New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-11-26

FoURTH-clNss roSTMASrERs
Washington Nov 5-Postmas'er-Gene'a' h.sseH
has submitted his annual report TO the President
7, contains q number OF suggestions and recon-
mendatons The policy which Mr.. Bissell mas out
lined may be briefly given ir his words;
In general / would recommend that the hrsi an m
mos, important thing to be done is TO revise lAe
inw as 70 socond class mail matter. 50 as to place
the Postof1lcc department imnedia'eN u'o" SUI
SecondHAySd expensive experiments. like the
postal telegraph. rural free delivery, exc. ,x ,,s
Third-Deveiop the postal service on existing mes
(aj Extend free delivery in cities that now en-
b, Accord i, to towns already entitled to 1t
'' dcS Chicken railroad transportation.
Fourth-Revise and recassifv ,ae organization Hl
the railway mail service AMI reclassiN CLERKS III
FiffhWProvide for the district supervision Of all
postal affairs by appointment oil expert postd o.
fcials from classified service. as recoHhle"'o' 80
my last annual report
Two Of the novel features concern a imi'd'io"
in the broad construction placed on secohi -ciasS
matter and a suggestion as TO the selection 81 '"e
lower grade of postmasters. In the first instance
Mr. Bissen puts forward a plan by which legitimate
indications Of the second class. such as news
papers and periodicals. may be carried cAeapE anu
yet leave the Government with surplus ns'eau oil
the usual deficiency in the maintenance OF 'he
postal service With reference to the poStmas'eiS
IN the smaller offices. Mr.. Bissell expresses MS
will take their selection with ali the consequent
chickering's and iealousies, FRI m the hands o1 me
Postmaster-General. ana he makes MS lde"S -
broad on this subject to leave no doubt that ne
Will favor the suggested popular vote as the means
ont OF the difficulty IN cases ""'Ie '"e'e - "'
than one candidate
TO show just vast is the postal service oil the
United States Nh B!ssell has taken another novel
method He has secured from his suhordind'es ana
Incorporated in the report record of what Is a'-
tua]lv accomplished in one day. and the table pre-
scented gives q better idea of postal business than
fuller and more complicated details. THIS recor'
% an average days business is a. follows:
Number Of miles OF p)st-route run 10000; num-
Der of stamps manufactured. S3Oocco: number Of
envelopes manufactured lN0~"; number oil
postal cards manufactured 100000. number OF
pieces mailed, 1j7o000o: number of letters mailed
10000 number of pieces Of mail matter d!sti'b-
uted and redisribntel by railway postal clerks
e75occoo: number Of piece: handled in Dead Letter
Office 2i0N; daily transactions in money-order
business. N.10)vo: daily expenses. $2llO
The deficiency in postal revenues for the fiscal
year ended June 30 1894. WIS sS24iso5. The total
revenue derived was S75.0W47e. ana the eNpendi-
lures ss432Ln4 For the current fiscal year Mr.
Bissel estimates that the expenditures viii amount
TO s9o.Ss9iS. leaving an estimated deficiency OF
s.1717S6 and his estimates for the fiscal year end
s. June 80 1896. place expenditures al ~L"s2S5
and the deficiency at only A,ljls16.
Mr. Bissen takes credit to himself for having
abrogated certain OF the steamship subsidy CON
tracts arranged by Postmaster-General Nana-
maker thus avoiding an expenditure. which ne
characterizes as "usfless" OF Sl4 Bile
The most important topic discussed in the report
is treated under the explanatory caption Abuses
connected with second-ciass matter Mr. Bis
el states without reserve. that advertisers. book
publishers and others have taken advantage or
the broad construction Of what constitutes matter
Of ,ho ny advertise
mcnts and publications under the technical dis
guise of newspapers and periodicals. ana nave
thus secured the benefit Of the lower rate OF
postage. He has discovered that the abuse mas
grown so great that it now costs the Government
eight times as much to carry second-class matter
as the revenue derived from 1t. 1t is estimated
that during the f. cal year ended June 80 1894. out
of about AL 100000 pounds OF mail matter Of all
classes carried. 299, 900 0Q. nearly two-thirds
went under the second-class rates. leaving net
loss 10 the Government on its transportation OF
s6O73OO This calculation" the Postmaster
General says. applies to transportation alone
The separate cost of distribution and delivery |
will not attempt to estimate. but any one can soc
that these items OF expenditure would largely
swell the loss" Continuing he says:
do not advocate change Of rates now upon
legitimate newspapers and periodical magazines
nv purpose is to urge the withdrawal OF low post
oscas 'eI hat i0 are 'h now mproPry noyng
not only on account Of the inherent PropreN %
ever seeing The financial condition Of the depart
brought abodt
In defining some Of the publications that secure
the benefits OF seCond-class rates, the Postmaster
General does not mince his words lie says:
The most conspicuous class Of these pretended
as serial paper-covered books. They are in no
sense serial however. except in name. being
tho "Eirrslde Series" the objective Library or
some other title Of like character They are noh,
h,f hook miro nj any
very trashy books at that each one distinct n IL
i'm particular. having few subscribers and with no
real subscription price. except a nominal one, Tor
the books except ne would buy any other book
They in tact differ in no respect from other books
merit and in having always paper covers
Another class Of publications which Mr. Ksscll
would exclude from the benefits Of second-class
rates Is what he calls the house organ a paper
or pamphlet devoted mainly to advertising some
mercantile manufacturing. or Other establish
n,ent but purportng be devoted 10 trade.
claiming a bona fde list OF subscribers. and nomi-
nally conforming TO other conditions Of the sec
ond class Still another Objectionable publication
is the bogus trade papers" consisting Of lot Of
advertising circulars. with little worthless
literary matter thrown in here and there TO give
the thing the sembance Of genulneness
During the last six years the Postoificc Depart
ment has accepted for entry 2i,S0i new publca-
tions purporting be of the second class. Ac-
cording to n prominent newspaper nI'CtorN' '"c
net increase Of newspapers and periodical publca-
tons during the same time 3,7i7 or 10 per cent
of the number of entries.
Mr. Bissell makes strong argument FOR Clvii
Service Reform in the Postofiice Department He
contends that ii should be extended wherever
practicable that unprecedented efficiency mas beeh
attained through It's workings. and that 1t IL a
stimulus 70 the best work. He presents Facts ana
figures TO prove these assertions. As for more
radical extension. Mr. Bisscl suggests that the
lower grade-the fourth ciass-of postmastcrs
might be included within the benent OF the civil
Service law The Postmaster-Generars attention
is too much cngrossed by appointments. says MI
Risseu and he maintains that the Improvement IN
postal facilities is retarded under the present
spoils system.