The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-11-29

WASHINGTON, Nov. o6.--It is seldom
that much interest is found in the
pages of the formal annual report OF
government officer, but Postmaster
General Bissel has succeeded in proving
the exception to the rule in his account
of the operations of the post Office de-
partment during the past twelve
months. 1t contains number of nov
ell, almost unique, suggestions and
recommendations, but these are associ-
ated with practical ideas and plans
that render them of more than ordi-
nary value and tend to incite deep
study into their scope and worth. The
policy which Mr.. Bissell has outlined
may be briefly given in his own words:
I'm general" he says, II would rec
ommend that the first and most i'm
portant thing to be done Is to revise
the law as to second-class mail-matter,
SO as to place the post Office depart
ment Immediately upon self-sustain-
ing basis.
''2. Avoid expensive experiments,
like the postal telegraph, rural free
delivery. etc.
''3. Develop the postal service on ex-
| isting lines of administration, viz: A.
extend free deliveries in cities that
now enjoy it; b, accord it to towns al
| ready entitled to it under the law; C,
| quicken railroad transportation.
"a. Revise and reclassify the organ
ization of the railway mail service and
reclassify clerks in post offices.
IS. Provide for district supervision of
postal affairs by appointment of expert
postal officials from classified service,
as recommended in my last annual re-
port"
Two of the novel features to which
reference has been made contain a
limitation Of the broad construction
which has been placed on second class
matter, and suggestion as to the
lower grade of postmasters. In the
first instance, Mr.. Bissell puts forward
a plan by which legitimate publica-
tions of the second class, such as news
papers and periodicals, may be carried
through the mails and yet leave the
government with a surplus, instead OF
the usual deficiency, IN the mainten-
ance of the postal service.
With reference to the postmasters in
smaller offices, Mr.. Bissell expresses
his willingness to indorse any reason
able plan which will take their selec-
ton, with all the consequent bicker-
ings and jealousies, from the hands OF
the postmaster general, and he makes
his ideas SO broad on this subject as to
leave no doubt that he will favor the
suggested popular vote as the means
out of the difficulty in cases where
there is more than one candidate.
To show just how vast is the postal
service of the United States, Mr.. Bis
sell has taken another novel method
He has secured from his subordinate.
and incorporated in the report a recort
of what is actually accomplished in ont
day, and the table presented gives {
better idea of postal business thar
fuller and more complicated details
This record of an average days bust
ness is as follows:
Number of miles of post route run
100000; number of stamps manufac
tured, 100000; number of envelope
manufactured, 1,sOO, 900; number posta
cards manufactured, 1,5O0,000; numbe
of pieces mailed, 15,TOO,OO0 number O
letters mailed, 7,4OO,OO0; number o
pieces of mail matter distributed an
redistributed by railway postal clerks
81, 500, 600; number of pieces handled il
dead letter office, $4,000; daily transae
tions in money order business, 81, 100
600; daily expenses, 1921, 100.
The deficiency in postal revenues 70
the fiscal year ended June 80, 1894, wa
. S9,o43,935. The total revenue derive
was $75, 5,0sO,4 ,479, and the expenditure
!, $s4, ,3e4,4l4. For the current fiscal yen
q Mr.. Bissell estimates that the expend
9 lures will amount to 800, 800, 4s5, lca'
: ing an estimated deficit of $5,67l, ~
{ and his estimate for the fiscal yea
Q ending June 80, 1896, places expend
lures at SSl. .O59, 2s3, and the deficienc
at only 81, l51,67