The record-union., 1894-11-26
Avoided
Special to the RECoRD-UNroS.

ending June 80, 1894. He briefly out
lines the policy of the department in the
following:
"In general, l would recommend that
the first and most important thing to be
done is TO revise the law as to second
class matter, SO as to place the Postoffice
Department Immediately upon self-sus-
tanning basis.
Second, avoid expensive experiments,
like the postal telegraph, rural free de-
livery.
Third, develop the postal service
on existing lines of administration,
viz: extend free delivery to cities
that now enjoy it; accord it to towns
already entitled to it under the law;
quicken railroad transportation.
II ourth, revise and classify the organ
ization of the railway mail service, and
re-claSslfy clerks in pOStOffices.
Fifth, provide for district supervision
Of all postal affairs by appointment of an
expert postal official from the classified
service as recommended in my last an
nual report"
Mr.. Bissell first discusses the effect of
tie continued depression upon the postal
revenues, and says: when adverse
business conditions prevail, an ordinary
business establishment may overcome
them in part by economies of manage
ment and retrenchment in expenditures.
y OF SO, however, with this popular es-
tablishment of the Government. 1t cam
not stop to consider little economics. Its
duties and obligations to the public be-
come intensified and enlarged"
The revenue for the year was S75, $50, 900,
and the expenditures $50, ,090, 900, leaving
deficit of 50, 240,O00 The estimates for
the current year ending June 80, 1895,
are: Revenue, SS4, 247 .74S; expenditures,
$9O,039, ,4S5; deficiency, So, 79l,73 The es-
Inmates submitted to the Secretary of the
Treasury Tor the next fiscal year are !:
Revenue, $500 ,407; expenditures, $9l,-
O09, 2S3; deficiency, II, l5l, $50.
This annual deficiency, the Postmaster
General says, could be overcome by the
increase OF postal rates. but he does not
believe this advisable. Economy has
been practiced, but nevertheless great
care has been taken that it should not
affect the efficiency OF the service. The
economies have consisted mainly in re-
letting contracts for mail transportation
and in the cost and amount of supplies;
so also in the abrogation of seven of the
eleven steamship subsidy contracts,
which will mean total saving in the ten
years of the contracts life OF S14, 443, ,275.
MIR. BlsselI recommends that the eX-
pertinent with the free-delivery project
should be discontinued, and thinks that
free delivery i'll rural districts is not
needed or desired by the people. Both of
these projects were originated by his pre-
deceSsor.
lie refers to the war made by the de-
partment on lottery schemes passing un-
der the name of bond investment" COM
panies, and says it has been waged sue
cessfully. He recommends the enact
ment of laws covered in bills now pend
ing before Congress for the further sup
preston of lotteries.
II ho nhS Iatin IF l.
the Postmaster General says: sin my
last report l called attention to the ne
cesSlty Tor Legislation such as then was,
and is now, recommended by the Super
intendent of the Railway Mail Service for
the punishment of train wreckers, and
Tor legislative determination OF the def
milton Of a mail train. Such legislation
would be of great advantage to the pos
tai service.''
One of the most important and inter-
estiDg features of Mr.. BisSell's report is
Its discussion Of class matter. In his last
report he referred TO the great dispropor-
ton of the growth of second-class matter.
lie has made a thorough investigation
during the year, upon which he says: The
effect OF all this, upon my mind, is a con-
Viction that the statutes and the prece-
dents upon which the business now rests
are detective; that they mbody the only Y
great abuse at present existing in the
postal service, and that as this business is
growing all the time, some remedy
should be applied" He gives figures for
the past six years, showing that in 1888
the weight of second-class matter carried
was 143,00O,O00 pounds, and in 1893 it was
256, ,00O,0 pounds. During the year 1894
there was carried 45l, ,00O, 900 pounds of all
mail matter, of which 299, ,000, 900 was Sec
ond-clasS matter, the total cost being
S37, ,5O0,eoO. an average of eight cents a
pound.
Returns from the Postmasters show
that the amount upon which postage at
the rate OF one cent per pound was paid
was 2o4, 100000 pounds, the remaining 49,
0O0,00O pounds being matter carried free
in the county of publication. The cost OF
carrying the second-class matter was
$50, $40, 900, while at the rate of one cent a
pound the collections were Ssh COO and
SS00,000 special local rates in carriers
cities, leaving a net loss to the Govern
ment of $40, ,573, ,000."
After giving these figures the POST
master-General continues: This calcula-
tion applies to transportation alone. The
separate cost of distribution and delivery
I will not attempt to estimate, but anyone
can see that those items of expenditures
would swell the loss. | do not advocate
a change of rates now upon legitimate
newspapers and periodical magazines.
Ny purpose is to urge the withdrawal OF
the postage rates from the large cities on
improperly enjoying them.
ssrhe most conspicuous class of these
neriodicaIs are what are now generally
known as serial paper-covered books.
They are in no sense serial. however, ex-
cent in name, being usually given some
snch general designation as The Eireside
series, The Detective Library or some
other title of like character. They are
nothing but books pure and simple, and
MANY of them very trashy books at that,
each one distinct in itself. the series
never being devoted to anything in par
ticular. having no subscribers and with no
real subscription price.
Another class of publications now
largely enjoying the low postage accorded
to second-class matter is what has got to
be known as the House Organ,' being
simply a paper or pamphlet devoted
mainly to the advertising OF some mer-
camille, manufacturing or other establish
ment, but purporting to be devoted to
trade, claiming a bonafioe list OF sub
scribers, and nominally conforming to
other conditions of second-class matter.
The bogus trade paper, not devoted to the
advertising of any particular mouse, is
another illustration OF the same abuse ol
the mails.
'Of great moment in connection with
the abuse l am discussing is the privilege
given to publishers of newspapers ano