The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-08

lowed to resume work of this description.
THE FEE SYSTEM.
Tt is most gratifying to note the salts
factory results that have followed the in
augurat.on OF the new system provided
for by the act of May Is, 1886 under which
certain federal officials are compensated
by salaries instead of fees. The new plan
was put in operation on the first day of
July 1886, and already the great economy
IL entorces, its prevention of abuses, and
us tendency to a better enforcement of
the laws, are strikingly apparent. De-
tailed evidence Of the usefulness of this
long delayed but now happily accomplish
ed reform win be found clearly set forth
IN the Attorney Generals report.
POSTOFFICE DEPARTMENT.
Our postofflce department is in good con-
dition, and the exhibit made on it's oper-
ations during the fiscal year ended June
80, 1886, ii allowance is made for imper-
fectlons in the laws applicable to it, is very
satisfactory. The total receipts during the
year were $50, 499, 20S.40 The total expendi-
lures were 800, 626, 295Sl exclusive of 81, $780,
S9S.N which was earned by the Pacific
railroad for transporting and credited on
their debt to the government. There was
an Increase of receipts over the previous
year of S5,5l6,0S0.21, or ~ per cent, and
an increase of expenditures of s., $50 124.02,
or 442 per cent. The deficit was $l,679 955.19
less than that of the preceding year. The
chief expenditures of the postal service
are regulated by law, and are not in the
control of the Postmaster General All
that he can accomplish by the most
watchful administration and economy is
to enforce prompt and thorough collection
and accounting for public money and such
minor savings in small expenditures and
in letting those contracts for postoffice
supplies and star service, which are not
regulated by value.
An effective cooperation between the
auditors Office and the postoffice depart
ment. and the making and enforcement
of orders by the department requiring i'm
mediate notification to their sureties of
all delinquencies on the part of post
masters, and compelling such postmasters
to make more frequent deposits of postal
funds, have resulted in a prompter audit
ing of their accounts, and much less de-
fault to the government than heretofore.
The years report shows large extern
sions of both the star route service and the
railway mail service, with increased pos
tai facilities. Much higher accuracy in
handling mails has also been reached, as
appears by the decrease of errors in the
railway mail service and the reduction of
mail matter returned to the dead letter
Office
The deficit for the last year, although
much less than that of the last and pre-
cedng years, emphasizes the necessity for
legislation to correct the growing abuse of
second-class rates, to which the deficiency
is mainly attributable. The transmission
at the rate of / cent pound of serial libra
ries advertising sheets, House organs
periodicals advertising some particular
"house" or institution, sample copies and
the like, ought certainly to be discontinued.
A glance at the revenues received for the
work done last year will show more plainly
than any other statement the gross abuse
of the postal service and the growing
waste of it's earnings. The free matter
carried in the mails for the departments,
offices, ETC., of the government and for
congress, in pounds, amounted to 94,4S0, 1883.
If this is offset against buildings for post
offices and stations, the rental of which
would more than compensate for such free
postal service, we have this exhibit:
Weight of mail matter (other than above)
transmitted through the mails for the year
ending June 80, 1896, in classes: First, do
nestle and foreign letters and postal cards,
etc, 65, 337, 343 pounds; revenue, $50 624, 464;
second, newspapers and periodicals ! cent
per pound, 348,9SS,64S pounds; revenue,
50, 996 4O3; third boxes, seeds, ETC., s cents
pound rs, 701, 14S pounds; revenue, s., S24 O69;
fourth parcels, etc, 16 cents pound, Is,
95o,1a pounds; revenue, $S,12s,S21. Total
weight, 512,977, 326 pounds; total revenue,
$77, 044.2 57.
The remainder of our postal revenue,
amounting to something more than $780,
600, was derived from box rents, registry
fees, money order business and other sim
liar items. The entire expenditures of the
department, including pay for transporta-
| ton credited to the Pacific railroads, was
| $92 1856 1851, which may be considered as
| the cost of receiving, carrying and deliv-
| ering the above mail matter. 1t thus APP
pears that though the second-class matter
| constituted more than two-thirds of the
| total that was carried, the revenue de-
| rived from it was less than one-thirtieth
| of the total expense The average reve-
| nue. from each pound of first-class matter
was SO cents, from each pound of second
| class, S1s mills (of the second class 81, 348,
297 was county free matter; from each
| pound of third-class, 1871 cents; from each
| pound of fourth-class, 1876 cents.
The growth in weight of second-class
| matter has been from 299,O00000 pounds
in 1894 to 312 100000 in 1895, and to almost
| $40 900, 600 in 1896, and it is quite evident
this increasing drawback is far outstrip-
ping any possible growth of postal reve-
nues.
Our mail service should, of course be
such as to meet the wants and even the
conveniences of our people, at a direct
charge upon them so light as perhaps to
exclude the idea of our postoffice depart
iuSht DeiliB d tlOtlSy tHdkluS concern Dut
in the face of a constantly recurring de-
ficiency in its revenues, and in view of
the fact that we supply the best mail
service in the world, it seems to me it is
quite time to correct the abuses that swell
enormously our annual deficit If we con-
cede the public policy of carrying weekly
newspapers free in the county Of pub
lication, and even the policy of carrying
at less than one-tenth of their cost other
bona-fide newspapers and periodicals.
there can be no excuse for subjecting the
| service to the further immense and in
creasing loss involved in carrying at the
nominal rate of / cent a pound the serial
libraries, sometimes including trashy ana
even harmful literature, and other matter
which under the loose interpre-
tatlon of loose statute
has been gradually given second
class rates, thus absorbing all proftabIe
returns derived from first-class matter.
which pays three or four times more Than
its cost. and producing a large annual loss
| 10 De paid by general taxation If such
second-class matter paid merely the cost
OF IT'S handling our deficit would disappear
and a surplus result which might be used
to give the people still better mail faclli-
II