Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1894-12-13

WASHINGTON. Nov. 26.-FOstmaster
General Bisselrs annual report con-
tains a number of novel, almost
unique suggestions and recon-
mendaeions, but these are asso-
ciated with practical ideas and
plans that render them of more than
ordinary value and tend to incite
deeper study into their scope and
worth. The policy which Mr.. Bis
sell has outlined may be briefly given
in his own words. He says:
His Policy.
I'm general I would recommend that the
first and most important thing to be done is to
revise the law as to second-class mail matter
so as to place the post office department inn
mediately upon self-sustaining basis.
%, Avoid expensive experiments, like the
postal telegraph, rural free delivery, etc.
% Develop the postal service on existing
lines Of administration, viz (al. Extend free
delivery in cities that now enjoy it; o.. ac-
cord il to towns already entitled to IL under the
law (c). quicken railroad transportation.
"A Revise and reclassify organization of
the railway mail service. and reelassify clerks
in post Offices, and
IS. Provide for district supervision of postal
affairs by appointment of expert postal ofii-
cials from classified service, as recommended
IN last annual
An Average Days Work.
To show just how vast is the postal service
of the United States, Mr.. Bissell has taken an
other novel method. He has secured from his
subordinates and Incorporated in the report a
record Of what is actually accomplished in one
day and the table presented gives a better
idea of postal business than fuller and more
complicated details. This record of an aver
age days business is as follows:
- 49,,
number of stamps manufactured, $500 600;
number OF envelopes manufactured. 100000;
number of postal cards manufactured. 1900
000 number of pieces mailed, 15,700.-
OO0 number of letters mailed, 1900
OOO number OF pieces of mail matters
distributed and redistributed by railway pos
tai clerks p, 800, 600; number OF pieces handled
in dead letter ONCE 24o00 daily transactions
In money order business, sl,l000O0; daily ex-
penses, 1921 100.
The Deficiency Reduced.
The deficiency in postal revenue for the
fiscal year ended June 30, 1894. was So
243 eS5 The total revenue derived was S75.-
$50 47e, and the expenditures sS4,324 Ala
For the current fiscal year Mr.. Bissell
estimates that the expenditures will amount
to 500, 1896, 4S5, leaving an estimated deficiency
of S597l,7S6 and his estimate for the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1895, places expenditures
at S9I 059 233 and the deficiency at only s. 151,-
s76
Opposed to Increased Rates.
The postmaster general says that the annual
deficiency could be overcome by general in
crease In postal rates, but he thinks this
should not be resorted to- He believes
the postal service should be self sustain
ing, and he holds that the annual de-
nciency is caused by the undue amount
OF mail matter transmitted at the sec
ond-class rates OF one cent a pound
Some Abuses.
The most Important topic in the report is
treated under the explanatory caption:
ABUSES connected with second-class mat
ter" MIR. Bissell states without reserve that
advertisers. book publishers and others have
taken advantage of the broad construction OF
what constitutes matter of the second class
by sending out their advertisements
ard periodicals under the technical dis
guise OF newspapers and periodicals,
and have thus secured the benefit of the lower
rate of postage. He has discovered that the
abuse has grown so great that it now costs the
government eight times as much to carry
second class matter as the revenue derived
from it.
Civil Service Reform.
Regarding civil service reform in the pos,
ONCE department Mr.. Bissell contends that it
should be extended wherever practical and
suggests that the lower grade-the fourth
class-of postmasters might be included with
in the benefits of the civil service law
Appointments.
The postmaster generals attention is too
much engrossed by appointments, says Mr..
Bissell, and he maintains that the improve
ment of postal facilities is retarded by the
present spoils system One plan proposed to
relieve the postmaster general Of his ever-in-
creasing burden of responsibility regarding APP
pointments provides for the division OF the
whole country into two postal districts, each
under the supervision of an inspector, who is
TO investigate the antecedents experience.
reputation, ETC., of all applicants for vacant
fourth-class postmasterships In his own
district. and report the results to
the postmaster general. The postmaster
general is then TO appoint the
candidate who, on the face of the report APP
pears to be best qualified in all respects. Once
appointed, postmaster may not be suspended
or removed for political reasons This, he
thinks is plan which is entitled to the most
careful and immediate consideration, amaydnd
become foundation upon which to build
Rural Free Delivery.
Mr. Bissell thinks the experimental free de-
livery should be discontinued or else ex-
tended to all villages and towns but he can
not recommend the latter, as it would cost too
much with little benefit to be obtained He
says that free delivery in rural districts is not
needed or desired by the people
Other Topics.
Legislation is urged to punish interference
with mail trains and attention is called to the
handicap which the department suffered in
transmitting the mails during the recent
strikes.
There has been an alarming increase In post
Office burglaries and in robberies OF mail
trains and stages, and Mr. Bisseli renews his
recommendation of last year that $4,000 be
appropriated for rewards for the arrest and
conviction of mail depredators.
Despite the efforts made TO exclude obscene
and green-goods literature from the mails.
these have not been entirely successful. and
Mr.. Bssell wants more stringent statutes
bearing on these subjects. The report also
shows that the warfare on lottery schemes has
been continued with satisfactory results.
On the subject OF the boycotting Of post Offices
by disappointed applicants for postmaster
ships and others, Mr. Bissell suggests that
such conspiracy might properly be made a
crime and he says the practice should be sup
pressed