The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1881-12-03
The Postmaster Generals Report.

Postmaster General James makes several
important recommendations in his annual re-
mort, and Congress is the more likely To pay
attention to these because Mr.. James Is able To
show a tar better balance sheet than his predc
cessor. For the year ending June ~ last the
department spent nearly two and II half mil.
lions more than the Post Office receipts, and
nearly four millions above receipts VIII be
paid out before the outstanding Liabilities OF
that and two or three preceding years are set
tied. 1t appears, therefore, that under the
Hayes administration, what with star route
iobberies and other INSTRUMENTATION, the
Post Office ran nearly four millions IN single
wear behlnuhand. Against this Mr. James
estimates show that for the year ending June
80, 1888, the deficit will be less than million.
A considerable rart of this saving has been
achieved by the needed reform in the star
route and steamboat service, which has
amounted since Mr. James assumed Office to
over million dollars, and this without Grip
ping the service and while at the same time
increasing it by over half million. The &C
tual amount cut off is 81, 69lOO0. 1t IS Gu.
nous commentary on the lOOseness with which
the Post Office was conducted under Mr..
Hayes, that in some cases the first notice that
citizens living on star routes had that increas
ca service or speed had been ordered under
the late administration was when. they learned
of the order OF Mr. James disseminating 1t.
That Is to say the increased service though
ordered and paid for under MIR. Hayes, had
never been rendered. so says this report.
Mr.. James holds that the Post Office ought
to be self-sustaning and believes that with
proper management 1t can be made SO. lilo
recommends FIRST, that on money orders
not exceeding five dollars the fee shall be only
five cents and that the maximum limit of
money orders be increased to one hundred dol.
lars Second, the establishment of postal or.
ders" PAYABLE "tO bearer" at a designated Of
flee tor sums of less than five dollars, such
postal orders to- be issued for three cents He
believes these would be great convenience
to persons desiring to remit small and frac-
tiona sums Third, he recommends the estab.
llshment of postal savings repositories, and
does not believe these would interfere with es-
tablshed savings banks, but be an important
convenience in places where no savings banks
exist Fourth he protests against the Post
! Office being used to carry merchandise, and
remarks that the conveyance OF third and
fourth class matter is steadily unremunerstive,
lnterfercs seriously with the quick despatch OF
/ letter mails, and is a burden on the service and
on its revenues Fifth, he expresses the belief
that reduction of letter postage from three
to two cents Will be possible within three
years, without serious dlminution of the postal
revenues; and he would favor this, even
though the rates on third and fourth class
matter had to be increased. Evidently he be
lieves two-cent letter postage possible at once
if Congress will relieve the department OF the
carrying of merchandise.-N. J. Herald