The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1896-12-12
posroFFIcEs AND POST ROADS.
Dehcit Not So LarEe-SuEgesti0ns
for EcOa0my.

tAPmCH0 Not No L2EKG-SuRRe8NhOa@
for EoOaomy.
Our postogfAce department. IL in good condA-
ton and the exhibit made Of its operations
during the fiscal year ending June - IS& II
allowance r. made for impeFfec1Eona in the
laws applicable TO q. 10 very satisfactory. Tue
total receipts during the year were 50 g. - o.
elusive Of tL55s SAT-. which was earned by
the Pacific railroads for tr4nsportAttou and
credited on their debt 20 the government There
vas increase Of receipts over the previous
year Of s. SIG 0Se -. IL per oent an increase
a expenditures Of 81 SD I2t.0l or la per cent
| The dencit was ls7s ssS u less than that o. the
/ preceding year. The chief expenditures q the
| postal service are regulated by Law and are
| not IN the control OF the postmaster gs9er1l-
All that he can accomplish by the most watch
fal administration and economy 10 20 enforoe
prompt and thorough collection and accounting
4 :or public moneys and such rn'nOr savings TN
/ small expenditures ana m letting those con
Il tracts for postoffice Supplies and star service
i which are not regulated by statute An edec-
tive co-operation between the auditors once
| and the postoffice department and the MAXIM
| and enforcing OF orders by the department re-
| curing immediate notification to their Es1reties
| Of any delinQuencies In the part OF postmaster
and compelling such postmasters to make more
| frequent deposits OF postal funds have resulted
l in a promPter audittng OF their accounts and
much less default, to the government than here
| tofore.
| The years rerc-s shows large extensions Of
| both the star route service and railway mail
| service with Increased postal facilities. Much
| higher accuracy In handling mails has also
bccn reached. as appears by the decrease OF e.
i
ton OF mail matter returned to the dead letter
Abuse OF second Glass Rates.
| The defcIt for the last year. although much
l less than that OF last and preceding yearS en-
phssiEed the necessity for legislation to cor
| rect the growing abuse OF second class rates,
| 10 which the dencit IL mainly attrihutAble.
| The transmission at the rate OF cent pound
OF serial libraries. advertising sheets. house
organs periodicals advertising some particular
house or institution. sample copies and the
like. ought certainly to be discontinued A
acne last year viii show more plainly than any
| l other statement the gross abuse Of the postal
service and the growing waste Of its sArntngs-
The free matter carried IN the malls for the
depArtments ofrices etc. OF the government and
| for congress in pounds amounted to - go. iS-
n this IL offset against buildings tor pcs.onoss
: | and stations. the rental Of which would morS
E than compensate for such ire postal serytee
L | we have this exhibit:
+ | transmitted through the mAls for the yeal
h | ending June %. 1896: Domestic and toreig1
Is | letters postal cards, etc, weight S.T.aE
C icals q cent per pOdnd). SIS eis Poandsi rev
& | enue. s. seS eos: books seeds etc. q cents Pc
n poundl, TSNei.l3 pounds; rsSsHus n -.
ls | enue s. al. S11. Total, sl1ST.SS pounds. rev
y | enue. STI.etAsSJ. The remainder q cur posta
l. | revenue, amounting TO something more tha
! IS oos. eco was derived from boa renta reglstr
In | fees money order business and other sinsila
'S items The entire expenditures OF the depart
2 ment Including pay for transportation credite
O. TO the Pacific railroads, So Isl ls6lL whie
e may he considered the cost OK receiving. CA
az | rytnR and delivering the above mail matter.
c Il thus appears that though the secoad elias
re matter constituted more than two-thirda Of "a
Mt mail carried the revenue derived from u va
rs less than cne-thirtieth OF the total Tue ave-
n SEe revenue IRON each pound OF arSt class maj
a ter was q cents. From each pound Of oeccn
at class 81 mills COT the second class S1StS :
ire | was county free matterl, From each pound I
third class IkG cents; from each pound OF euar'
class lAs cents, The growth OF weight OF 80
llS 0nd class matter has been from Hs.eAe
g rounds in issl to al eoaooe IN Is6, and 60 .
AZ most So Oeo Ooe IN iSSS and Il II quite eVidei
ne this Increasing drawback h TAR outstrtppiI
leh 4 any possible growth OF postal revenues
in | our mail service should. OF course. Be un'
me as TO meet the wants and even the cunVe
re- fences OF our people with direct charge w
,ad them light as to exclude the Idea OF
OF | poatoffice department being . mcney-mAkh
m | cDvncern hut In the face OF the constantly
not curing deficiency in Its revenue. and In VII