The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1894-12-08
P~OsToFFlcs DEPARTMENT..
ahe Chronic Deficiency Is Unnecessary
Some Imnositlnnn.

uhe Chronic Deficiency Is Unnecessary
Some Impositlnns.
The report of the postmaster general pre-
vents comprehensive statement of the
operations of the postoffice department for
department during the year amounted TO
s15,QsA, 1904 and expenditures to SSi, 32I,-
Hills. The transactions of the postal ser
vice indicate with b~aroinetric certainty
the f~lnctuation liz the business of the
country. In as much therefore as
business complications continue to exist
the last year to an unforeseen extent it Is
not surprising that there was a deficiency
of revenue to meet the expenditures of the
p%ostofice department, which was esti-
mated in advance at about 5000, 900. The
ascertained revenues of the last year,
which were the basis of calculation for the
current year, heinz; less than estimated,
the deficiency for the current year will be
correspondingly sreater, though the post
muster genera! states that the latest ind :
cations are 50 favorable that he conf
IDENTIFY predicts All increase of at least s
per cent in the revenues of the current
year over those of the last yeur.
The expenditures increase steadily and
necessarily with the growth and needs of
the country so that the deficiancy is greater
or less in any year, depending upon the
volume of receipts. The postmaster gen
er.l states that this deficiency is unneces-
sary aud might be obyiatcd at once il the
law regulating rates upon mail matter OF
the second class was modified. The rate
for the transmission of this sec
ond class matter is / cent per pound, While
the cost of such transmission to the gov
IS eight times that amount. In
the general terms OF the lazy this rate
covers newspapers and periodicals. The
extensions of the meaning. of the
terms from time to time have admitted to
the privileges intended for legitimate news
papers and periodicals u surprising range
OF publications., and created abuses the
cost of which amount in the aggregate to
the total deficiency of the postoitice de-
partment. Pretended newspapers IRE
started by business houses for the mere
purpose OF advertising goods, complying
With the law IN form onlynnd discontining
the publication as soon as the period of
advertising is over. sample copies of
pretended newspapers are issued in great
for Il like purpose only. Tie re-
suit is u great loss of revenue To the
government, besides ita humiliating
use as All agency TO aid in carrying out
the scheme OF a business house to adver-
tise its goods by means of n trick upon
both It's rival houses and The regular and
legitimate newspapers. Paper covered lit
e%rature. consisting mainly of trashy nov
els. to the extent OF many thousands of
tons is sent through the mails ut / cent
per pound, while the publishers of stan
dard works are required to pay eight times
that amount in sending their publications.
Another abuse consists In the free carriage
through the mails of hundreds of tons Of
seeds and grain uselessly distributed
through the department. of agriculture.
The postmaster general predicts that if
the law be so amended as to eradicate
these abuses not only will
the postohice department show no def
but he believed that in the near
future all legitimate newspapers and per-
iodical magazines might be properly trans
through the mails to the sabscrib-
mug fpcp IF ,,.et