Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-11-29
Report OF Postmaster General

Report OF Postmaster General
The Postmaster General in his annual
report says tha. over $4,000 was saved
on the contraction postal cards; 100000
saved on the contract for stamped eayel-
opes; $500, 900 or more on certain letter.
ings of contracts for carrying mails, while
the mail routes extended over almost O.
100000 miles Of railway, steamboat and
stage lines.
The gross revenue of the department is
nearly 5000 900 larger than ever before.
Almost 5000 new post-ofiices more
than in any one year before, were establish
ed upon petitions Of communities which
needed them. Three times as many sub
stations and stamp agencies were establish
ed as during the previous wear. The Star
route mileage has been increased to over
100000 miles, and railroad mileage over
l 100000. Railway postal clerks have
reduced the number of pieces usually sent
to the dead letter office by 1000, 600 In
advocating postal telegraph, postmaster
general says:
The postal service, with all its long dis
tsnce and improbable service burdened
with cost ard doing without charge mail
ing business like all other branches of the
Government, are loaded down with news
papers and book mail that it carries at
about one-sixth of the actual cost, is never
tbeless nearly self-supporting. 1t has
proved itself able to manage successfully
the telegraph business in connection with
the postal system and as part of it. The
public impsratively demands cheaper tele-
graphy.
The post Office department can supply it
at less cost than any corporation unless the
latter has light, rent and fuel free. and car
rers and clerks without pay. The objec-
ton urged against the assumption of any
telegraph business is that the telegraph
would be in the hands of the party in power
and liable to corrupt use in times of polit
icai excitement. This is more rpeoious tnsn
sound. The postal service is in the hands
of the party in power and is liable to the
same abuse. Stringent laws and penslties
hedge around the postal system, it is ever
orea to public observation and Inquiry.
The telegraph business, in the hands of
private individuals, is not go hedged about.
and is much more likely 10 be used for cor
rupt purposes" OF the law excluding lot
terry business from the mails. the report
says: THE two months in which it has
been in operation is too short a time to
produce results, but there is satisfactory
progress"
The General Gays: at does not matter
whether or not the given publications pre-
sented for mailing appears, by complaint
or otherwise, TO the postmaster, obscene,
lewd or lascivious if ii does appear indie
cent. He is Obliged, in order not TO be-
come law-bresker, to refer questionable
point to the proper department official. 1t
does not matter when the referee co1sid-
eres the questions, whether the given pub
LEGATIONS are merely obscene, lews or las
civicious. If it is simply indecent be must
exclude it or break the law
During the past two years, HOP post
masters have been removed, and 26 $50 sp-
poiutsd in the same time. The appoint
men:s last year numbered IA 468, removals
6 274. The Postmaster General Gays: '.As
the condition of affairs row is, the Post
mss.e. General or First Assistant only hlp-
pen 10 stumble across cases that require
action. The Department neither asks for
designations nor authorizes any person or
persons to ask for them, for when. it is
clear that a change ought to be made,
the President or the Postmaster
General has power Eto make a required re-
moval without indirection. | am able 20
recall. perhaps. 10 cafes in the l6 months
of my incumbency where postmssters
whose habi,s became such as to disgrace
the service and whose friends interfered to
prevent removals and who were notified
in their order publications that these diss-
greeable facts might be avoided that they
mi ght resign if they preferred TO do so.
The Postmsster-General hopes that the
way may soon be clear to connec. the
executive departments and the Senate and
House of Repres snta;ives with the Wash
ington city post.oftice by pneumatic
system, ard il may then be extended to
sub-stations and post Offices in large cities
He fsvors, wherever practicable. one story,
inexpensive buildings for post offices. He
says to move out a 5000 rented room, safe
and ample for business, into & 800, ,0GO
building, where the isnitor alone gets more
salary than the whole of the former place,
cannot be justified on any bust
ness principles. The postal service does
not need any such expenditures.
A ore story structure is all that is reguir-
ed in three cases out of four. To waste
money on numerous stories, with towers and
turrets for dignity alone, is not in accord
with The Amer can idea of utility and taste.
The report 2rononnces the New York post
office inadequate for business and advocates
better quarters. One cent postage is favor
ed Postmaster-general thinks deficit of
| S23, 900, 600 or more csused by it might be
reduced by a natural increase Of
business; BY stimulus Of low
rate of postage; by competition pend
| ing legislation to collect proper postages
from sample copies OF so called newspapers
and from paper covered books. 1t is esti-
mated that by sample copies and paper
covered books revenue Of over 81 600 900
is snnually lost. Fully $4,000, 900 worth
o; postal work is performed annually with
out pay for the executive department. The
report touches upon the question of civil
tervice as applied to the pos: office depart
ment. Years Of experience confirms me
ia the judsenen. formed twelve months
ago that the civil service system
as spilled to the rosters Of the post
effise department wss = susceptible im-
7 provemeBt. The examinations for the in.
/ spector ot the force and railway mail ser
vice ought to be more difficult: so that can
dida;es for the places will better stand the
test of ectusl work. The pracsiee depart
ment shows the inspector of the force to be
m3re efficient as whole if eliaibles who
| have seen public service are selected i1-
stead of those xho have simply been ex-
srined. / wish some scheme might be
devised By which the departmental force
and all branches Of the postal
service, classified or to be classified, might
be encouraged into new exsrtions by some
Just, general and certain plan of promo.
tons" The revenue department, for tie
Hscal year, report shows $50 s5s.7s3; ex-
| perdi:ures ard liabilities a66 GAS, ,Cs3; de-
/ feiency for the year s5.75s, 300. Com
pared with tie previous hscal year there
/ was an increase of 81 7l0,s68 or s.31 per
cent. in revenue. There was m increase
of "a .os7 .es6 or 6 per cent. in expendi-
turss and liatiliiiess