The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-12-09

increased by the unascertuined overtime
letter carrier claims and the unliquidated
Indebtedness of the Department for tcle-
graph service left over from the last adj.
ADMINISTRATION. This would make the
actual deficit over 500, 600, 000 lie char
acterizes the loss sustained by the frank
ings privilege, in transmitting serial
libraries, etc, as indefensiblc; shows
that Of 34S, 9S3, CHS pounds of second
class matter handled during the year,
over 52.3lS,0O0 pounds were bounty
free matter and urged the adoption of
the Loud bill as the remedy. lie SAYS
the passing Of this bill will.not only wipe
out the postal deficit and insure in ordi-
nary years surplus which may be used
70 chenpcn postage on letters or to in
crease the mail facilities OF the people,
bat will really carry ont the one cent n
pound law OF 1880
Aside from the other private interests.
railroad companies are interested in car.
rying this matter for the Government at
the same high pay they receive for trans
porting letters and other first elias matter
rather than transporting them for pur-
poses and ausages ut ordinary freight
rates.
The estimates for the current fiscal
year and the year 1898 follows:
Estimated revenue for 1897, $50, 900, =
145 o..
Expenditures estimated for 1897, ?02,- :,
57l, DOL. 90.
Deficiency for 1897, So 72,4i9 10.
lS9S-Estimated total revenue for
1897, $S9,099, 1907.
) Wilson
Ada per cent. ESTIMATED increase
over 1850 81, 121, 93i.Gl.
Total estimated revenue for 1898, 500
22T, 016.6S.
Expenditures. estimated for 1898, $)7,-
5l5,ll1l5.
Deficiency for 1898, estimated, 81, ass,-
33I. II.
Discussing the merits of the postal
system the postmaster general says the
people of the United States may feicitate
themselves that i'll no important respect
are they behind any other country in
their postal facilities and in many things
are in the van. Touching the consolida-
ton o. small Offices with the nearest
money order Offices the hope is expressed
that the limitation imposed by the last
congress on the authority of the postmas-
ter general TO consolidate postoices will
be repealed and that the appropriation
bill for the coming fiscal year will per-
INIT this reform to De carried forward us
rapidly as public interests will allow. as
once fairly started its demonstrated sue
cess VIII finally place its benefit beyond
controversy. The postmaster general
thinks the most feasible plan for bringing
posiOiilceS into the classified service Re
Sardng Inspectors needed to investigate
the workings of the carrier service at
Offices which do not seLm to give AIDE.
quttc results or ask for litonal car
ricrs without apparent reason the report
rcncws the previous recommendation for
Il small bat permanent increase of the
characterized as il very sound business
proposition. In this connection MIR.
Wilson suggests Il better organization of
the carrier force itself. This, he saws.
might be accomplished by giving the
force senIi-miitary organization in the
larger cities by having Il certain number
OF carriers entitled sergeant ora similar
official designation. These in addition
to their usual duties should be put in
charge of Il certain number of subordi-
mates and have immediate supervis.
ion of the performance of duty by them
on specified routes.
The results of the rural free delivery
experiments are yet incomplete. Time
is required to familiarize the people with
the innovation and develop it's benefit
or failures. The thorough working OF
such Il system involves some redistribu-
ton of postollices and some discDntint.
ance which cannot now be safely
attempted. The rules in imposing fines
ana deductions or railroad companies
have been modified so rs TO avoid the
temptation to make slow schedules for
escaping fines, for unavoidable DELAYS,
and relieving the department from p,v-
ing for service not rendered During
the weighing of the railroad mails recent
~ several officials of the roads Sought to
and l.. 1 L
evidence against one of the most impor-
tant lines is now before the attorney gen
eral with request for criminal prosrcu-
ton.
Changes in the criminal law are i'm.
peratively necessary to insure conviction
for such frauds
Twelve thousand and ninety appoint.
ments of postmasters We're made during
the year, of which 81 were due to re.
movals. There We're 1914 fraud orders is
sued during the year. The headu unrtcrs
of all or nearly all of the avowed lottery
concerns have been removed to foreign
shores, but it is thought much matter
sent by them reaches addresses in this
country through the mails which the de-
partment has practically no power to pre-
vent and that express companies carry
large sums of money from our people to
them. The postmaster general conclud-
ell his report with two significant recon-
mendations, which he says are necessary
to complete the civil service refortas.
The lrst is to secure iiXity of tenure dur
ing efficiency and good behavior TO the
three assistant postmasters general Whose
work is entiicly non political, whose
capacity to deal with the large mnchn-
cry and great expenditures of their respec-
tive bureaus must come in Il great meas
urc from experience, and who preserve
the continuity OF the department not in
mere desk or division work. but in general