New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-20
THE FRUIT OF HOLMANJS-N.
A CRIPPLED FREE-DELIvERY SYSTEM.
COMPLAINTS OF INADEQUATE SERVICE POURING
IN TO TIE Postmaster G ENERAL.

COMPLAINTS OF INAnEOU SEiNN lNb fNShi-'N
IN TO TIE POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Washington, July I9 (Special) al).-Withln ten
days after the beginning Of the current hscai year
the Postonicc Department began to receive COM
plants from all parts of the country Oh the
meagre and utterly inadequate allowances to post
masters for the free-delvery service. That THIS
condition Of affairs would inevitably come to
pass was repeatedly pointed ont in these dis
PATCHES last winter. when the House of Repre-
scntatives upheld its POsolice Committee in max
ing Inadequate provision for this important branch
Of the postal service. Similar just and reason
able complaints will be heard within short time
on account of inadequate allowances for the rail-
way mail service, the salaries of clerks in post
offices and other branches Of the postal service.
all due to the same cause, for the PostofIice APP
preparation bill of the last session was triumph
Of liomanism.
In explaining why the necessary allowances for
the support Of the frec-delvery service cannot be
granted, First Assistant Postmaster-ieneral Jones
to-day said Our inability to comply with these
requests is as annoying 10 us as II can he to the
postmasters and patrons of the postofiiceS. IL ls
no fault of ours, however, but simply case OF
lack of funds We are as much interested in and
as anxious to improve the efficiency of the service
throughout the country as any one can De, Dut lne
appropriation for the frce-devery service of this
fiscal year is not enough to meet the expenses on
IA basis Of the allowances OF last year and yet the
volume of postal business is constantly increasing
The appropriation should have been increased in
proportion to meet the greater volume Of bust
ness
while the increase Of appropriations for ls03
over 1889 was S662,401, the increase for 1894
over 1898 was only $499,057. The average an
nual increase of appropriation over each pre-
ceding year from 1885 10 1893 was more than
10 pcr cent while the increase for the present
fiscal year was little over per cent The in
crease i'm the number of carriers III 1898 was
over II per cent, this being higher percentage
of increase than for any previous year.
The appropriation for the year from July /,
1893 to June SO, 1894. WAS 81 ,254, 300, from
which is 10 he deducted for experimental free
delivery < 900 and for experimental rural Tree
delivery $4,000, leaving balance OF 81 ,254,
900 On October 2, 1892, the chief OF the Tree
delivery service submitted his estimates OF Sll,
SII6I5 a. necessary To meet the increased anu
increasing demands of that service. / he Aprro-
priations Committee of the House reduced TINS
amount 100000 and In submitting estimates
for the coming year the POstotiice department.
made the further reduction OF S500,000. FROM
those figures il will be seen that the closest
economy must bn exercised to carry the depart
ment through and in making the allowances ior
carriers the department cannot be lnilhenc'u III
favor of any one or any number OF oillces' Dut oy
the needs of the whole country.