The Port Gibson reveille. [volume] (Port Gibson, Miss.) 1890-current, 1896-12-10

prison anu ANt construction q AT t@da+
one more. to be located IN the Southern
States. The capacity of the Leaven-
worth prison u SO limited that the ex-
rense or its maintenance calculated at
a per capita rate upon the number ~
prisoners ii can accommodate, dos not
make az economical exhioit as Il would
IT II were iarg r ard better adapted to
prison purposes. But I am Thoroughly
that economy. humanity, ard
q proper sense 81 resDonsibiiily and du-
ty towards thoss who IRE punished for
violation of federal law dictate that the
federal government should have the en-
tire control ana management of the
reait n.ariss n here the convicted vic-
lat0fs are confined. lt apears that
since the transfer or The Fort Leavan-
worth military prison % Us new quar-
tors the work previously done by pr 81
cners confined there and for which ex-
pensiye machinery had heen provided,
has been discon lnued. This work con-
sistsd of the manufacture ~ articles for
army use now done elsewhere. on all
Il II exceedingly deslrabia that
the conyicts confined IN this penlten-
Uary 10 allowed o resume work Of this
dsssript On.
THE FEE SYSTEM.
III Is most gratifying % ncte The SAT-
fsfactsry results that have followed the
III the new system provid-
IA roll by lhe act of may ls 1856, under
which certain federal oni.iais are COM
panFatel ~ salsr.cs llsical ~ tees.
Ths new Plan was pa ID operation on
tha 1st day 81 July. 1896. ana already
the Great economy item, It's pre-
vanttcn of abuses and ils tendency 70 q
better enforcement IL the laws are
s9ikinaly apparent. Dstailed eyileace
81 the ussiuincss ~ this long delay 4
bnt now happily accomplished reform
win be found clearly SCI f0rth lnthe al
torney generals report.
THE POSTAL SERVICE
Our postofice department II In good
condition ana the exhibit made of It's
operatlons during the fiscal year ended
June 20. 1895. II allowance Is made for
imperfectlons III the laws applicable g
III "A very satisfactory. The total re-
ccipts during the year We're ss2,4sg'5gs.
o., the total expenditures were SsV'o-o,-
2gs.s4. exclusive of Sl,559.Se821 which
was earned by the Pacific railroad for
transportation and credited on then
debt 70 the governments. There was an
INCREASE OF receipts over the previous
voar ~ s.. SIC. .OS0.2f. or IL per cent, and
an increase Of expenditures of SS,S36, /
124Sf or A42 per cent The deficit was
81. 67a. .e56. 10 less than that of the pre-
cedlng year The chief expenditures of
the postal service are regulated by the
law and are not in control OF the post
master-general All thnt he can ac-
complish By the most watchful admin
isiration and economy is TO enforce the
prompt and thorough collection and ac-
counting for public monies, and such
minor savings IN small expenditures
and IN letting those contracts for post
office supplies and star service which
are not regulated By statute. An effec-
tive cooperation between the auditor
Office and the p0stofTice department and
the making and enforcing Of orders by
the department requiring immediate
notification or their duties. Of all deiin-
auencies on the part Of postmasters
and compelling such postmasters %
make more frequent deposits Of postal
funds have resulted In a prompter an
diting or their accounts and much less
default 10 the government than here
tofore. The years report shows large
extensions Of both star route service
and railway mail service, with increas-
ed postal facilities. Much higher aceu-
racy in handling mails has also been
reached, as appears by the decrease oi
errors IN the railway mail service and
the reduction or mail matter returned
20 the dead letter Office. The deficit foI
the last year. although much less than
that 0f preceding years, emphasizes
the necessity FOR legislation TO correct
the growing abuse Of the second class
rate to which the deficiency Is mainly
attributable. The transmission al the
rate 81 one cent per pound Of serial I'D
raries. advertising sheets, house or
eans." periodicals advertising some
particular "house" or institution, sam
pla copies and the like. ought certainly
to be discontinued. a glance al the
revenues for the work done last year
win show more plainly than any other
statement the gross abuse of the pos
tai service and the growing waste Of Us
earnings. The free matter carried IN
the mails for the department offices q
the government and Tor congress IN
pounds amounted 70 9444S0.1S6. II this
= offset against buildings for post
offices and stations. the rental of which
would more than compensate for such
free postal service. we have this rebut.
al: Weight Of mail matter (other thar
above) transmitted through the mails
for the year ending June 30. 1896, do.
nestle and foreign letters and posta
cards. 65.s37, ,a43 pounds; revenue $780,
G2A46i Newspapers and periodicals,
cent per pound. 3fs.9Ss.6is pounds: rev
enua ses6.403. Books. seeds. etc, s cents
per pound, 7S.701. .14S pounds reyenui
SIC. 32g. .069. Parcels, Is cents per pound
10 950,1s7 pounds; revenue S1ss,S2l To-
tails, 81. S77. .326 pounds; $77.04f.207 rev.
enue. The remainder Of our postal rev
enue. amounting to something mor'
than five millions. was derived from boz
rents,e registering fees. money order
business and other similar TENS. The
entire expenditures OF the department
including pay for transportation ccrcd.
tied 70 the Pacific railroads, was S92,.
lse, 195; which may be considered as tbs
cost Of receiving, carrying and deliv.
ering the above mail matter. It thus
appears that though the second elias.
matter constituted more. than two.
thirds the total that was carried, thl
revenue derived from Il was less thar
ono-thirtieth OF the total expense. Thi
average revenue from each pound oi
nrst-class matter was SO cents; from
each pound second class, S1a mills. (Ol
the second class s.. .34s, ,297 was county
free mattsrl. From each pound q
third class, 1871 cents from each pound
fourth class. 1876 ce-ts.
The growth In weight of second cias.
matter has been from zs9,C000l0 in IS9s
10 3,l20 C00.0c0 IN 1896. and 10 almost g..
ls0. 0co. coo In 1896. and It y guile eyiden
this Increasing drawback Is FAR out.
stripping any possible growth OF posia
revenues. Our mail service should q
4r.f Il