The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-12-12
THE P0ST0FFICE DEFICIT
HEAD OF DEPARTMENT SAYS 1T
CAN DE MADE 4 SURPLUS.
Stop Transmission at Second Class
Rates of Matter Not Intended
to he Favored.

test against the abuse of the postal SER
vice is made in the annual report of Post
master General Wilson. He quotes figures |
which show excess of expenditures over |
receipts of SS,1270SS for the past fiscal |
year, which, however, is a decrease in |
the deficiency of Si679.S56. as compared |
with the previous fiscal year. This sat- |
isfactory exhibit for the past year was |
made possible Mr. Wilson sets forth, by |
a vigorous policy of bringing suit or push |
ms collection on bonds Immediately after
default. The postmaster general argues |
that there is no necessity for the annual
deficit i'm the revenue of the department..
and that but a few lines of amendment
! by congress to the postal laws will wipe
ii out and give in its place a steady sur
| plus. 1t has its chief source, he says, IN
the transmission at second-class rates oil
| a large and rapidly increasing volume
| of matter never in the contemplation or
the law which gives the nominal rate of
one cent pound on such matter, and as
suredly outside of the policy of the law
! as to newspapers and periodicals.
! The report recites the strenuous efforts
of the past to secure legislation designed
to protect the postal service from this
| waste of its earning, and the taxpayers
from the large burden imposed on them
by the regular deficit.
But, it says, up to now the combina-
aries of this abuse have parted all APP
| peals of the department.
The report says: Thus 100000
pounds, in round numbers, at eight cents
| per pound for transportation, cost 2i,-
! 920. 900; postal revenues received at eight
and half mills per pound 81. 1861 O3 loss
on transportation alone of nearly $4,000
600. But this does not cover the full loss
to the government on second-class mat
ter. Aside from the cost of the mail
l..rtl lf,,rrs 1.A
the postoffice department, we have as the
gross weight of all non-governmental
matter handled by the mail during the
last fiscal year an aggregate of 5l299i,-
1923 pounds. The gross money expenditures
of the department are already stated
800 626, 2GS4 and included the earnings { +
the Pacific railroads, towit: S1,55S, 90,
an expenditure of $92, 1856 1888 to handle
this matter 1t thus appears that from
two-thirds of the matter handled during
the fiscal year the revenue was less than
| one-thirtieth of the cost Of the mail SER
vice.
One Cent Letter Rate.
) Postmaster General Wilson discusses
the proposed one-cent letter rate He
says it would yield a great profit, but it
t is idle to talk of such a reduction, with
tWo-thirds of our mail matter handled at
a small fraction of its cost and the de-
. ficits of the department in consequence
have aggregated in IL years since the act
| or Mdfcn ), 1850 tone cent a pound Idle)
| the enormous sum of $1311, 4SO This is
n made up from the revenues of general
- taxation, and there is a further sum OF
: $l5610, 1862 earned by the Pacific railroads
- for transporting the mails which were
o | certified to the secretary of the treas
a ury for credit upon their Indebtedness tC
the government, an ascertained deficit
!, of $S6 9SS, 442
4 This, in fact, should be further increased
5 by the unascertained overtime letter car
rier claims and the unliquidated indebted
ness of the department for telegraph ser
vice left over from the last adminissra
= ton. This would make the actual dedci
over $50 900 600. He characteriZes the los
> sustained by the Thanking privilege il
transmitting serial libraries, etc. as in
e defensible and shows that of 3143SS, G.
O pounds of second class mater handled dur
Il ing the year over 5234S 900 pounds wer
i county free matter and urges the adop
ir ton of the Loud bill now pending in tn
a house as the remedy. He says the passag
Y. of this bill will not only wipe out tn
TX postal deficit and insure in few years
y surplus which may be used to cheaper
st postage on letters, but will really carr
50 out the 1-cent a pound law of 1885.
lie The postmaster general estimates a de
lie fciency in the revenues of 1897 of S3,472 Al
n and for 1898 of $12SS, 1884.
lie Merits of the Postal system.
* Discussing the merits of the postal sys
it tenn the postmaster general says the pee
"a pie of the United States may felicitdt
themselves that in no important respeC
in are they behind any other country !
IS their postal facilities and in many thing
4; they are in the van.
Touching the consolidation of small o.
fees to the nearest money order office
. the hope is expressed that the limitatio
imposed by the last congress on the Al
mn thority of the postmaster general to cor
solidate offices will be repealed and thu
the anDrODriatiOn bill for the coming fisc
do year will permit this reform to be carrie
nd forward as rapidly public interests wi
!, allow, as once fairly started its demon
ar strated success will finally place its benei
he beyond controversy. The postmaster gel
IT. eral thinks it the most feasible method fl
an bringing postoffices into the classified Sc
o.. vice.
sly Organize the Carrier Force.
-, Mr. Wilson suggests a better organic
nr ton of the carrier force. This, he say
ng might be accomplished by giving the Sc
tn vice semi-military organization in Il
larger cities by having a certain numb
of carriers entitled sergeant" or sin
(. lar official designation. These, in ado
ton to their usual duties, should be p
de in charge of a certain number of su
ordinates and have immediate SUPERVISE
toe of the performance of duty by them
ss specified routes.
ma The results of the free rural deliveri
Bo- experimental on are yet incomplete I'll;
at ia required to familiarize the people wi
,' ue the innovation and develop its benef
ION or failures. The thorough working
the such a system involves some redistrit
raj ton of postoffces and some discontir
'rt- ances, which can not now be safely
ACT tempted.
, Oh The rules imposing fines and deductiC
;ih- on railroad companies have been mo
fed, so as to avoid the temptation
make slow schedules to escape fines
dol, Ia1a md ra1fa Inn 3