The Dickinson press., 1896-12-12
pOsTOFEICEss AND POST ROADS.
Greater Increase in Receipts than in
ExnCnalitureH

Expenditures.
Our postollice department Is in good con.
| di:ion aud the exhibit made of Its opera.
| tiOnS during the fiscal year ending June 10,
| 1896, IL allOwanr. Is made for imperfcrtiOns
| In the laws applicable to II. Is very salts.
| factory. The total receipts during the year
were $S2. 4!G,. .2OS. 40 The total expenditures
were S.,O.G2t;.GM.iS. exclusive Of xl5M',.
| S|S.27, which was earned by the Paciiic rail
| road for transportation, and credited on
their debt to the government. There was
| an incrcase Of receipts over the previous
year OF .5lG.Osn:l. or IL per cent, and
| an increase Of expenditures OF ST, SIG. O2
| or 4.42 per cent.
The deficit was 81. .i1!,.gai.1 - less than that
of the preceding year. The chief cxpendi.
lures Of the postal service are regulated by
| law anu are not in the chntrOl OF the post
master general. All that he can accomplish
by the most watchful administration and
| economy Is to enforce prompt and thorough
| collection and accounting for public moneys
and such minor savings in small cxpendi.
| lures aud IN lrttiI. those contracts for post.
| office supplies AMI star service which are
| not regulated hy statute.
An effective cooperation between the
AUDITORS Office aud the pOstOflce depart
ment end the making and enforcement of
| orders by the department requiring imme-
| diate notification to their sureties Of any
delinquenclcs oa the part Of postmasters
and compelling such postmasters to make
more frequent deposits OF postal funds have
resulted In prOmpter auditing OF their
accounts and much less default to the gov
ernment than heretofore. The years report
shows large extensions of both star route
service and railway muii service. with In.
creased postal facilities. Much higher ac-
triacy in hnnl!ni. mails has also been
reached, as appears by the decrease of
errors In the railway mail service and the
reduction Of mail matter returned to the
dead letter office
The d,iicit for the last year. although
much less than that Of the last and preccd-
ing years, emphasizes the necessity for
Legislation to correct the growing ahus" OF
] SCrOEd-clnss rates, to which the deficiency
ts mainly attributable.
The transmission at the rate of one cent
n pound OF ccrlal libraries. advertising
sheets. ''hOnse organs" periodicals adver-
Using some particular "hOusG" or institu-
| tom, sample copies, and the like, ought
certainly to be discontinued. A glance at
tie revenues received for the work done
last year will show more 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 malls for
| tn" depa tm"nt. offices. etc, of the govern
mrnt. and for congress. in pounds amounted
| 10 ~, 4SI,lSI. II this IS offset against build
| ingS for po>totir"s rnd stations. the rental
| Of which would more than compensate for
| such free postal service. we have this ex-
hibit: Weight OF mail mater tother than
| above transinitled) through the mails for
the year ending June 30 1886:
| Class. Weight. Lbs. Revenue.
ll-Domestic and for
tigr letters aud
postal cards, etc.. :',:::'77,: "a: $GOGo4, AGA
ie-Newslsipcrs and
periodicals one cent
rer pound. ..... .::4S, ,9SS.G4S 2.9t6, ,403
/ l2-BO0ks. seeds, etc.
eight cents per 10. 1S,1O1,14S .OG9
4-pArcelS, Ur., six
teen cents per lb.. 1896 1S7 3.120,321
Totals .......... 12,971, ,32O 77.O44,257
The remainder OF our postal revenue
| amounting to something more than $'OO0,-
Zoo. waS derived from box receipts. registry
fees money order business. and other SINH
lar Items.
The entire expenditures OF the depart
mcnt. including pay for transportation cred
tied TO the Pacific railroads. was so, 1885,
l3j.ll which may be considered Mt the
cost Of receiving, carrying aud delivering
the above mail matter. 1t thus appears
that though the secOnd-class matter cOnsti-
tuted more than two-thirds OF the total
that was carried. the revenue derived from
1t was less than One-thirteenth OF the total
expense. The average revenue from each
pound OF first-cass matter was 9.3
cents: from each pound of second-class.
81. mills. Wf the second class 52.34S,S7
was county free matter) From each pound
Of third class, 1871 cents. From each pound
Of fourth class, 15.G cents.
The growth Of weight Of second-class mat
ter has been from 2:D,OO,0OO pounds in
1894 to 312,OOO.OOO In 1895. And to almost
D.00O,O1O in 1sN. and 1t Is quite evident
this increasing drawback Is far Outstrlpptns
any possible growth OF postal revenues.
Our mail service shO I'D. OF course. be
such as TO meet the wants and even the
c0nveniences OF our people, at direct
charge upon them. so light as perhaps to
exclude the idea Of onr pOstotiice depart
ment being money making concern, but
In the face OF a constantly recurring defic-
iency in its revenues. and in view of the
fact that we supply the best mail service
in the world, 1t seems to me 1t Is quite time
to correct the abuses that swell enormously
our annual deficit. II we coneede the pub
lie policy Of carrying weekly newspapers