San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-16
THE PosrMAsrER.s:aEeo

4
J. demonstrates beyond u dou bt not only
a that the revenues of the department
are steadily increasing, but that they
are increasing IN IA greater ratio than
) that Of It's expenses The decrease OF
=. revenue in the past fi-cal year ha.
amounted to very nearly ST 900 90
owing TO the passage of the anti lot
terry bill, yet despite this loss the re-
ceipts are more than SIS .O00, 600 in ex-
cess Of the previous year. The de
partment has beei Thoroughly reor
ganized SO as to allow the Postmaster
General time to consider genuine
reforms and arrange for their success
full adoption. The plan by which
promotions have been made during
the year is set forth In full and shows
q much mere practical and business
like method of arriving at the cspa-
bilities of those examined, than
the tests previously applied. Lot
terry mail has been practically driven
from the UniGed States mail bags and
the department has very faithfully
followed out the will Of congress as
expressed in the law upon this point
The most startling Innovation of the
year has been the establishment of
sea post offices, which quicken all
incoming foreign mails at New York
g., I, -
employment of postoffice steam.
tug to ply between arriving steamers
and the upto VIII NewYork and New
Jersey ferries, by which means sever
al hours, and in some cases day may |
be saved, is recommended. The Post
master General also recon- mends for |
this year the adoption of the tele-
phone and the telegraph in the pos
tai system, and shows alike the duty |
and power OF congress constitutional
ly to do this. The report shows that Mr..
Wauamaker believes in q parcels |
post, but he does not recommend it at |
present. The pneumatic ube systems |
of Berlin and London are strongly |
recommended. The rural free de-
livery system, considered at its
adoption Quixotic measure, is prov
ing q wonderful success. Some plan |
of postal repositories for small saw.
lngs is strenu Dusly urged, and add.
tional recommendations to those of |
last year are made. To carry Ameri- |
can mails under the American flag
was the object of the postal bill
passed by the Fifty first congress, as
it was of the congress which met one |
hundred years ago. The object meets |
the hearty approval of the Postmaster |
General, aud he recommends for it an |
extension OF the postal subsidies such |
as will at no distant period enable all |
ships carryingAmerican mails to carry |
them under the American flag and in |
American bottoms. The report also |
recommends the abolition of box |
rents at the freed delivery offices at
small towns, and urges the erection of
smaller and more useful buildings by
the government. Mr.. Wanamaker
comedies the loss of over $50, 600, 600
revenue in case of the ado ption of the
one.csnt postage. There would be
little to Offset the loss besides
the increase in correspondence
brought about by the lower rate, and
this would hardly be an appreciate
item in the sum total of expenditure.
To Offset this he would credit the de-
psrtment for all mail carried, which
would reduce the deficit about one.
half. To facilitate this proposed
change of the one-cent postage he
would recommend the simplificstion
Of postal rates and the consolidation
of third and fourth class postage, and
shows how by pure business-like
methods all newspapers may be
transported free after July first, 1893.
The whole report is clear, concise,
suggestive and practical, showing that
the head of the postal department has
gwen that same thought and close
attention to details in the business of
the government that he had previous
ly given to his own private affairs,
which through the wisdom and abil.
ity of his management became known
for its magnitude and success in all
the commercial centers of the world.
4 --
EUROPE can hardly convince her
self that American pork ia healthy