Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-11-30
WASHINGTON VIKINGS.
The Postmaster Generals
Annual Report.
MR. wANAMAKRR's SUGGESTIONS.
Other Department Reports - Mr.,
Blaine Sick at His HOme-Dem-
oeratic Caueus Postponed.

Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD.
WASHINGTON, November 20.-Post-
master General Wanamaker, in his an
nual report, esys: ga Postmaster Gen
eral, with his advent into Office, and tax
ing up the duties OF the department,
ends other new officers entering the field.
The whole organization at the top is
changed, and the work falls into un-
trained hands. This constant change
will continue; but, from business point
OF view, thus to unsettle the service can
not he beneficial 10 any department.
The Postmaster General, First, Second
and Third Assistants have too much
work to attend TO, and more officials are
needed Another Assistant Postmaster
General is needed, to be in direct charge
of the Railway Mail, Foreign Mail,
Money Order Office, Registry and Supply
Divisions and Dead Letter Office. A
General Manager, one of the best edu-
Gated postal men in the service, is also
needed; man charged with the general
management of the service, whose con-
trolling and firm grasp should remain
| while others come and go; also cen
eral Secretary, to whom should be re-
ferred all plans of improvements man
whose business capacity and authority
would bring about reforms at once with.
out the usual delay, sometimes OF
months, existing under the present
cum bersome and antiquated methods.
OF the proposed limited postal tele-
graph service which the Postmaster. Cen
eral hoped to have outlined IN this re-
port for Congress to consider, he says !:
81 confess to disappointment in that
my negotiations with the Western Union
Telegraph Company did not lead to a
scheme which / hoped to submit,
| whereby the people at large could have
the benefit Of a telegraphic service at
popular rates. 1t 10 stated that mer.
chants, bankers aud newspapers ere now
the principal customers of the telegraph
companies. With lower telegraphic
rates, and with stations at the windows
of postofnces, an entirely new class OF
business would grow up, afording great
convenience to many not now IN the
habit OF using the wires.
"The great propriety and advantage o.
a united service cannot be questioned
from point Of convenience and economy
to the people. There is no reason what
ever why the night messages of telegraph
companies should not be delivered es
postal matter by the first morning de-
livery carriers. This is proper postotfice
business, and would add to the profits Of
the department. The vast network ol
wires covering the country could easily
reach many OF the village postoffices
and benefit more people than by stopping
at railroad stations which are often g
mile or more distant from where the
people live. An experiment could be
easily and quickly made to ascertain
whether the demand for cheaper tele
Igraphic service exists as is claimed. II
could be done without any outlay oi
money by the Government, and with nc
Interference with existing telegraph liz.
lteyests, inasmuch az it would create, as
stated, O new class of business"
He asks for legislation to bring about
the establishment of such limited postal
telegraph service.
| On the Sunday mail service the Post.
master General says he will make use oi
all proper means tending toward tbs
minimizing of postofice work on Sunday.
because he believes the Government
should, as far as possible, make no re.
ouirements which will prohibit it's en-
ployees from enjoying the day of rest.
The Postmaster General does not favor
the extension of the parcel post system.
All postoffice buildings are overcrowded
and could not make space for the en-
larged package hEsiness done. When
the postal service is carried nearer to the
point where there is an excess Of revenue
this branch can be considered.
| OF lotteries and the mails he suggests
q law for jurisdiction over the offense by
the courts at the offices Of delivery the
Same as at the office of mailing, thus
making the offense continuous between
the Office Of mailing and that Of delivery,
aud enlarging the opportunities to con-
vict.
he also recon mends an amendment oi
the poetal laws which will permit the
mailing of works of fiction as second. class
matter.
In the special topics discussed by the
Postmaster General he recommends a
| double postal card for return answers,
the establishment OF a postal museum,
and the prompt delivery OF all letters on
which the postage has not been prepaid,
and to collect double postage therefor.
Touching the Civil Service, the report
runs thus: "The Postal Department has
an individuality of its own. An ordinary
good clerk Of the Government might
suit perfectly well in any other of the
civil places, but for postofice work he
must almost learn q trade. There ought
to be a kind of apprenticeship with pro-
motion. With 150, 900 employees, rightly
selected, who feel proper pride in rep
resenting the Government and are alive
every day to improvement, our postal
service would soon become the best in
the world"
The report recommends that larger
discretion be given for making contracts
for carrying foreign mails with American
registered vessels.
It is recommended that all places with
population of not less than 5000, or
where the postoffice has shown gross
revenue of 81 900 for the previous fiscal
year, shall have the benefit Of the free
delivery system.
Early consideration is suggested of the
question of establishing postal savings
banks at ten thousand of the fourth-class
offices, in towns where such facilities are
most needed, leaving the extension of
the privilege to be determined after
trial Of two years.
Regarding one-cent postage, the report
says if introduced now it would reduce
the revenue by nearly fifteen millions,
and the Department is not ready for this
while the present deficiency in receipts
existe