The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1896-12-19
POSTAL ABUSES
Protested Against by Postmaster Gen.
eral Wils0n--Recomme
in His Annual Report.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Dec. S.-A
vigorous protest against the abuse OF
the postal service is made in the annual
report of Postmaster General Wilson.
He quotes figures which shows excess
of expenditures over receipts of S.
1877 0ss for the past fiscal year which,
however, is decrease in deficiency of
81, 679, $50 as compared with the pre-
vious fiscal year. This satisfactory
exhibit for the past year has been
made possible, the postmaster general
sets forth, by vigorous policy of
bringing suit or pushing collection on
bonds Immediately after default, which
is the only safe practice for the inter-
ests of the government and those Of
obligors.
Postmaster General Wilson discus
ses the proposed one cent letter rate,
the cheapest postage in the world. He
says it would yield a great profit, but
it is idle talk of such reduction while
two-thirds of our mail matter is ham
died at small fraction Of its cost
and the deficits of the department in
consequence have aggregated in eleven
years since the act of March 3, 1885,
Zone cent pound rate, the enormous
sum of 81, 377, $50. This is made up
from the avails OF general taxations
and there is the further sum of 3d.
$40, 962 earned by the Pacific railroads
for transporting the mails which were
certified to the secretary of the treas
ury for credit upon their Indebtedness
to the government, an ascertained de-
felt of $50, 9sS, 442. This, in fact,
should be further increased by the I'M
ascertained overtime letter carrier
claims and the unliquidated indebted
ness of the department for telegraph
service, left over from the last admin
istration. These would make the an
nual deficit over 800, 600
He characterizes the loss sustained
by the franking privileges in trans
hitting serial libraries, etc, as indie
feasible, shows that 34S, 9ss, 64s lbs
of second-class matter handled during
the year, over 50, 34S, 900 pounds were
'country-free" matter and urges the
adoption of the Loud bill, now pend
ing in the house as the remedy. He
says the passage of this bill will not
only wipe out the postal deficit and in
sure in ordinary years a surplus which
may be used to cheaper postage on
letters or to increase the mail facili-
ties of the people, but will really car
ry out the one cent a pound law of
1885.
The postmaster general estimates a
deficiency in the revenues of the de-
partment for 1897 of $3,472,519 and
for 1898 of 81 ,2SS, 1874.
The results of the rural free deliv-
cry experiments are yet incomplete.
Time is required to familiarize the
people with the innovation and devel-
OPP its benefits or failures. The thor
ough working of such system in
wolves some redistribution of postofli-
ces and some discontinuance which
cannot now be safely attempted.
Twelve thousand and ninety APP
pointments of postmasters were made
during the year, of which l,341 were
| due to removals.
The postmaster general concludes
his report with two significant recon-
mendations, which he says are neces-
sary to complete the civil service re-
| forms. The first is to secure flxity Of
tenure during efficiency and good be-
havior to the three assistant postmas-
| tiers general.
The second is to cover into the civil
service as many as possible of the
postmasters themselves. The 10, 600
or more postmaster are now the chief
spoils of an incoming administra-
tion."
The report recommends re-classiii-
cation Of the clerks of the railway
mail service and of provision for clerks
at first and second class Offices; ten
additional postoffice inspectors, and
legislation making postmasters and
their sureties liable for the acts and
defalcations of their subordinates and
authorizing postmasters to bond theil
SllbOrdinateS