The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-26

icais thsf ara nos Improperly enloytnz
them
periodicals. Is shas are now generally
kuown ss serial psper-covsred looks.
Iaey are IN 10 sense serial. no~eveT, ex-
cent IN name. being usually given some
such general designation as the Preside
series. the Detective library or some
other title OF ike character. They are
nothing bat books. pure and simple. and
many of them very trashy books At thar,
esch one distinct In iEse.f. the series
never being devoted 10 anything in par
ticalAr. having few subscribers. and with
no real subscription price.
Another class OF publications now
largely enjoying the low postage accorded
20 second-ciass matter IL what has come 10
ne known the house organ, being
simply paper or pamphlet devesed
malnly 10 tie advertising of some Tner-
cantlle. mining or other establishment,
but pGrporting 20 be devoted to trade,
claiming bona nde line OF subscribers
and nominally conforming 10 other conds-
tlons of second-class matter. The bogus
trade paper, not devoted 10 the advertising
OF any particular house. IS another illus
tration OF the same abuse OF the mails.
''0f great moment in connection with
the abuse am discussing IS The privilege
given 70 publishers OF newspapers and
msgazlnes-the nrst bessowsl OF which
was tue act of March 3. 1ss5-to mail
sample copies thereof at the pound rate OF
postage"
After commenting on the great increase
in the mailing of fraternal insurance pub
lications IS second class matter, and show.
ing The enormous increase of them since
the act OF congress admitting them. Mr..
Bissel suggests the remedy in the follow
ing:
''If il be the policy OF congress 10 con-
tinue the privileges of the second class
rates TO benevolent or fraternal societies,
then the remedy | would suggest would be
an amendment OF the law limiting this
rate TO them and 10 legitimate newspapers
and legitimate periodical magazines. |
believe one years experience under such
limitations would demonstrate that all
legitimate newspapers and periodical
magazines maY be transmitted through
our mails from publishers into the hands
OF subscribers free OF ali cost"
The postmaster general does not favor
the postal telegraph. system advocated
by his predecessor. The conditions in this
country, he says, are such as wonid
enormously increase the large deficit. He
takes as an example the system in Great
Britain, " hich is a comparatively small ter
rItory, and shows that the postal telegraph
entails q total annual loss of about s., 000,-
600. He points out that in a country
where the territory is so large the cost of q
postal telegraph would far exceed any
possible receipts or benefits.
Mr.. Bissell gives the following daily av-
erage business of the department, which
shows the yastness OF the postal service:
Niles OF post route run un.--....-.......-. lloo,0o9
stamps manufactured ............-.- $4,000
E-str. Hxaa4
Postal cards manufactured. .-......... I50l, 90
feces insl.ed 10 1870
letters mailed 10000
iributed by railway postal clerks. q, 5000
Pieces handled indead letter office. 2e0.poo
Daily transaction In money order husi-
ness ,leV,cOo
Dalty expenses ,----+----.-...--.-.+ ZSi.luo
The postmaster general believes in civil
service rules in the postofice department
He says:
III The system has produced such good
results in the clerical force of the depart
ment. IL is reasonable TO inquire whether
something could nst be applied with ad-
vantage 10 the lower grades OF postmas-
ters. For more than one generation the
American people have been trained To re-
gard the postoffice as inseparable from the
varying fortunes of the two great political
parties, and in some instances even as
legiiimately following the yicssitudes of
mere factions within a party. This fall
lacy is to be deplored. The intelligence
of our people has long outgrown the no
ton that any one political party enjoys
a monopoly of administrative talent.
The local postotfice is closely con-
neeted with the everyday life of the
people who patronize il. aud moth
ing is further from the pr nciples of
home rule and majority rule than to force
any change whatever. Yet this is what
happens and is bound TO happen as long
as the posiofiices remain in the public
mind. and hence in the practice of the
government, associated with politics.
The postal service must either be taken
out of the political field altogether and
surrounded with the same conditions
which conduce TO the health of q private
business, or be divided. for administrative
purposes, into two sections. the one polit-
ical and the other non-poiitical, each
under a separate head, so that the execu-
tive authority on the non-political side
shall not be required to give any of hrs
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 postoffice
appointments Commenting upon the
bin. the postmaster general says:
Whether such plan Is or is not the
best that can be devised, il is at least the
formalaiio of plan which IS entitled to
the most earnest. careful and immediate
consideration. and may become founda-
ton upon which TO build. What is earn
estiy desired. and what daily appears more
of a necessity. is legislation of some kind
which will insure an improvement upon
present methods
Mr. Bissell closes his report with q re-
quest that new building be provided for
the po.toffice department He says the
interest on the cost Of an adequate build
ing would be less than the amount of rent
paid.