Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1894-12-08
~POSTOFFICE DEPARTMENT..
The Chronic Deficiency Is Unnecessary
Some Inpositions.

The Chronic Deficiency Is Unnecessary
Some Impositions.
The report Of the postmaster general pre-.
vents a comprehensive statement of the
operations of the poNtoflicc department Tor
the last fiscal year. The receipts of the
department during the year amounted TO
81 .OS), iI9.OI ana expenditures to Ssi. 32l,-
ill.lj. The transactions of the postal SER
vice indicate with haromctric certainty
the f~luctuatiOn in the business Of the
country. In rs much therefore rs
business complications continue to exist
the last year 10 an unfOrs IN extent i J.,
not surprising that there was Il deficiency
of revenue 10 meet the expenditures OF the
postoiiice department., which was c-ti-
mated in advance nj about $4,000 JO. The
ascertained revenues of the las; year,
which were the basis of calculation for the
current year, being less than estimated.
the deficiency for the current year will he
cOrrcspondingiy greater. though the post
master general states that the latest lni .
cations are 50 favorable that he conf
IDENTIFY predicts an increase of nj least )
per cent in the revenues of the current
year over those of the last wear.
The expenditures increase steadily and
necessarily with The growth and needs of
the country 50 that the deficiency il greater
or less in any year, depending upon the
volume Of receipts. The postmaster gen
cral states that this deficiency is unnecps-
sary and might be obyiRted al once if the
law regulating rates upon mail matter of
the second class was modified. The rate
received for the transmission Of this sec
ond class matter is ! cent per pound, while
the cost OF such transmission To the gov
eminent j. eight times that amount. In
the general terms Of the iaw this rate
covers newspapers and periodicals. The
extensions OF the meaning OF the
terms from time 10 time have admitted TO
the privileges intended for legitimate news
papers and periodicals Il surprising range
OF publications., aud created abuses the
of which o in the aggregate to
the total deficiency Of the postofiice de-
partment. Pretended newspapers are
by business houses for the mere
purpose Of advertising goods, complying
with the law in form only and disconiinipg
the publication a. soon AZ the period of
Sfsfaisst fof n Is IKE mks paflpsSssaep StSn,$ysssTrk
suit is u great loss OF revenue to tkS
government, besides its humiiiating
use rs an agency To aid III carrying ont
the scheme Of a business house TO adycr4
tise its goods by means Of n trick upon
both its rival houses and the regular and
legitimate newspapers. Paper covered lit
eraturc. consisting mainly OF trashy nov
els, 10 the extent of many thousands OF
tons is sent through the mails ut / cent
per pound, while the publishers of stan
dard works are required to pay eight times
that amount in sending their publications.
Another abuse consists in the free carriage
through the mails of hundreds of o of
seeds and grain uselessly distributed
through the department Of agriculture.
The postmaster general predicts that ii
the law he so amended az to eradicate
these abuses not only will
the postoffice department show no def.
cheney, but he believed that in the near
future all legitimate newspapers and per
iodical magazines might be properly trans
mitted through the mails to the subscrib
ers free of cost.