The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-12-08

TO the FIfty-ihlrd Congress M ,I,. tt'
Ing az its second session, In D,l..rt- ~
1899. At that time Informed ,t. W
ErcSS Of the approaching CDWnI.,,-
nlnn l2.inch, twenty lO.,rch dm ,,#,,,.'
four S-lnCh high power steel gun.
scvcnty-iivC l2-lnch riNol Wnr, a.. ,T'''
total then seemed Ius.gnIiilsur ,,r'
compared with the great work rem, .,.,l
Ia bc,,dOnc. Yet II vas none The l...H
source Of satisfaction IL every r.,,.,
when h" reflected that II repre- ,Tlct Oh.
first lnstallmcnt OF the nov urd.r,r',' ,
American design ana American nrr,,
fdcturc. and demonstrated uur ability T.,
supply from our own Resources .un' y,
un"XCcllcd power and accuracy
The President comments ~ length .,
the necd.Or gun carriages and emilia
mcntg. and says:
We should always keep In tnlnI ,h,,
NJ all forms Of military prrrRr.,,,,S,
COnSt defense alone h. rEgoulldIr n.
CIilc In ita nature. While 1t E,YCa 49,.
sense 0r security due 10 "a vDipot.t,.
nuFg of strength, II In neither tho rr,r.
pose nor the effect Of such prTr.s..-,
fOrtlnCation TO lnvuly" ~ In p,e.,,
complications, but rather tn "ilar,,n',,
iIs against them. They arc ~, lrmn,.
ton toward, hut security nrnIrI II
Thus they nrr thoroughly In arr- "A
with all the traditions uG our Rational
diplomacy.
.l...u POStoniCr Affairs.
Our postofIlcc department Ia In r,,I
condition, and The exhibit made x f.,
operations during the fiscal year ori4
June 30, 1896, II allowance IN made N.
lmpcrrectlOng In the law applicable 1,
1t. Is very satisfactory. TIL" total H..
Ccipta during the year were T!4lg.
g0S 10. The total expenditure Net,
$50. GgG, 900 81, exclusive OF Y,5Dit, ~,
which was earned Ivy tn" Pacific rail-.
road for transportation ami CI,7il on
their debt 10 the government; Thu.
was an Increase or receipts uyr- H..
previous year OF sjJl6,OsO q, or II ,ar
cent. and an Increase " expenditure,
of $3,S&5,l IA o., or Az per cent.
Tho deficit was 81 1896 - lrss thu,
that of,thcprCCcdInE year. IN" ca,r,
expenditures OF the postal serY,r. AZ.
regulated, by law. and are not In tia
control OF the postmaster general. Al
that he can accomplish hy N" mo-,
watChful administration and economy
Is to enforce prompt and ih0r1Ush col.
lection and accounting for puh..,
moneys. and such minor savings IN
small expenditures and in letting ,ho,-
contracts for postOtIicc supplies and s,s-
service, which arc not regulated by
statute.
An effective cooperation between rhs
auditors office and tho pOstO.!ice de-.
plrtmcnt, and the making and enforce.
ment OF orders by the department 70.
quIrinE immediate notification to the.
surctics Of all dellnqucncics on the ra.:
Of pOstmnsterS. and compelling such
postmastcrs 10 make frequent deposits
OF postal funds, have resulted In A
pronpter auditing OF their accounts and
much less default to the gOvcrnmea:
than heretofore.
The years report shows large cSten-
slOns OF both star route service asi
railway mail service, with increased
postal facilities Much higher accu.
lacy in handling mails has also btA7
reached, as appears by III" decrease n.
errors in the railway mail service a7i
the reduction OF mail matter returned
TO the dead letter office. The deficit q:
the last year. although much less than
that OF the last and preceding years.
emphasizes the necessity FOR Legislation
TO correct the growing abuse ot second
class rates. TO which the deficiency IS
mainly attributable.
The transmission at the rate Of cert
n pound OF serial libraries. advertising
sheets. house organs" (pcr!Odlca,s ai-
vertlslnS particular house ~ ins,i:s.
tion). sample copies and the like, ought
Ccrtainly.tO be discontinued. A e!aGca
ut the revenues received for The TorG
done last year will show more plainly
than any other statement ne S!o's
abuse OF the postal service. and lEs
SrOwninE waste OF Its earnings:
The free matter carried IN the mail,
for the departments. offices, etc. o. I5a
government and for Congress in qouris
amounted 10 9i,4SO.ls9. If this is Offset
against buildings for pos;o;fces and
stations, the rental Of which womb
more than compensate for such i-T
postal service. we have this exhibit;
Weight OF mail matter (oth"r than
above) transmitted through tire mails
for the year ending June 20. 1896:
Glass. Weight. Reycags
l. d ON tic and
foreign letters
and postal
cards. etc. ...... C5,cc3S77,S93 ;5oS.tiiI
>. Newspapers and
cent per
r"urd :. -. ..SiS, 99SAS -,935,Hi
3. Books, seeds. etc,
Scents 4 pound. 1S,70l,liS l0S:iAl
4. Parcels. etc. l6
cents pound. l9.S5olS7 3l@Sn
Totals ..........5l2.977,326 sT,oit:iI
The remainder OF our postal rHyeags.
amounting to something moro than y
100000. was derived from box rcEtS.
registry fees, money order business al
other similar Items.
The entire expenditures OF tho GtIaS'
mcnt. including pay for Transportation
credited to the Pacific railroads. |ai
So, 1878 IL, which may be C1nS1eiti
as the cost OF receiving. carrying an
delivering the above mail matter. y
thus appears that though III" S-coSi
class matter constituted more than ;S,,'
thirds of the total that was CARER,
tn" revenue derived from il vas I''i
than one-thirticth of the to;i! N'
pcnSn.
The average revenue from each i',ah
of first class matter was % cents iin'
each pound Of second class =. nv.
tof tho second class 122,3IS,..9i i-'a8i'
was free country matter; from r'ti
pound OF third class ISL cents i'a'
each pound If fourth class l5h ''n,i.
The growth in weight Of second CAS-
matter has been from 299.Wa,om r'UaiS
In 1894 10 3l@.OOO. OOO In 1875. and to a.
most 1900, 900 IN 1896. and il = Q"'a
nNi1tnf ,hi1 ,lr.i y DtI J. ~