The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1894-11-30
POSTAL AFFAIRS.
Postmaster General BlssslPs Annual Rs
port to the President


port to the President
WAsHINeoS. Nov 7.-Postmaster-
General ". S Bissell has submitted
to the president his annual report
for the year ending June 80. 1894. he
briefly outlines the policy Of the de-
partmsnt in the following:
"In general / would recommend
that the first and most important
thing to be done is to revise the laws
as to second-class matter so as to
place the postofice department i'm
mediately upon a self-sustaining basis.
''Second-Avoid expensive expert
meHJs like postal telegraph, rural
fee delivery, ctr.
"Third-DeVelop the postal service
on existing lines of administration,
viz: Extend free delivery IN cities
that now enjoy it; accord it to towns
already entitled to it under the law,
and quicken railroad transportation.
"Fourth-Revise and reclassify the
organization Of the railway mail
service and reclassify clerks in post
offices.
Fifth Provide for district super
vision of all postal affairs by appoint
ment of expert postal officials from
the classified service, as recommended
in my last annual report"
''The revenue for the year was $751;
OS0, 479; expenditures, S94, 324, 4I4, leav-
ing a deficit S9,2i5, 935. The estimates
for the current year ending June 80,
1895, are: Revenue, Ss4, 49, 49; exc
penditures, 500, 800, 4s5; deficit s5,971,-
737. The estimates submitted to the
secretary of the treasury for the next
fiscal year are: Revenue, Ss6. 907, 407;
expenditures, S91, O59, 2s5; deficiency,
81, 151, s76."
This annual deficiency, the post
master general says, could be over
come by the increase of postal rates,
but he does not believe this advisable.
Economy has been practiced, but
nevertheless, great care has been
taken that it should not affect the
efficiency of the service.
The economies have consisted main
ly in reletting contracts for mail
transportation and in the cost and
amount of supplies; also in the abro-
cation Of seven Of the eleven steam
ship subsidy contracts which will
mean a total saving in the ten years
of the contracts life of S14 431, S25.
Mr.. Bisself recommends the expert
mental free delivery projects should
be discontinued, and thinks that free
delivery in rural districts is not
needed or desired by the people. Both
these projects were originated by his
predecessor.
One of the most important and in
teresting features OF Mr.. BisselPs re-
port is its discussion of class matter.
In his last report he referred to the
great dispToportion Of growth of sec
ond class matter. He has made a
thorough investigation during the
year, upon which he says: THE
effect of all this upon my mind is
conviction that the statutes and the
presidents upon which the business
now rest are defective; that they en-
body the only great abuse at present
existing in the postal service; and
that, as this business is growing all
the time, some remedy should be
applied"
Of the obstruction Of mails by
strikes, the postmaster general says:
'In my last report called attention
to the necessity for legislation such
as then was and now is recommended
h. ~ rra15oDE 81 H. IN n mar
mail service for the punishment of
tram wrecking, and for legislative
determination of the definition of a
mail train. Such legislation would
be of great advantage to the postal
service"
The postmaster general does not
favor the postal telegraph, a system
advocated by his predecessors. He
points out that in country where
the territory is so large the cost of a
postal telegraph would far exceed
any possible receipts or benefits.
Mr.. Bissell gives the following
daily average business of the depart
mem which shows the vastness of
the postal service:
Aumoer OF stamps manufactured .... $500 600
Number OF envelopes manufactured. ,990J9
Number OF postal cards manufactured So, 200
Number Of pieces mailed Is, 10 900
Number OF letters mailed ............. 10000
Number of pieces Of mail matter dis
tributeI and re- distributed by rail
way postal clerks. q, 500 900
Number of pieces handled in dead let
ter once. -.-.s.,,,. ....-.,....... A,uJ0
Daily transactions IN money order
nnart mo -
DGlly expenses -...-..-....---... ...... zil,lUO
The postmaster general believes in
civil service in the pOstofice depart
ment He says IF the system has
produced such good results in the
clerical force of the department it is
reasonable to inquire whether some
thing like it could rot be applied
with advantage to the lower grades