The San Francisco call., 1895-11-25
Heads of Departments Should Be
Free From Political
Mutations.
DEFICIT IN POSTAL REVENUES.
Gross Abuse of Second.ClaSs Rates
Given as the Primary
Cause.

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 24.-Post-
master General Wilson, in his annual re-
port of the operations of the Postotlice
Department, remarks that the financial
and industrial depression which has serl-
ouslS affected the revenues of the postal
service for the past two years, and disap-
pointed the estimates of predecessors, ex-
tended far enough into the fiscal year 1895
to make an unusually wide gap between
revenues and expenditures. 1t is gratify-
ing, however, to report that large part OF
this deficiency occurred in the first quar-
ter of the year, and that since then the
revenues of the department have reflected
the general returning prosperity of the
country. He ascribes the gross abuse Of
second-class rate of postage as the chief
cause of the yearly deficit in postal reve-
nues. He repeats and indorses the recon-
mendation of his predecessors, Bissell and
Wanamaker, for an amendment OF the law
in regard to the transportation OF second
class matter, and says:
It is the estimate of the department that
two-thirds in weight of all the matter carried
in the mails is, under existing laws and classi-
fications, carried as second-class matter, at the
rate of l cent pound, where 1t is not actually
carried postage free.
The aggregate weight of second-class matter
in the year 1894 was 299 900 900 pounds.
During the last year il increased to over 312,-
00O, 900, growth of over 13,000,000. Deduct
ing the weight of that which is known as
"county free," being the matter which is cir
culated among subscribers free OF postage in
the respective counties of publication, esti-
mated to be 6,S20, 185 pounds, there re-
mained 265 ,314 ,3S2 pounds, which returned,
at the rate of 1 cent per pound, revenue of
So, ,653, ,143 80. The average cost TO the depart
ment of transporting and handling this matter
is estimated at cents per pound.
Speaking of the extension of civil service
rules to letter carriers, he says:
An indispensable basis of good service has
been laid by placing the carrier force under
the civil service system, and no effort should
be spared by the department to insure high
moral IN this force and to familiariZe the idea
among individual carriers that as they enter
the service by merit system alone, so likewise
they remain in it by no tenure but by faithful
and efficient discharge of duty, which demands
self-respect and honorable living. 1t is in
evitable that few individuals here and there
should interpret their stability of employment
as personal privilege, encouraging slovenly
service and insubordination to superior
officers, rather than q reform based on con-
siderations of better public service, and such
instances have occurred and will doubtless
continue to occur even after the full meaning
of the civil service system is understood and
accepted. But it is gratifying to report as
whole, and by such overwhelming predomin-
ance as to make the exceptions more prom
inen, the army OF letter carriers is alert, faith
full, efficient and honorable.
Tba Doo+r, 1aciras o;v
service methods to be carried still further
and higher in the postofiice department.
He says:
Two of my assistants are charged each, with
the expenditure of over $40, 600 GOO annually,
together with the management and discipline
of tens of thousands employees. The duties of
the two are not less onerous and multiplex. If
such officials are to be the real heads of the
bureau, intimately acquainted with the
machinery and working OF them, competent to
direct and able to infuse their own inte lligence
and zeal among their suDordinates, they
should have tenure at least assured from
the mutations and chances of political contest
as those subordinates. The continuity OF the
department should be preserved in changes of
administration, not only only the line of its
subordinate and separate service, but in that
larger grasp OF its history, its daily work and
with those who direct and control its chief
bureaus. l concur, therefore, in the judgment
of one of my recent predecessors, that at least
three of the Assistant Postmaster-Generals
should hold their offices by civil service or
or merit tenure and not by political tenure.
i refrain from offering like opinion as 20 the
Fourth Assistant Postmaster-General, because
fourth class postmssters,SY appointment
is primarily allotted to him. are yet outside OF
that tenure
The question of extending civil service meth
DDS to the selection of fourth-class postmasters
has naturally received my attention since l
have been at the head of this department. 1t
is beset with difficulties which my experience
as representative in Congress OF large coun-
try district during three changes OF admins
tration brought home to me more clearly than
they might appear to q theoretical reformer,
or to the representative of city constituency.
l have studied various bills introduced in both
branches of Congress in recent years and well
coined suggestions from other quarters, but
do not find myself able to make, as yet, any
specific recommendations on this important
subject in the line of the legislation which has
been proposed.
The order which you have recently approved,
providing that when the Postmaster General
shall consolidate with free delivery Office any
other Office, such consolidation shall carry into
the classified service at the free delivery Office
the postoffice department roster of employees OF
the Office consolidated, including the post
master may be accepted as the beginning and
foundation not only of a better postal service
of the public, better and more business-like
accounting to this department, but also wise
extension of the civil service system to post
masters.
DIR. GUZMAN RECALLED