Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-12-07


pcsial service are regulated by lavsnd
sre not In the control OF the postrtter
general. All tina, he can accomplish
by the most watcbiui administriion
aud economy In TO enforce prompsnu
thorough collection and accountib ior
public moneys and such minor satngs
In small expenditures and in Icing
those contracts, for post flee 'up'
plies and the eiar srflce,
which are not regulated by stnte.
An effective cooperation betwee the
auditot's office ana the post mc ue-
pnrtmsnl, anu the making anu en-.
iprcement OF orders by tue depafpent
requiring immediate hotificau0 10
their suretles OF any delinqueuce on
the part OF postmAsters anu cUmpalne
such pOstmssteIs 10 make NOR re-
quent deposits OF postal iuDue. ave
resulted IN a prompter auditiR OF
their accounts and much less deuit
10 tn government than heretofore
The years report shows Iarg ex-
tensions OF both altar route serviu anu
railway mail service. With incrssei
postal facilities much higher accfscy
In handling mails has also been
reached, rs appears by the uecrese o.
errors 10 the railway mail servlcand
the reduction OF mnil matter retfned
10 the dead letter tfiice.
The deficit for tue last yef, al
though much less than that the
last and preceding years, emphsizss
the necessity for Legislation to
correct the growing abuse o sec.
oDd class rstes, to which the
deficiency Is mainly attributable.
The transmission at tho rate one
cent pound Of serial libraries, hyer-
Using sheele, "h0uee organs, "(pdodi'
Gals al vertieinR come parhnlar
"house" or insttu,iop), sample vpies
ana the like, ought certainly to b dis
continued. A glance at the revnues
received for the work done laSyear
will show more plainly than any'thsr
statement the gross abuse Of the osial
service, and the growing waste Of lis
earninRe. The free matter csrhed In
the mails for the departments, chces,
ETC., OF the government, and foiCon-
gress, IN pounds amounted to " i5O,'
1879. IL this ia offset against buildings
Tor pssl0ftiees and stations, thennIai
of which would more than npen.
safe for such free postal setvie, We
have this exhibits:
Weight Of mail matter tother than iboye)
transmitted through the mails for the year
ending June ~. 1851.
clasG Weight, lbs. IUenue
Domestic and foreign
cards. etc.,.......... CsS5Lsss C1tls.'ei
2 Newspapers Rndperl-
odicals, | cent per ..
pound ................ Gs,eos,Hs AfN,tVS
cents per pound...'. fs.7Ui,iis n,l2i.Qgs
4-Parcels, etc. 10 cents
apounu...'.,.".'.''. lv,'o'lh hI"s3Al
Totals ............-.. sl2.glT,34e s7i9H.g Isl
Tue remainder VI cuT p4slal revenue,
amounting TO tomething more than
SIS 600, GOO was derived from box rents,
registry ieee, MONEY ORDER business
anu other similar items. The entire
expenditures OF the department., In
Guiding pay fer transportation credited
to the Pacific railroads, was Ss2, 1885,
1876. IL, which may DO considered as
the cost OF receiving, carrying anu
delivering the above mall matter. IL
thus appears that though the second.
class matter constituted mOre than w o.
thirds OF tho total that wss carried, the
revenue derived from 1t was less than
ons-ihirtieth OF the total expense. The
average revenue from each pound OF
fret class matter was 98 cents; from
EACH pound OF second clAss 81 mills (Oi
the second class 81, S4S, 297 Was county
free mstiei); from each pound OF third
class 81 i crnts; from each pound oil
fourth chase 1876 cents. The growth Of
weight OF second class matter has been
from 900, 900, 600 pounds In 1894 10 3l2.
000, 600 Ia 1895 and to aim 81 34g, 900, 0U0
In 1896; anu 1t is quite eviuent that
this increasing draw back Ia lar outstrip-
ping any possible gro tn Of poslalfeven-
ues. Our mail service should OF cUuree
be sucn Rs TO meet the wants aud even
the conveniences OF our people, nj q
direct charge upon them 80 hight ns
perhaps to exclude the idea Of our post
office department being u money
making concern; but in the lace OF a
constantly recurring deficiency In lie
revenues and In view OF the IGct that
we supply the beat mail service In thu
world, 1t seems TO me 1t 10 quite time
to correct the abuses mat swell
enormously our annual deficit. II We
oOncede thv public policy OF carrying
weekly newspapers free IN the county
1 OF publication, and even the policy Oi
carrying ai less than one.tenth of the
cost other boz a tue newspapers anu
| periodicals, there can DO no excuse fol
su0lecting the service 10 the iurthel
immense and Increasing lose Involved
| III carrying at the nominal rate OF
| cent pound the serial libraries, some
times including trashy ana ever
| harmful Literature, and other matter
| which under the loOte interpretation
| OF a Loose statute has been gradually
| given secopd.clnss rates, thus absorb
| ing all profitable returns derived IRON
fTst.class matter, which pays three Of
four times more than Its cost, ant
| producing large annual los
TO be paid by general taxation
II such second.elsss matter paid merel,
the cost Of its handling our ueficl
would disappear aud n surplus resul
which might be used to givs the peopl
still better mall facilities or eheape
rate OF lei!er postage. l recommou,
that legislation be at once spsctsd Il
rect these abuses AID ia roduee i
ter business ilsRs in the regulation 0
our postal rates. Experience and obser
vRtiOn have GemonstraIed that certai
impr yemen Stu the orga nizalion OF tn
post hcG department must be secure
beloEs we can glin the lull belefit {
the immense sums expended In Its ac
miDistIRtlun. This involves the fo
lowing reforms which 1 earnestly
rect mm1nd: There should be sma
addltion 10 The existing tD,pect0
service 10 be employed In the supei
vision o. he carrier iOrce, hieh no,
numbert 1900 men, anu performs II
service practically without the survei
lance exercised over all oIher blanche
OF the postal or Iu0llc service.
course, such lack OF supervision NJ
| ffasunrn ffnm wloleanmn A IA clnlt "a a ,