The islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1891-1899, 1894-12-13
Postoffice Department.


The report of the postmaster-g general
| presents comprehensive statement OF
the operations OF the postoAice depart
| ment for the last fiscal year. The re-
ceipts of the department during the
wear amounted to $75, $50. 40 Oh, and
the expenditures to $S4 1924, Ala Is. The
| transactions of the postal service in
dictate with barometric certainty the
fuctuation in the business of the coun-
| try. AS much, therefore, as business
complications continued to exist
| throughout the last year to an unfore-
seen extent it is not surprising that the
| deficiency of revenue to meet the eX-
perditures of the postofjce department,
which was estimated in advance at
about So ,O00, 900, should exceed the es-
innate. The ascertained revenues last
year which were the basis of calculation
for the current year, being less than es-
timated, the deficiency for the current
year will be correspondingly greater,
though the postmaster-general states
that the latest indications are so favor
able that he confidently predicts an in
crease of at least s per cent in the
revenues of the current year over those
of the last year.
The expenditures increase steadily
and necessarily with the growth and
needs of the country so that the de-
ficiency is greater or less in any year
depending upon the volume of receipts.
The postmaster-general states that this
deficiency is unnecessary and might be
obviated at once if the law regulating
rates upon mail matter of the second
class was modified. The rate received
for the transmission of this second-class
matter is l cent per pound, while the
cost of such transmission to the govern
ment is eight times that amount. In
the general terms of the law this rate
covers newspapers and periodicals.
THE LAW ABUSED.
The extension of the meaning of the
terms from time to time have admitted
to the privileges intended for legitimate
newspapers and periodicals surprising
range of publications, and created abuses
the cost of which amount in the aggre-
gate to the total deficiency of the post
Office department.. Pretended newspa-
pers are started by business houses for
the mere purpose of advertising goods,
complying with the law in form only,
and disseminating the publications as
soon as the period of advertising is over.
Sample copies of pretended newspapers
are issued in great numbers for like
purpose only. The result is great loss
of revenue to the government besides its
humiliating use as an agency to aid IN
| carving ont the scheme of business
house to advertise its goods by means
of a trick upon both it's rival houses
and the regular and legitimate-news-
| papers. Paper-covered literature, con-
sisting mainly of trashy novels, to the
extent of many thousands of tons, is
sent through the mails at l cent a
pound, while the publishers of standard
works are required to pay times that
amount in sending their publications.
| An abuse consists in the free carriage
through the mails of hundreds of tons
of seed and grain uselessly distributed
through the department of agriculture.
| The acknowledgement predicts that If
| the law be so amended as to eradicate
these abuses, not only will the postofice
| department not show deficiency, but
he believes that in the near future all
| legitimate newspapers, periodicals and
magazines will be properly transmitted
| through the mails to their subscribers
| free of cost. / invite your prompt con-
sideration of this subject, and fully in
dorse the views of the postmaster-gen-
eral. The total number of postoffices in
| the United States on the 30th day OF
June, 1894, was 6S,805, an increase OF
| 1903 over the preceding year. OF these
1923 were presidential, an increase in
| that class OF SO over the preceding year.
| Six hundred and ten cities and towns
| are provided with free delivery, SO other
cities and towns entitled to this service
under the law have not been accorded it
on account of insufficient funds. The
expense of free delivery of the current
| fiscal year will be more than $12, 300, 600,
| and under existing legislation this item
! of expenditure is subject to constant in
| crease. The estimated cost of rural free
delivery generally is so very large that
| it ought not to be considered in the
present condition of affairs.
There are connected with the post
Office establishment 32,661 employees
who are in the classified service. This
| includes many who have been classified
on the suggestion of the postmaster
general He states that another years
experience at the head of the depart
ment serves only to strengthen his con-
! viction az to the excellent working OF
! the civil service in this branch OF the