The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1895-11-27
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Postmaster General Wilson Makes
Public His Annual Report.
lie Complains of the Abuse of Class Rates
OF Postage and Desires That Civil
Service Methods Shall be Car
ried Higher In the De-
partment.

the operation OF the post ofhce depart
ment remarks that the financial and
industrial depression which has seri-
ously affected the revenues OF the pos
tai service for the past two years and
disappointed the estimates of his pred
ecessors, extended far enough into the
fiscal year 1895 to make an unusually
wide gap between revenues and ex-
penditures. 1t is gratifying, however,
to report that large part of this deti-
cheney occurred in the first quarter OF
the year, and that since then the reve-
nues of the department have reflected
the general returning prosperity OF the
country. He ascribes the gross abuse
of class rates of postage as the chief
cause of the yearly deficit in postal
revenues.
He repeats and indorses the recon-
mendations of his predecessors. BlsseH
and Wanamaker. for an amendment OF
the law in regard to the transportation
of second-class matter, and says: ut
is the estimate of the department that
two-thirds in weight of all the matter
carried in the mails is, under existing
laws and classi6cations, carried as
second-class matter at the rate OF one
cent pound, where it is not actually
carried postage free"
The aggregate weight OF second-class
matter in the year 1894 was 300, 100000
pounds. During the last year it in
creased to over 321 900, 900, a growth of
over 13, 100000 pounds. Deducting the
weight of that which is known as
s'county free" being the matter which
, is carried among subscribers free OF
postage in the respective counties OF
| publication, estimated to be 46, $50, 1856
pounds, there remained 265,3l4,SS2
pounds, which returned at the rate OF
one cent per pound, a revenue OF S2,-
). 653, 143 50. The average cost to the de-
partment for transporting and handling
this matter is estimated at eight cents
; per pound. Speaking of the extension
of civil service rules to letter carriers,
- he says:
c AN indispensable basis of good serv-
y = ice has been laid by placing the carrier
u force under the civil service system,
and no efforts should be spared by the
{ department to insure high morale in
li this force and to familiarize the idea
= among individual carriers that as they
y, enter the service by the merit system
u alone, so likewise they remain in it BY
no tenure but by faithful and efficient
% discharge of duty which demands self
y, respect and honorable living.
"a The postmaster general desires civi
IL service methods to be carried still fur
~ ther and higher in the post office de
~ partment He says "Two OF my as
We sistants are charged each with the eS
oi penditure of over $4,000 annually, to
gether with the management and dis
cipline of tens of thousands Of en-
ployes The duties of the other tw
he are not less onerous and mutiplex'
such officials are to be the real heads {
'n- this bureau, intimately acquainte
les with all the machinery and working
lie them, competent to direct and able
as infuse their own intelligence and ze'
es- among their subordinates, they shoul
Sou have tenure at least as assured fro
our the mutations of political contests
us those subordinate. The continuity
Vi the department should be preserved
'0es changes of administration not on
along the line of its subordinate al
an separate service, but in that larg
III grasp of it's history it's daily worki1
: Oh and its healthful progress, which
VINO found alone with those who direct al
'Mo control it's chief bureaus
III ''ln consequence, there are. in t
Id la'- Judgment of one of my recent prec
the oorso,.s oe ~ loost three assistant no
5 II master generals who should hold th
'Ueu Office by civil service or merit tenu
and not by q political tenure. l refrf
'Vor from offering like opinion as to
lca- fourth postmaster general, beca'
ME- fourth class postmasters, whose
iga- pointment is primarily allotted to hi
New are vet outside of that tenure. Il
c OF question of extending civil serv
Ssls. methods to the selection of fourth cl
III OF postmasters has naturally received
mex attention since | have been at the HI
rue of this department. 1t is beset "
all difficulties which my experience a
com representative in congress of la
the country district during three chan
of administration, brought home to
more clearly than they might apr
the to theoretical reformer, or to the
resentative of city constituency
Rev. II have studied various bills in
the duced in both branches of congress
who recent years, and welcomed sug
,ths' tions from other quarters. But
SIM not find myself able to make, as
runo. any specific recommendations on
= in important subject in the line OF le
ion"i lation which has been proposed.
Ter order which you have recently
proved, providing that when the /
Tur- master general shall consolidate
edan a free delivery Office any other
ntion Office, such consolidation shall C
ID - into the classified service at the
.u ;o,, ;s delivery office, the post office del
ION 70 ment roster of employees of the
"a 10 consolidated including the postma
vents may be accepted as the beginning
send foundation not only of better p'
Rev. service of the department, better
hirty- more business-like according to
ion to department, but also a wise exteI
Inn to of the civil service system to post
ters.