The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-12-07
PosToFF1cE DEPARTMENT.
Allowing for Legal Imperfections the
Exhibit is Satisfactory.

/ Allowing for Legal 4nper1ecGiOns the
Exhibit is Satisfactory
our postoffice department is in good
| condition and the exhibit made of its
operations during the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1896, if allowance is made for
imperfections in the laws applicable to
it is very satisfactory The total re
ceipts during the year were $50, 499, 20e--
40 The total expenditures were S5o
/ 626, 296, exclusive OF 81, 559, 1857 when
was earned by the Pacific rail
roads for TRANSPORTATION and credit on
their debt to the government. There
was an increase of receipts over the pre-
Vious year of IS, SIG, q or IL per cent
and an increase of expenditures OF So
S36, 124.02 or 4.43 per cent.
The deficit was 81, 679. 95619 less than
that of the preceding year. The chlef
expenditures of the postal service are
| regulated by law and are not in the con-
troll of the postmaster general. All that
he can accomplish by the most watch
full administration and economy is TO
enforce prompt and thorough collection
and accounting for public moneys and
such minor savings in small expendi-
lures and in letting the contracts for
postohice supplies and service which are
not regulated by statute
An effective cooperation between the
auditors office and the postoffice depart
ment and the making and enforcement
of orders by the department requiring
immediate notification to their sureties
of all delinquencies Of the pOstmasters
and compelling such pOstnasters to
make more frequent deposits of postal
funds. have resulted in a proper audit
ing of their accounts and much less de-
fault to the government than hereto
fore
The years report shows large extern
sion of both star route service and rail-
way mail service with increased postal
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 re
ductiOn of mail matter returned to the
dad letter Office.
The deficit for the last year, although
much less than that of the last and of
the preceding year emphasizes the ne
cessity for legislation to correct the
growing abuse of second class rates to
which the deficiency is mainly attri-
buted.
The transmission at the rate of cent
pound of serial libraries, advertising
sheets. house organ" periodicals ad-
Vertising some particular house or in
stituuOn, sample copies and the like.
ought certainly to be discontinued. A
glance at the revenue received for the
work done last year will show moro
plainly than any other statement the
gross abuse of the postal service and
the growing waste of its earnings, the
free matter carried in the mails for the
department offices, etc, of the govern
ment and for congress in a round sum
amount to 1874 48O, 1853
In this sOffset against buildings for
postohices and stations. the rental of
which would more than compensate for
such free postal service we have this ex-
hibit. Weight of mail matter (other and
above transmitted through the mails
for the year ending June 30 1896
Glass. Weight. Revenue
eign letters and pos
tai cards, etc.......-. 65. 337 S43 $50 624 464
2 Newspapers and
periodicals, cent
per pound. --.........-34S,9 SS, 648 1886. 403
3 Books, seeds etc,
cents per pound. Is. 701, 14S 10 324. 06S
Total ..................5l 2.977s2s s77O44.257
WHERE THE LEAK IS.
The remainder Of our postal revenue
| amounting to something more than SIS
600, 600 was derived from box rents. reg
istry fees. money order business and
other similar items. The entire expen-
ditures Of the department, including
pay Tor transportation credited to the
Paclnc railroads was S92, l86, 1876 II which
may be considered as the cost Of receiv-
ing, carrying and delivering the above
mail matter. It thus appears that
though the second class matter cOnsti-
tuted more than two-thirds of-the total
that was carried, the revenue derived
from it was less than one-thirtieth of
the total expense.
The average revenue from each
pound of first class matter was SO cents:
from each pound of second class 81
mills COT the second class So, 348, 297
pounds was counted free Tnatter). from
each pound of third class, 131 cents.
from each pound of fourth class. 16
cents. The growth in weight of sec
Ond class matter has been from 299
I 0O0,0 600 pounds in 1894 to 312, 600 600 in
1885 and to almost 349. 600, 900 in 1896. and
/ it is quite evident this increasing draw
back is far outstripping any possible
growth of postal revenues.
our mail service should of course
be such as to meet the wants and even
the conveniences of our people at a di-
rect charge upon them so light as per
haps to exclude the idea of our post
office department being d money max
ing concern; but in the face of a con
stanty recurring deficiency in its rev
enues 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 enor-
mously our annual deficit If we con
+ cede the public policy of carrying
! weekly newspapers free in the county
/ of publication 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
I subjecting the service to the further
/ immense and increasing loss involved
/ in carrying at the nominal rate Of
4 cent pound the serial libraries, some
4 times including trashy and harmful lit
I erature. and other matter which under
+ the loose Interpretation Of a loose stat
ute has been gradually given second
class rates, thus absorbing all profit
; able returns derived from first class
matter, which pays three or four times