National Republican., 1883-10-22

present fiscal year. With favorable sur
roundirgs, such as may be expected, the ad
justmont Of salaries ofprosidential postmastors
for the fiscal year ending juno 30, 1885,
than $l,000,000 Beyond tho benefits of the
free delivery service, ns at present restricted
is " class of towns in densely populated por
tions of the country, which, it is believed,
could be served by carriers with benefit to the
people and economy to the department. These
are towns within short distances of one
another, which have not singly the required
qualifications of population or gross revenue.
The laws should he amended so Us to authorize
tho department to extend the system to such
places by establishing it at the principal or
central Office of n group and dscontnuing
tho other Offices or substituting for them in
expensive branches of the main office, from
which carriers could servo the surrounding
localities
In view of tho largo excess of postage on
local matter over tho cost of the free delivery
service, and taking into consideration the
fact that local correspondence increases in
proportion to the facilities offered, it should
be extended, and liberal appropriations made
to bring it up to the highest practicable
standard in cities where it Is now in opera
tion. This service meets the general de-
mands of business and social life, but fails to
meet tho dispatch required in tho de-
livery of letters of exceptional Importance.
Onubr UuS pIebenb bVbIom lCLIcTS received
after the carriers go out upon their trips,
whatever their importance, must lio in the
Office until the next trip. AT 6 o'clock p. M,
when the delivery closes for tho day, they
must lilo over until the next morning, and
this delay frequently fails to meet the object
of the communication. Out of this want of n
more speedy delivery have grown up in Sow
eral of the large cities private enterprises,
which are now conducted in competition with
this service, and are divorting from tho legit-
innate revenues of the department thousands
Of dollars yearly. Tho patronage bestowed
upon them evinces o public demand for
a moro speedy delivery of GER
tain class of correspondence. To meet
this want it is suggested that u special stamp
bo provided. which, when affixed to a letter,
whether mail or local, in addition to the or
| dinary postage stamp, shall bo regarded by
the Office addressed as ontitling the letter to
immediate delivery up to 10 o'clock p IN. To
provide for their delivery it is suggested that
boys be employed and required to procure re-
coipts from the party addressed, or some au-
thorizod person.
In view of tho excess of receipts of postage
on local matter alone over the cost of its de-
livery S1,021, 800, it seems that tho time has
arrived when the postage on local letters at
| Offices where the carrier system is in opera
tion can bo reduced from 2 cents to l cent.
| Such a reduction will surely result in very
I large increase of local business. The reports
of the inspectors who investigated the un-
| lawful dispatch companies show that the de-
partment Is losing thousands of dollars an
nualiy by their competition. They offer no
better facilities than the department, and the
only thing gained by their patrons is the saw
ing of l cent on a letter. A reduction of local
postage would result in very great increase
in business as woll as meet tho demands OF
the cities now served by carriers.
In the matter of leasing buildings for use
as postotlices great embarrassment now exists
on account of q lack of well defined authority
to make contracts beyond the fiscal year. The
department should have ample discretionary
power in the premises conferred by congress
Tho endeavor to divorce the money
order work from other postal business, as
contemplated by congress, is causing much
trouble all over tho country, and great annoy
ance to the office. The law should be amended
SO as to provide for this work in the
same manner as it now pays for clerical
assistance in transacting other postal bust
ness That is, the annual allowance for clerk
hire should cover tho entire cost Of the labor
required at any and all points.
The present system of making allowances
for expenses ut offices of the first and second
classes is not practical nor just and should be
changed so rs to base the allowances upon th,
gross receipts and revenue returned. In con
cluding Mr. Hatton pays high compliment
to the heads of the divisions uudel
his charge, and says: "Such subordinat,
officers who always have opinions o
their own and freely express then
without stopping to first consider whether o.
not the opinions they honestly entertain or,
those of their superior officers. are the class o
officers from whom superior gets his bes
and most valuable assistance. 1t is from sucl
subordinates that the head of any office get
the most cheerful acquiescence when he as
sumes the responsibility of final decision
which the law places upon him."