Evening star., 1893-11-24
Mr., BiSSELL'S SUGGESTIONS,
Some Matters Which it is Said the POST
master General Will Report Upon.
The Annual Report of the DEPARTING ent
Completed-SuggestiO Which 1t
II Said Are Made In 1t.

Postmaster General Bissen has completed
his annual report to the President 1t is
replete with important matter All the
questions vital to the postal interests are
treated conscientiously and fully Nothing
has been sighted. 1t is a ponderous docu-
ment, and has cost Mr.. Bissell mighty ex-
penditure of nerve force, brain cells and
nocturnal gas. Throughout his term Mr. Bis
sell has kept this annual postal tome in view
The result is compliment to the method
AS he would get an idea he would jot it
down and file it away for reference and
perhaps for Incorporation in this report.
This report is the outcome of systematic
work and is said to be one of the most
creditable pieces of postal literature extant
He began operations on it at about the
time when the division reports began to
arrive. However, the earnest labor did not
begin till the reports of the assistant post
masters general were transmitted to him.
Mr.. Bissell then dictated abstracts of these
to his private secretary, Mr.. Reckard, or to
his confidential clerk, Mr.. Dawson. They
were taken In shorthand, Transcribed and
written in type. Spaces of one and one-half
inches intervened between the lines. This
was to facilitate revision. In these blank
spaces Mr.. Bissen would insert what he
deemed advisable.
Had Mr. Bissell not been interrupted by
official callers and current routine business
this paper might have been in the hands Of
Mr.. Cleveland more than a week ago.
These Interruptions have been very annoy
ing to him, and he has so stated. Only yes
terday Senator Roach called to introduce a
western friend, but was denied admission
to Mr.. Bissell's room. Senator Roach was
likely, il was thought to take up half an
hour of time, which just at that juncture
Mr.. BisSel was anxious to use in polishing
off the rough edges and rounding up some
of the sentences of the report.
Mr.. Bissell has had prepared an abstract
of his report, which he says he will give to
the press at the proper time, as he is de-
sirous that all the papers shall be treated
alike. and that one shall have no advantage
over the others.
1t is stated that. although the estimates
are in no cases eXtraVagant, they are suf-
ficiently generous to meet the growing re-
quirements of the postal service. Although
some of the hobbies of the assistant post
masters general. for which they recon-
mended appropriations, are wrecked, these
gentlemen on the whole. 1t is said, have no
Just cause for complaint. The check which
was put upon the extension of urban free
delivery by curtailing the estimates of the
chief of that division is rectiied. it is said.
by Mr.. Bissell. so that Washington, New
York, Chicago, San Francisco, Boston.
Providence, st. Louis, Denver and Kansas
City will get the increased carrier service
for which they have been pressing the de-
partment for long time. and which, by
reason of the smallness of the appropria-
ton, the free delivery officials were not able
to grant.
Mr.. Bissell. 1t is said, also discusses the
postal telegraph project of Mr. Wanamaker
exhaustively, taking issue with his prede-
cessor on many points and agreeing with
him on others.
Allusion is made to the Columbian stamp
1t is asserted, in a way which, that abused
article had a nervous system, would cause
of uniforming carriers, 1t is understood, is
suggested. and increase of carriage between
the states of the postal union Is touched on.