The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1894-11-30
NINE MILLION SHORT.
LARGE DEFICIENCY IN THE
POSTAL REVENUES.
Report of MIR. Bisse11-How He Would
Decrease Expense and Increase Re-
ceipts-Readjustnn of Regulations
and other Reforms Urged.
Shows a Big SHORTAGE.

Shows a Big Shortage.
Postmaster General Bissell has sub
mitted to the President his annual re-
port for the year ended June 3, 1894.
He briefly outlines the policy of the de-
partment.
In general / would recommend that
the first and most important thing TO be
done is to revise the law as TO the sec
ond-class matter so as TO place the Post
office Department Immediately upon n
self-sustaining basis.
:. Avoid expensive experiments like the
postal telegraph, rural free delivery, etc.
3. Develop the postal service on exist
ing lines of administration, viz:
Extend free delivery in cities that now
enjoy it.
Accord il to towns already entitled TO
ii under the law.
Quicken railroad transportation.
Revise and reclassfy organization of
the railway mail service, and reclassify
clerks in postofiices.
3. Provide for district supervision of
all postal affairs by appointment of
expert postal officials from classified serv
ice, as recommended in my last annual re-
port.
The revenue for the year was SO OS0,-
40; expenditures. SS4 .414, leaving
deficiency of S9,243,935 The estimates
for the current year ending June 80 1895,
are: Revenue. So, 421, 1IS; expenditures,
$90,399, 4S5; deficiency, $5.071. 1871. The
estimates submitted to the Secretary of
the Treasury for the next fiscal year are:
Revenue, $S6,007, i01; expenditures, SOL,
O59. 2S3; deficiency, 81, 151 $40.
This annual deficiency, the Postmaster
General says, could be overcome by the
increase in postal rates, but he does not
believe this is advisable. Economy has
been pra cticed, but nevertheless great
care has been taken that il should not af
feet tn efficiency of the service. Mr.. Bis
sell recommends that the experimental
free-delivery projects should be discontin-
ued, and thinks that free delivery in rural
districts is not needed or desired by the
people.
Too Much Sccond-Class Matter.
One of the most important and inter
esting features of Mr.. Bissers report is
its discussion of class matter. In his last
report he referred to the great dispropor-
ton of growth of second-cass mail mat
ter. He gives figures for the last six
years showing that in 1888 the weight Of
secOnd-class mail matter carried was
l43,OO0,OOO pounds, and in 1893 it was
2o6,OOO,O0O. During the year 1894 there
was carried 401 600. COO pounds of al mail
matter, of which $4,000, 900 pounds was
secOnd-class matter, the total cost being
S36,2OI d., an average of = cents q
pound. Returns from p)stmasters show
that the amount upon which postage at
the rate of / cent per pound was paid
was 2J4, 100000 pounds, the remaining
45,O00,OO0 pounds being matter carried
free in the county Of publication. The
cost of carrying the second-class matter
was SIC, 800, 600, while. at the rate Of
cent u pound. the collections were So
Oh, 900. and 100000 special local rates
in carrier cities. leaving n net loss to the
Government of S1G.973. 900 The Post
master General continues:
/ do not advocate Il change Of rates now
upon legitimate newspapers and perodi-
cal magazines. My purpose is TO urge the
withdrawal of low postage rates from the
large cities and the pretended periodicals
that are now improperly enjoying them.
Books and Bogus Trade Papers.
The most conspicuous class Of these pre-
tended periodicals is what is now gencr-
ally known rs serial paper-covered books.
They are in no sense serial, however. eX
cept in name, being usually given some
general designation, as the "Fircsdp Sc
ries, ''The Detective Library" or some
other title of like character. Another
class is what has got to be known as the
"house organ" being simply pamphlet
devoted mainly to the advertising of some
mercantile establishment. but purporting
TO be devoted to trade. The bogus trade
devoted mainly TO the advertising of some
any particular house, is another illustra-
ton.
After commenting on the great increase
in the mailing of fraternal insurance pub
LEGATIONS as second-class matter. Mr.. Bis
sell suggests the remedy in the following:
If it be the policy of Congress to con
tinue the privileges of second-class rates
to benevolent or fraternal societies. then
the remedy | would suggest would be an
amendment of the law limiting this rate
to them and to legitimate newspapers and
legitimate periodical magazines.
The Postmaster General does not favor
the postal telegraph n system advocated
by his predecessor. The conditions in this
country, he says, are such as would enor-
mously increase the large deficit He
takes as example the system i'm Great
Britain, which is a comparatively small
territory, and shows that the postal tele-
graph cnldliS IL IOJdl annual loss OF about
$2,000.000. He points out that in coun-
try where the territory is SO large the
cost of n postal telegraph would far ex-
coed any possible receipts or benefits.
Mr.. Bissell gives the following daily
average bushes of the department. which
shows the vastness of the postal service:
Number Of miles of post route run. |. 1OO. 900
Number of stamps manufactured. 300 600
Number of envelopes manufactured l.SOJ,OOD
Number OF postal cards manufac-
tured NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. l .hffO. 900
Number of pieces mailed $500. Is. FOG. 900
Number of letters mailed. $3.50. 100000
Number of pieces of mail matter
distributed and redstrbuted by
railway postal clerks. .......... % SOC. 900
Number OF pieces handled in dead
letter ONCE. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1900
Daily transactions In money order
business Observation-Disclosures 81. 1OO. 900
Daily expenses. ................. S231. 100
The Postmaster General believes i'm civil
service in the Postoffice Department. He
says:
If the system has produced such good re-
suits In the clerical force OF the department