The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1882-12-14
Report Of Postmaster.General Howe.

The report of Postmaster-General Howe for
the fiscal year ended June 30, 1882, shows total
fhe yese of she oFnarS reoeints
5l5,642; receipts from money orders, 1880, ,I67;
excess Of receipts, s1,394, ,3ss. For the first
not a burden upon the Treasury. In order to
determine the real cost of the postalservtce
from the total disbursements' SIS, ,sss which,
though paid out last year, was for service rem
dered previous years. There should be added
last year. There should also be added s., ,I7s-
174 earned by railway companies for trans
portation of mails between the Missouri River
and the Pacific. The account thus stated
shows an excess of earnings of but $4,000
The defic ency the previous fiscal year was
$40 000,0)0. Some Fart of this great improve
ment is due to the wonderful growth and pros
perity of the country, but the larger part is
due to improved methods in the administra-
The heaviest item of expenditure is for
transportation of the mails on railways. The
next heaviest is that for the pay of Post
masters. These two items must swell with the
volume of business, since the rate of compen-
ness done The expenditure next in rank is
for what is known as the star service. That
includes all mail transportation not on rail-
cost of that service is left almost wholly to the
arbitrary control of the department. For the
year ended June 30, 1881, the star service GOV.
cred 20, ,e96 miles of transportation, at cost
of S6,5T ,355; for the year ended June 30, 1889.
the same service covered 70, 924, ,S67 miles, arr
financial results still more fattering than those
realized the last fiscal year. Those estimates
are; o Ordinary y revenues ss9ssss7 s 5Ss I from a
tmated revenue, $50,610,4 1856; total expendf
lures, estimated, SAG, TAI Ill; estimated excess
of revenue, 50, $40 3+5.
The Postmaster-General culls some statis-
tics from the report of First Assistant Post.
master-General Hatton, and proceeds: II
quite concur in the recommendation Of the
First Assistant Postmaster General for q ref
ormation and augmentation of the blank
agencies. Still more cordially do recom-
mend the suggestions of that officer as to the
general REQ ganization of his Office. The very
able report of the First Assistant Posmaster-
experienced in adjusting salaries to postmast-
ers of the first three classes, nd in making
allowances for Office expenses to those of the
those difficulties. 1t may well be doubted. If
he could exaggerate them. Necessity herself,
though admitted to be the mother Of ipven-
ton, could not invent a more cumbrous
or complex method of adjusting salaries"
Speaking of clerk-hire, the report says:
The most importunate are apt to be the best
served. They ask the earliest and the often
est. They employ every kind of entreaty. and
offer every sort of influence, personal and po-
litical The clerk must act upon such case as
the Postmaster presents. He has no means OF
that a recent investisation BY the First As,
sistant PostmasterGeneral resulted in re-
| duction at eight offices amounting in the ag-
make one more effort to engraft upon the
| postal service system of deposits for small
| sums, and the Recommendation Is made that
| postage on second-class matter be abolished
| After the fullest consideration 1 have been
| able to give to the subject of postal telegraph,
l am forced to the conclusion that the time has
| fully come when the telegraph and postal serv-
ice should be embraced under one manage
ment." After assigning reasons for this oon-
when competition profits the public who
purchase the service, it becomes injurious to
the companies which sell. When It becomes
Injurious to the companies, competition Is ex.
tinguished by the purchase and absorption OF
the competitor. The price paid for the fran,
chises of rival concerns the purchaser but
pay seesrWf fees Which w Yield
the new and old capital. So it has happened
most Seps of teesaph wnS has
the largest purchaser of telegraph property
1t must continue to be so. No matter how
vent the Organization Of new and competing
enterprises. Its sole protection is to buy when
% new rival proves res. hurtfnl. H N, No matter ' nov
from the public dividends on the capital in
vested to extinguish the rival. The only Sc
curity capital can have against these recurr
ing raids is to surrender the business to thf
Government. The only protection the public
can have against these multiplied exactions II
for the Government to assume exclusive con
troll over the transmission OF domestic mes
sage sage; by electricity: The telegraph is too ter ter
resentatives of the whole people"
In the report of FIR Assistant Postmaster
General Hatton it is shown that the estimati
for Postmasters is largely in excess of the sun
appropriated or asked for during the curren
year. The reason assigned is that the sun
appropriated is wholly inadequate. The pa,
Of postmasters is limited, not by appropri
alton bills but by fixed statutes, and to tn,
extent of their legal compensation tn
gross revenues of the postal service are no
only appropriated but hypothecated I'd to thei
payment. Postmasters collect the Posta
revenues, and they are authorized b.
law to deduct from the moneys in their hand
their legal compensation. They account to tn
Treasury for the excess only. If not dolla
is appropriated. the Postmasters will receiv
Their salaries all the same 1t seems hard
practicable, therefore. to effect much in tn
Interest of economy by appropriatlug 5000
600 to pay Postmasters, while we place $40
600, 600 in their hands out of which they ma.
help themselves to the full extent of thei
legal dues,