The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1894-11-29
THE POST OFFICE.
Radical Reforms Are Urged by Post
master General Bissell.
Abridscment of the Second-Ctass Priv
ileges-Revisc and Reciassify the Or
ganization of Railway 3Gnii Service
deficiencies for the Past Year.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 26.-It is seldom
that much interest is found III the
pages of the formal annual report of
government officer, but Postmaster
General Bisse1 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. It 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:
Sin general" he says, Il would rec
ommend that the first and most i'm
portant thing to be done is to revise
the law as to second-class Matchmaker,
so as to place the post Office depart
ment Immediately upon self-sustain-
ing basis.
so. Avoid expensive experiments,
like the postal telegraph, rural free
delivery, etc.
So Develop the postal service on ex-
listing 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.
81 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 4
limitation of the broad construction
which has been placed on second class
matter. and a suggestion as to the
lower grade of postmasters. In the
first instance, Mr.. Bissell puts forward
plan by which legitimate publica-
tions of the second class such rs news
papers and periodicals. may be carried
through the mails and yet leave the
government with surplus, instead OF
the usual deficiency, IN the nainten-
ance of the postal service.
With reference to the postmasters III
smaller Offices. Mr. Bissell expresses
his willingness to indorse any reason
able plan which will take their selec-
ton. with all the consequent bicler-
ings and jealousies. from the hands OF
the postmaster general. and he makes
his ideas so bread 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.
lie 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 average days bust
ness is as follows:
Number of miles Of post route run,
i,1O0O 600; number of stamps manufac-
tured. $500. 600; number of envelopes
manufactured, 1900 900: number postal
cards manufactured, 1.5O0. 600; number
of pieces mailed, 1900 600; number OF
letters mailed, 100000; number OF
pieces of mail matter distributed and
redistributed by railway postal clerks,
%, 500. 600; number of pieces handled in
dead letter Office, $4,000; daily transac-
tons in money order business. 81, 1907
600; daily expenses. $:3l, 100.
The deficiency in postal revenues for
the fiscal year ended June 30, 1894, was
S9.243, 035 The total revenue derived
was $685. and the expenditures
Ssh, 3o4,4l4. For the current fiscal year
Mr.. Bisse]l estimates that the expendi-
lures will amount to 500. 1904 leav-
ing an estimated deficit of 1861, 73G,
and his estimate for the fiscal year
ending June 80, 1896, places expendi-
lures at sol, O59. 2s3, and the deficiency
at only 81, SIG.