New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-29
UNCLE SANS POSTOFFICE.
MIR BISSELL TELLS THE PRESIDENT ALL
ABOUT 1T.
A 1,pcr DEFICIT LAST YEAR AND ANOTHER
EXPECTED THIS YEAI-MoRE MEN NEEDED
IN THE RAILWAY SERVICE
OCEAN NAIL SUBSIDIES.

the onerations of the Department during the last
fiscal year The report indicates that the Depart
ment has been conducted on strictiy BUSINESS prin-
cipes and that In this respect. as TN others. Mr.
cisselrs administration has been successful The
most has been made Of the funds available. and 1t
is also demonstrated that during the hrst year OF
the Administration, notwithstanding the changes
that have been made. the efficiency OF the service
In every department has actually peen increased
The financial statement shows that the deilciency
for the year ended June 30. 1893. was NlH'ln "a,
instead of g. 552 423 H. as estimated by Mr. Wanna
maker; and that, instead OF a surplus OF *S2.fo Il
for the current fiscal year as estimated' tnere VIII
be an estimated deficiency Of sS3O.4i w. The POST
master-General estimates the gross revenue for
the fiscal year ending June 30. 1885, at $%42.IS A.
and the gross estimated expenditures at %o,3S.-
4S5 &c. leaving estimated deficiency OF Shsn,-
1856 49, which, however. will be decreased N,2o00W
from funds taken from the unpaid money order
accounts.
Although there are ninety-three additional post
offices now entitled to the free delivery service.
the absence Of appropriation Tor extension
renders impossible the establishment OF the system
in even one of these towns. The Postmaster-Gen-
eral adopts the recommendations previously made
public adverse to the extension OF the experimental
free delivery system. The estimated free delivery
deficiency amounts to s6s,OOO
He suggests that postal notes be abolished, and
that the rates charged for all domestic money or
ders should be reduced. and the form OF order SIM
plifed.
Great Improvement Is noticeable in the star rail-
road and steamboat transportation service, the
length Of routes being 49, S32 50 miles. The amount
disbursed for the transportation OF mall was *'S-
597997 IS. and the number Of miles travelled $751;
499. 0S575. The length of routes was Increased last
year by 62il.so miles. The fast mail service be-
tween the North and South has been recently much
enlarged while the mail time between the East
and California has been materially shortened.
The Postmas General IL in favor OF the utllza-
ton OF local electric lines for mall transporta-
ton. and states that his desire Is that wherever
the general service can be advanced. use should be
made OF rapid transit city and suburban car lines.
He pays particular attention to the railway man
service. and the requirements OF this year WILL he
estimates. call for Increase OF employees from
6.6i5 men TO 1000 He urges such legislation
as will provide n reasonable sum TO be PAID 10 the
widows and minor children OF railway mall clerks
killed while on duty and estimates that $4,000 an
nuay will be sufficient for this purpose. lie rec
ommends the formation OF an auxiliary corps OF
clerks. and that early provision be made for recti-
ficaton OF employees.
Regarding mall subsidy. the Postmaster
General says that he IL unable TO ascertain that
any positive advantages have accrued. from either
n mail commercial point OF view. by reason OF
the contracts thus far put In operation under the
act of March g. 1891. and that therefore no new
contracts have been entered into. The Increased
cost OF the conveyance or ocean mails. tHs
act for the years 1890. ~. 20 and 1896 ohe last
two years estimatctD will be 81 800 iot 81 He states
that the gains In the expedition OF the malls have
not been material and the advantages derived
from the Governments control OF the ships are
incommensurate with the cost OF service
The Department carried last year SO0O.no pounds
OF second-class matter. an Increase OF II per cent
Concerning this the Postmaster General remarks
that he Is afraid that this indicates not so much
healthy growth In the periodical literature OF the
country az the success OF enterprisng publishers
In securing the entry Of many publications into this
favored class that are not really entitled 10 the
privilege.
The amount OF free mail matter delivered last
year weighed 81 10000 pounds the total number OF
pieces aggregating iG7 sss5 which. emitting news
papers and periodicals mailed free In their re-
spective counties OF publication and making no al
lowance for cases where excess over single rates
might occur. would have required. II charged the
same private matter. S173.3si worth OF postage
this being about the amount OF the average annual
deficiency. ,
In clerical service resulting from the act Of March
2. 1889 which classified and fixed the salaries OF
clerks in frs: and second class Offices and urges
amendment by Congress by increasing the
maximum salaries OF certain classes In the cerica
The Postmaster General comments on the neces-
Transactions OF which are al present conducted in
seven different buildings, for which the Govern-
ment pays annually nearly 10000 rental. only one
being owned by the Government. He says that the
Busch building In Est and the Annex Buhing;
that the apprehcnsons }or their safety may be
of eg 'ns and @ e
s,ructon Of modern nreProef Office building ,arronb
rates. Mr.. Bisse recites the protest OF the tcle-
graph companies against the rates fixed by his his
tuted against the Government to recover at the
ns ns accepted by Py
panies, and are about one-eighth per cent below
those fixed by Postmaster-General Dickinson In
The Postmaster General devotes considerable
are 2s32i employees In the classified civil Service
in the Postonicc establishment OF the Govern
sale removals Of DemocratIc clerks in the railway
tra,ion Among ont Other ahIngs be- ; says '
II have long been firm believer in the applica-
ployes for subordinate POSITIONS in the public ser
vice Eight months OF practical experience at .he
to confirm my belief In the benehcence OF the Civil
Service law. Indeed. great have become the pro,
its operations that. In my Judgment 1t would be a
matter Of practical mpossbility to conduct lis
gree OF efficiency without the benefit and protection
The important rule established by Mr. Bisse
that fourth-class Postmssters shall not be removed
unless for cause. shown. Will. he thinks have
tendency to dignity the office by placing 1t on par
with Presidential offices as TO tenure.
The Postmaster-General makes special mention OF
the needs OF the ten larger postocA OF the country
Louis. Cincinnati. Brooklyn. San Francisco. Bait-
more and Pittsburg which yield one-third OF the
total postal revenue and he recommends that
these offices be placed In class by themselves
and appropriations made for them by Congress d.
rect and without the Intervention OF rules and meth
DDS that are properly applicable to other postof-
hces. In discussing the congestion In these Of
fees he
'If. however; this suggestion should not meet with
favor az to all the ten Offices named. or even as
to the first nve, then. at least, / urge II for the
two cities OF New-York and Chicago. This recon-
mendaton Is not made for the reason alone that
they large cities. nor that the postal revenue
received largely exceeds the expenditures at EACH
and yet II should be matter Of national pride that
our largest cities should have good postal fac
ties az the largest cities OF any other country in
the world which Is not the to-day, but at
least as respects the cities OF New-York and Chi
cago feel that this recommendation should be
adopted at once FOR the reason that upon the eff
Gent management Of these offices the efficiency OF
the whole postal service OF the country largely de-
pends 1t Is as collectors and distributors OF what
may be called the worlds through mall that these
Ofnces render a service not all measured by the
local popuaton served or hx The extent OF. revenue