nearly forty millions of dollars,
which is less than half the deficit
which several years ago was reported
from the department. The question
of cheap postage depends upon the
ability of the postmaster-general tc
place the department on a self-sus,
tanning basis, and on this account ev'
cry man, woman and child is vitality
Interested in the success Of his plans
for postal reform. 1t is estimated that
the reductions in the star route service
will ave from 81, 500, 900 to $1,000.
600 annually to the government, thus
reducing the deficiency in the posta
revenues to within 1000, 900, or al
most $1,000, 900 of becoming self
sustaining. The three items of rail
road transportation, star routes, ant
postmaster's salaries make up more
than two-thirds of the total cost OF
the departments, and on the smallest
item Postmaster General James has
saved one-fourth of the current deficit
Congress should now take i'm
mediate steps to investigate the
railway mail service. Charges are
made Of gross frauds il
the weighing of the mails by which
the government is annually swindlet
out of thousands of dollars. A care
full and thorough examination of tn,
service would result in a large decrease
of the amount now paid out for rail
way transportation of the mails and
corresponding saving to the govern
ment. Even mole could be done il
the matter of postmaster's salaries. i
is a singular fact that the postoffic'
department is to-day the only larg
transportation company paying highe
official salaries than before tn
panic. Statistics prove that tn
salaries of postmasters have uot onl.
kept pace with the increasin'
revenue of the government, but tina
they have grown faster than the mum
Der of postotfices or the total bushes
as measured by the gross expendi
ture. A comparison of the years 1877
and 1880 shows that while the nun
Der of postmasters has grown 90 pc
cent. and their salaries 66 per cent.
the number of postal clerks has III
creased II per cent. and their salarie
only ID per cent. If the growth d,
postmasters' salaries had followed tn
same law the department could max
both ends meet in the current yeaI
The reason for this is plain. Post
masters clerks are paid fixed salaries
but the salaries of postmasters, take
ms n whole, are regulated by II pei
centage on the business done. Th
result is that rs the business increase
salaries increase, and the postmaster
and not the people get the benefit
the change. In the case of the Yer
large offices the percentage ruI
has been abandoned. While TIN
method could probably not l
changed in the very small offic,
there is n large class of medium
r sized offices where n proper econon
would easily save from 100000
81 100000. If an equal saving W;
made IN the railway mail service IL
problem of a two cent postage woul
be solved.