The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1894-11-26
and The like
Postmaster General Bissell's Annual
Report.
1T IS VERY INTERESTING
The Business Done BY the Depart
mont 10 Now Enormous Bs-
yond Any General
Comprehension.
IT IS VERY INTERESTING

msnt 10 Now Enormous Bs-
yond Any General
Comprehension.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 25.-Postmaster
General Bissell has submitted to tho pres.
ident his annual report for the year en-.
ding June 20, 1894. He briefly outlines the
policy OF the department In the following:
"ln general I would recommend that
the first and most important thing TO bo
done is TO revisc tho law as 10 second.
class matter, 30 90 to place the postotllce
department Immediately ON self-sus.
tanning basis.
"Sscond. To avoid expensive expert
inents like the postal telegraph, rural free
delivery, etc.
"Third. To develop postal service on
existing lines Of administration, viz: Ex.
tend FREQ delivery to cities that now enjoy
II. accord II to towns already entitled TO
II under tho law, quicken railroad trans.
portation, revise and rcclassify tho organ
isation Of railway inail service and re.
classify clerks In postofIlces.
Fifth, provide for the district super.
vision Of all postal Affairs by the appoint.
ment Of expert postal official from tho
classified service, - recommended In my
last annual report"
Mr.. Bissell first discusses the effect Of
the continued dspesssion upon postal row
enues and says:
"When adverse business conditions pro-
vail, an ordinary business establishment
may overcome thsm In part by economics
Of management and retrenchment In OK.
penditures. Not 90, however, with tho
postofflce establishment of the govern.
nsnt. II cannot and should not stop to
consider little economies. Its duties and
obligation to the public become at once
intensified and enlarged"
The revenue for the year was S75,06o,.
l@; expenditures, eSa, ,22A. .Ai4, leaving . do
ficit Of @,2A3,93A Tho estimates for the
current year ending juno 30, 1896, arc |:
Revenue, $si, 7,74S; expenditures, So.
800, ,Ass; deficiency, S,o7l,7S7.
This annual deficiency, the postmaster
general says, could bs overcome by an In.
crease Of postal rates, but he does not bs.
lievs this advisable. Economy has been
praoticsd. but nevertheless great care has
bssn taken that IL should effect the efIi.
cisncy Of the service.
Economics have consisted mainly In ~
letting contracts for mail transportation
aud II the oost and amount Of supplies,
also In the abroaati0n Of seven OF tho II
steamship subsidy contracts, which will
mean total saving in 10 years Of the
contracts' lives, Of sl4, ,43l, ,325.
Ne nian~l1 ~, l. hal h.
mental free delivery project should be
discontinued and thinks that free deliv.
cry In the rural districts 10 not needed or
dssirsd BY the people. Both Of those pro.
jsets were originated by his predecessor.
He refers to the war made by the de.
pastment ON lottery schemes passing
under the name OF "Bond Investment
companies" and says II has been wagsd
suecessfully. He recommenas tho enact.
ment Of laws, covered In bills now pend
ing tsfors congress for tho further sup
prsssiou Of lotteries.
OF the obstruction OF mails by strikes,
the postmaster general says: "In my
last report called attention to the nscss.
sisy for legislation such 90 was then and
10 now recommended by tho supsrintsnd-
snt Of the railway mail service for the
punishment Of train wrscking and for the
legislative dstermination Of the definition
q mail train. Such legislation would
b Of great advantage to the postal
ssrvice.
Ono Of tho most important features Of
tho report 10 ITS discussion Of class mat
tor. In his last report no referred to tho
great disproportion Of tho growth Of sec
ond class mail matter. He has made q
thorough investigation during the year,
upon which he says: "The effect Of ali
this upon my mind is the conviction that
the statutes aud presidents upon which
business now rests are defective; that
they embody only . great abuse at the
present existing conditions in tho postal
service, and that as this business il grow.
Ing all the time, some remedy should bs
applied"
He gives figures for tho past six years,
showing that In 1888 the weight Of second
class matter carried was 143,00O.OO)
pounds, and in 1893 it was 256, 10000
pounds. During the year 1894 there was
carried 45l, ,Oo0. .000 pounds Of ell mail mat.
ter, of which 299, 100000 pounds was sec.
ond class matter. The cost Of carrying
second class matter was SO. .3c0. 600, willie
at the rate of one cent per pound collcc'
tons were $2,547 900, and $4,000 special
local rates in carriers cities, leaving q
net loss to the government Of Sl6,975. .o0)
II do not advocate change Of rates
now upon legitimate newspapers and peri
odical magazines. Ny purpose is to urge
Withdrawals Of the postage rates from
large cities and pretended periodicals tho,
are now improperly enjoying them. The
most conspicuous class Of these periodi
Gals are what are now generally known a.
social paper covered books. They aro in
no sense serial, however. except in name
being usually given some such genera
designation as The Fireside Series,
The Detective Library or some othel
title Of like character. They are moth
ing but books pure and simple, and man,
Of them very trashy books at that. eacl
one distinct in itself; the series neveI
being devoted 10 anything in particular
having few subscribers and with no rea
subscription price.
The postmaster general does not favo
postal telegraph, system advocated b,
his predecessor. The conditions in thi.
country. lie says. fare such as would
enormously Increase the large deficit. II,
takes for example the system in Grca
| Britain, which is q comparatively smal