The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-26

| pamphlet devoted mainly to the aQVertlS-
| ing of some mercantile, manufacturing or
other establishment, but purportlng to be
| devoted to trade, claiming a bona tide line
| of subscribers, and nominaliy conforming
to other conditions OF second-class
matter. The bogus trade paper, devoted
to the advertising of some particular
house, is another illustration of the same
abuse of the mails. OF great moment in
connection with the abuse l am discussing
is the privilege given to publishers Of
newspapers and magaZnes-the first be-
stowal of which was he act of March 3.
1SS5-to mail sample copies thereof at the
pound rate of postage. But for this too
liberal privilege / am inclined to think the
very few really legitimate trade papers
would never have been submitted to the
mails as Secoud-class matter"
After commenting on the great increase
in the mailing of fra ernal-insurance pub
licallons as second-class matter, and show
ing the enormous increase of them since
the act of Congress admitting them, Post
master Bisseli suggests the remedy in the
following: IF it be the policy of Con-
gress to continue the privileges of the
second-class rates to benevolent and fra
ternal societies, then the remedy 1 would
suggest would be an amendment Of the law
limiting this rate to them and to legitimate
newspapers and legitimate periodical mag
aznes. l believe one years experience
under such limitations would demonstrate
that all legitimate newspapers and period
ical magazines may be transmitted through
our mails from publishers into the hands
of subscribers free of all cost"
rhn f0xy
the postal telegraph, system advocated
by bis 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 te!e-
graph entails total annual loss of about
100000. He points out that in
country where the territory is SO large the
cost of a postal telegraph would far ex-
coed any possible receipts or benefits.
Mr.. Blssell gives the following daily
average business of the department,
which shows the vastness of the postal
service: Number of miles OF post route
run, 100000; number of stamps manu-
featured, S,300,000; number of envelopes
manufactured. 100000; number of postal
cards manufactured, 100000; number OF
pieces mailed. 15,700.000; number OF
letters mailed, 100000; number of pieces
OF mail matter distributed and Tedls-
tributed Dy railway postal clerks,
p, 500, 900; number of pieces handled in
dead-letter Office. 100000; daily trsnsac-
tons in money-order business, $1,1OOOOO;
daily expenses, 1921, 100
The POstmaster-Ge believes n
civil service in the Postofice Department.
He says: eff the system has produced
such good results In the clerical force of
the department, it Is reasonable to IN
Quire whether something could not be ap-
piled with advantage to the lower grades
of postmasters. For more than one gene
ration the American people have been
trained to regard the postOffice as in-
separable to the varying fortunes of the two
great political parties, and in some in
.stances even as legitimately following the
vicissitudes of ore factions within party.
This fallacy is to be deplored. The inteli-
gence of our people has long outgrown the
notion that any one political party enjoys
a monopoly of administrative talent.
"The local pOstoffice is closely connect
ed with the everyday life of the people
who patronize it, and nothing Is further
from the principles of home rule and
majority rule than to force change. Yet |
this is what has happened and is bound |
10 happen as long as the postOffices remain |
in the public mind associated with /
politics. The postal service must either
be taken out of the political field alto
gether and surrounded with the same con-
ditions which conduce TO the health of
private business or be divided, for admin /
istrative purposes, into two sections. the
one political and the other non-pOlitical,-
each under separate head, so the execu-
tive authority on the non-political side
shall not be required to give any Of his
thought TO the improvement of the postal
system"
Mr.. Bissell refers to the bill now pend
ing in Congress to relieve the Postmaster
General of the responsibility of pOs:office
appointments. Commenting upon the bill,
the Postmaster 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 earn
est. careful and immediate consideration,
and may become a foundation upon which
to build. What is earnestly desired and
what daily appears more of necessity, is
legislation of some kind which will insure
an Improvement upon present methods"
Mr.. Bissel closes his report with re-
quest that new building be provided for
the Postoffice Department. He says The
interest on the cost of an adequate build
ing would be less than the amount OF rent
paid. -
GOLD DISCOVERED.