The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1894-11-26

An Interesting Report by Post
master General Di5s5ll,
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES

Tie Believes It would Enormously Inrrr1.o
the Deficit opposes Emul Free urIi-.
cry, but Fn,cra It- Ii.tcnsion in Citip-
That Now tnaoy D..
WAsHUNGroN. Nov. .26.-Fostmastpr q .u.
eral W. S. Bl sell has submitted tu 90
president his annual report for the yeas
ending June 800. 1885, He briefly outlines
the policy Of the department. fan the follow
ing:
in general l would recommend that
the first and most important thing to- he
done is to revise the law as to second class
matter, so as To- place the postuicc depart
ment Immediately 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: Extend free
delivery in cities that now enjoy IT, Ac-
cord it to towns entitled to it under the
law. Quicken railroad transportation
Revise and reclassify the organization Of
the railway mail service and reclassily
clerks in the postotlices, Provide for dis
trict supervision of all postal affairs by
appointment of expert postal officials from
classified service, as recommended in my
last annual 4 rt"
Mr.. Bisscll iirst discusses the effect of
the continued depression upon the postal
revenues, and says:
"When adverse business conditions pre-
vail an ordinary business establishment
may overcome them in part by economies
of management and retrenchment in eX-
penditures. Not so, however, with the
postotiice establishment of the govern
ment 1t cannot and should not stop to
consider little economies 1t must needs
exert itself to the utmost to secure the
best possible results in the way of CELEBRITY,
accuracy and security in the dispatch of
the mails, and without sparing any reason
able expenditure in that behalf
Accidental delays in mail transmits
sion, always veXatious, become unbcar-
able at such times. 1t might happen that
| the delay of one hour in the delivery of
letter containing remittance of money
| would work ruin TO "A business institu-
ton"
The revenue for the year was SO OSO, 40;
| expenditures, SS4, ,324, ,4l4, leaving a de
| flciency of $0,243,935 The estimate for
| the current year June 80, 1895 are; Rev
enue, SS4, ,427, 74S; expenditures, 800 309, 4s5
| deficiency, S5,071, ,737 The estimates sub
mitted to the secretary of the treasury for
the next fiscal year are: Revenue, $780,
| 9O7, 400; expenditures, $9l ,O592 defc-
iency, S4, l5l,S $40.
This annual deficiency, the postmaster
| general says could be overcome by an in
crease of postal rates, but he does not be
! lieve this advisable 1t could be cancelled
! by a readjustment of rates on second class
matter, question which he treats at con
siderable length in another part of the re-
port Economy has been practiced, but
nevertheless great care has been taken
not to effect the efficiency of the service
OF the obstruction of mails by strikes
the postmaster general says:
| In my last annual report | called atten-
| tion to the necessity for legislation such as
| then was and is now, recommended by the
superintendent of the railway mail service
for the punishment of train wrecling, and
for legislative determination and defini-
tion of a mail train. Such legislation
would be of great advantage to the postal
service, and during the past year would
most likely have prevented the embargo
| placed upon the mail trains of the Great
| Northern railway by the strike which
| practically tied up that system from April
l3 to May 1. 1t would also have lessened
| the loss of life destruction to property,
loss of revenue to the department, and
other great evils incident to the greater
strikes that paralyzed all business to Il
greater or less extent from June 27 until
Juy "a Of this year.
Mr.. Bissell cOmmends the international
| postal union, but gives some forgotten
history connected with it, showing by a
letter written by Postmaster General
Montgomery Blair, to Secretary Seward,
in 1868, that Mr. Blair was its originator,
although Dr. Won Stephan, of Germany,
did great deal toward securing it's per-
fection.
The postmaster general does not favor
the postal telegraph, a system advocated
| by his predecessor. The conditions in this
country, he says, are such as would enorm-
ously increase the large deficit He also
| points out that the division Of the postal
telegraph system throughout different sec
tions would be productive of endless sec
F.; tioual jealousy and disagreement.
Mr.. Bissel gives the following daily
average business Of the department, which
shows the vastness of the postal service.
Number of miles of post route run, ,1OO,-
600; number of stamps manufactured
| $4,000 number of envelopes manufac-
tured, 100000; number of postal cards
manufactured, 1000, 900; number of pieces
nailed 100000; number of letters
mailed, 100000; number of pieces of mail
matter distributed and rodistrbuted by
railway postal clerks, 27,60OOOO; number
of pieces handled in dead letter Offices Pa
600; daily transactions in money order
business, 81 100, ,OOO daily expenses, S23l,-
| 100.
The postmaster general believes in civil
service in the postotlice department. At
the close of the fiscal year there were ~, 6l4
employees in the classified service, an in
crease OF / ,29O over 1898. With those added
by recent extension orders there will be a
| total Of 81, ,661.
Train Robbers Thwarted by Woman.
| LITTLE ROCK, Nov. ga plan to hold
up the east bound train on the Kansas