The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1894-11-30
POSTAL POINTS.
Interesting Facts Cleaned from the Report
Of the POstmaster-GeneraL

POSTAL POINTS.
Interesting Facts Cleaned from the Report
OF the Postmaster-GeneraL
WASHINGTON. Nov. 26.-Postmaster-
General w. s. Bissell has submitted to
the president his annual report for the
year ended June go He briefly out
lines the policy of the department as
follows:
In general would recommend that the first
and most important thing to be done is to re-
wise the law as to second class matter SO as to
place the post ONCE department upon self
sustaining basis.
Second-Avoid expensive experiments like
the postal telegraph rural free delivery, ETC.
Third-DevelOp the postal service on exist
ing lines of administration. viz: Extend free
delivery In cities that now enjoy it, accord 1t 10
towns already entitled to it under the law,
quicken railroad transportion.
Fourth-Revise and reclassify organization
Of the railway mail service and reclassify
clerks in post Offices.
Fifth-Provide for district supervision Of all
postal affairs by appointment OF expert officials
from classified service, as recommended in my
last annual report.
Mr.. Bissell first discusses the effect
Of the continued depression upon the
postal revenues and says:
When adverse business conditions prevail an
| come them in part by economies Of manage
nent and retrenchment in expenditures. Not
SO, however, with the post office establishment
of the government. 1t cannot and should not
| stop to consider little economies. Its duties
and obligations to the public become at once
Intensified and enlarged. The revenue for the
year was S75,0S), 49, expenditures SSi, 324 Ala,
leaving a deficit Of s9,2I3,935. The estimates
Tor the current year ending June So 1885, are:
Revenue, SS4,427,7is; expenditures SOC. 399 ,5s5:
Z Esfim otos tod 20,
secretary OF the treasurury for the next fiscal
year are: Revenue, $50, 907 407; expenditures,
e9l ,Oo9, 2s3: deficiency, A15l ,s16 This annual de-
iclency, could be overcome by the increase of
postal rates, but he does not believe this advis-
able. Economy has been practiced but neverthe-
less great care has been taken that it should
| not affect the efficiency Of the service. The
economies have consisted mainly in re-lettin2
| contracts for mail and transportation, and in
| the cost and amount OF supplies; also il the
| abrogation of seven of the eleven steamship
| subsidy contracts, which will mean a total saw
ing in the ten years Of the contracts life Of sli,
| 431, 325.
Mr.. Bissell recommends the expert
mental free delivery projects should be
discontinued.
One of the most important and inter-
esting features of Mr.. Bissell's report
is its discussion of class matter. In
his last report he referred to the great
iisproportion of growth of second
class mail matter. He has made a
thorough investigation during the year
upon which he says:
| The effect Of all this upon my mind is q con-
| yiction the statutes and presidents upon which
| the business now rests are detective: that they
smbody the only great abuse at present exist
ing in the postal service: and that as the BUSH
ness is growing III the time some remedy should
| he opr1jp1 10 civ for tf,a ct Gya
| showing that in 1888 the weight of second-clasS
matter carried was 1900, 90 pounds, and in
| 1898 it was 256,O)OO0). During the year 1894
| there was carried 900 pounds OF all mail
matter of which g90)0,0)0 pounds was second
class matter the total cost being S36 POI, 572 an
average of 8 cents per pound. Returns from
| poSt,naSterS show that the amount upon which
postage, at the rate of 1 cent per pound was
paid was 25i 10000 pounds, the remaining 49,
10000 pounds being carried free in the coun-
| ty of duplication. The cost of carrying the
| second-clasS matter S0,320.000. while at
| the rate of cent pound the collections were
f2,547 coo, and $4,000 special local rates in
carrier cities leaving a net loss to the govern
ment Of Sl6,913,050.
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 enormously increase the
large deficit. He takes as example the
system in Great Britain, which is a
comparatively small territory, and
shows that the postal telegraph entails
total annual loss of about $4,000, 900.
Mr.. Bissell gives the following daily
average business of the department,
which shows the vastnesS of the postal
service:
Number Of miles of post route rum. 11O) 600
| Number Of stamps manufactured. $4,000
Number of envelopes manufactured. 100000
| Number of postal cards manufac-
| tured. 1900 900
Number Of pieces mailed ............. Is, 700 600
| Number OF letters mailed. 7,400 900
Number of pieces of mail matter dis
| tributed and redstributed by rail-
way postal clerks. Observation-Disclosures. q, 500 900
Number of pieces handled in deadlet-
ter Office Observation-Disclosures. $4,000
| Daily transactions in money order
| business. H. 0OO0
Daily expenses. Observation-Disclosures. 231 100
Mr.. BisseIl refers to the bill now
pending in congress to relieve the
postmaster-generalo of the responsible
ity Of the post Office appointments.
Commenting upon this bill, the post
master-general says:
Whether such plan is or is not the best that
can be devised, it is at least the formulation of
a plan which is entitled to the most earnest.
careful and immediate consideration and may
become foundation upon which to build.
| What is earnestly desired and what daily ap-
pears more of a necessity, is legislation of some
kind which Will insure an improvement upon
present methods.
PATRONS OF HUSBANDRY.
Tho National Grange Declares Tina Taxa