The morning call., 1890-11-29
Annual Report Of the Post.
master General.
Wanamaker ReneYS His Recommendation
! for a Cheap and Rapid Service.
II Could Be Dane Without Cost to the Coy.
ernment- "A System Of SaTlnss
Banks Suggested.
Special to THE MORNING CALL.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 2s.-The Postmaster
General in his annual report shows that dur
ing the year over 100000 was saved on
postal-card contracts. The cards, though
inferior at FIRST, were quickly brought up to
the required standard. Four hundred thou
sand dollars was saved in stamped en-
velope contracts and $500, 600 on certain mail
carrying. At the same time mail routes had
been extended over almost 100000 miles Of
railway, steamboat and stage lines. The
gross revenue was nearly S5.0C0.000 larger
than ever before. Almost 5000 new post
offices, more than any one year before, have
been established upon the petitions Of
communities. The sub-station and stamp
agencies service, railway postoffice sery-
ice, free delivery and other matters have
been greatly extended during the year. The
star-route mileage has increased over 5,00O,-
coo miles and the railroad mileage over H.
10000 miles.
The work of the Dead-Letter Office has
been greatly reduced during the year.
Touching on the postal telegraph scheme.
mail is not fast enough in these days for all
the needs of commerce and social correspond
ence. In one form or another, the public
mperatively demands cheaper teiegraphy,
and the Postof1ice Department can supply
it at less cest than any corporation, IN less
the latter has rent, light, fuel, carriers and
clerks free. The plan proposed for postal
telegraph involves no outlay Of money, no
appointment of clerks and no financial
liability, and ii is surely entitled to a fair
consideration.
Under head of New Plan for Postal
Savings Banks" the report recommends
that The Postcffice Department be author
lied 10 establish postal savings banks under
regulations formulated by the Postmaster
General These to be located in States hav-
ing no laws regulating savings banks; in
any other State upon the petition Of con-
siderable number of residents Of any one
locality, and not more numerously than one
Postoffice for every ten miles of area. The
interest rate 10 be fixed by the Secretary of
the Treasury at the beginning of each year
and be u of per cent less than the average
rate paid deposiors by private bankers.
All postal savings received within State to
he placed on deposit with the national banks
in that State on application, in such amount
and at such interest as the Secretary of the
Treasury prescribe. Such deposits to be
declared preferred claims.
Touching on the lottery act he says the
press has aided the department by its very
general approval, and the public at large has
seconded its efforts to make the new law
effective. The report shows that 14,072
Postmasters have been removed during the
past two ears, and 5000 appointed in the
same time.
The Postmaster-General hopes he may
soon be able to connect the Executive de-
partments and the Senate and House with
the Washington Postoffice by the pneumatic
system, and that it may then be extended to
the sub-statons and postoffices of the large
cities. lie would especially like to see the
pneumatic system working perfectly in
Chicago when the Worlds Fair is in pro-
gress SO the postal system there would
really show this high DEVELOPMENT of the
service. He favors, whenever practicable,
one-story, inexpensive buildings for post
offices, and says that to mcye out of a 5000
rented room, safe and ample for the postal
business, into $1,000 building, where the
janitor alone gets more salary than the rent
Of the former place, cannot be justified on
anv business principle.
Regarding reduced postage, the Postmas-
ter-General says, in part: In point of fact
there is a gain OF nearly $50, 100000 from let
ter postage. This large profit, with the au-
nual deficit (Which last year amounted to
So, j,7S6, 500, is all swallowed up by losses on
other classes OF mail matter carried at less
than the cost of distribution and handling.
The amount received from letter postage last
year was about S5S,000,0 0,0o0. A reduction to
1-cent rate would bring this down to $19,-
000,000. The deficiency Tor the current year
is about S4,500,000 which would make
total deficiency of S23, 100000. This def
cheney would he reduced iby the natural in
crease of business, due TO the stimulus of
the low rate and by the completion of legis-
lation to collect the proper postage from
sample copies of s0-called newspa, erS and
from paper-c0vered books. BY the sample
copy business alone over S1,00O.000 is annu-
ally lest to the revenue, anu in the trans
portaliOn of paper-covered books considera-
bly, more than $1.o00000 is kept out of the
postal income for the benefit of certain
book publishers. The deficiency under
the 1-cent rate might be still further reduced
by the adoption of improved devices from
time 10 time which would save time and
money. The most formidable item, how
ever, is SS,000,000 worth Of work performed
annually without pay for the Executive de-
partmentS. II they had paid postage the
revenue would have been SS,000,000 annu-
ally more than now. The revenues of the
department for the fiscal year were S60S5S.-
7S3; the expenditures and liabilities, $685.
Gas. .OS3; the deficiency for the year, there
fore. is S5,7S6, 300."