The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-10-20
WHERE 1T COULD BE SAVED.

IF the administration at Washington
is actually considering, as we have
noted elsewhere, ways and means of
economies by the reduction of expendl-
ture, it can make a profitable begin
ming in the postofffce department. 1t
cannot do this, we say in all fairness,
without action by congress. But we
believe that, if the postmaster general
and the president of the United States
were to make a fair representation of
the case to the country and so plainly
and boldly denounce present methods
as to throw upon congress the
responsibility for the great and in
creasing deficit in postal administra-
non. it would be compelled to take
proper action. We find by the report
of the postmaster general that the
deficit for the current year amounts to
the enormous sum of $11 ,OO00 900. How
far this is due to laXity of administra-
ton and improper methods we cannot
at this distance determine. What we
do know is that probably this entire
amount could be wiped out by a re-
form in the abuses that are now ex-
pressly sanctioned and protected by the
postal laws. The carriage of great
masses of matter, either wholly free or
partially so, at the expense of the peo-
pie is the primary source of all the
difficulties of the postoffice department.
1t is, indeed, probable that not only
might the deficits be cured, but the
cost of letter postage might be reduced
to l cent per ounce, if the enormous
mass of merchandise and trade mat
ter that now goes through the mails
either free or for less than the cost of
transportation were obliged to pay its
proper proportion of charges.
The rankest abuses that now exist
fall within two classes. For one of
them congress itself is directly respon-
sible. This is the franking privilege,
together with the distribution of seeds
by the department of agriculture.
These two items represent millions
wasted. Tons upon tons of books,
pamphlets and printed documents of
all kinds are sent out from Washington
annually under the franks of senators
haul this stuff. Nine-tenths of it is
never read, and from most of it the
wrappings are never torn away until
1t goes to the junk shop. The bucolic
voter has ceased to feel it a compli-
ment to have a patent office report,
embellished with pictures of compIi-
Gated machinery, sent to him under the
signature of his member of congress,
or to have his vote influenced by a
monograph on the habits Of the jay
bird, Illustrated with colored plates.
These documents and reports are still
printed and scattered over the country
by millions, and great trains of cars
are occupied in carrying them at the
public cost, for no useful purpose what
ever. If the issue of public documents
free of charge were confined 20 a list
of newspapers, to which they might be
furnished for purposes of public dis
CuSSlOI, anu IL the 1IdHklIlS privilege,
under which all sorts of matter are now
conveyed, were abolished, it would be
a great financial reform.
Next in order would come the abolition
of the abuses of the second-class mail
privileges. These have been explain
ed to the country in detail, especially
during the debate on the Loud bill at
the last session of congress. The mail
service of the United States is at pres
ent helping publishing houses to dis
tribute and sell cheap novels and other
periodicals throughout the country for
private benefit at its own cost, just as
it distributed campaign documents
during the last campaign for both par
ty committees, by carrying under
franks Snnumerable copies of the Con-
gressional Record, containing articles
compiled strictly for campaign pur-
poses. The abuse of the second-class
mail rates has become so great that
something absolutely must be done.