The age-herald., 1897-11-16

on transportation alone, of $26,OOOO00
 "It is impossible to continue the pres ent system of second-class mail tCanspor- tation without eventually sWamping the revenues of the postal service. A bill was favorabfy reported to the Flfty-fourth congress to remedy this wrong, but failed of passage. It Ss proposed to exclude from seeond-class rates papsr-covered books H1heth purpouting to be prem iums or .supplements;' to regulate the transmission of so-called sample copies; to increase the rate of postage on re- turned publications and to limit and con- trol the admission to seeond-class rates of publications of self-styled benevolent societies. I earnestly hope that this or some other similar measure may be enacted into law during the coming ses- sion of congress. If this were done tfere would be an end to postal deficits, and the service could be enlarged and populaaizcd by a broad extension of free delivery without infringement upon the general resources eff the government, and eventually result in the much-desired re- duction of letter postage to 1 cent per ounce"
 Sa aries of Postmasters
 OH lillS SllDJeCI, ne says.
 "In the adjustment of the salaries of first second. and third-class postmasters (ranglng from s100o to s6,000 per annum) at the crd of the nscal year, under the provisions of pn act passed March 8, 1885, it has been deemed ap1visable to verify the qus s:4esly returns of the postmasters by comparison with the records OF the auditors for the postolfice department. But to dO this under existing conditions requires the temporary withdrawal from the auditors office of nearly 16,0O0 quar- terly returns. I approve the suggestion of the first assistant postmaster general that change in the law be made which would lessen this labor.
 The raamjustments of salaries for the present fiscal year show an increase in the comp ensation of the 3733 postmss- ters, falling under the provisions of the law, of $230, 800, and a reduction of com pensaItion amounting to $133,20O, leaving net increase of s97 GOO"
 Free Delivery system
 On thisS important subject the report shows that free delivery has made nota- ble progress. It was retarded some- wlhalt during the fiscal year 6-97 by in- sufficienb appropriations, and though marry cities which came within the re- quirementS of the law by showing a population of 10000 or more, or gross pos ual receipts of $10sGpo or upward, asked for inclusion in the free delivery sys- tenn, none could be admitted because the amount provided by congress for that year was barely sufficient to supply the reeds of the service as already estab- aished. With the commencement of the present fiscal year a special appropria- tion became available for the exten- sion of the city free delivery. All the more important offices now entitled to free delivery will soon receive the ad- yantag5s of that service.
 Rural Delivery
 As to delivery of mail in the rural dis tricts the reipollt says:
 'In the experimental extension of free delivery to the rural districts some in teresting results have been obtained This service, commenced in October 1896, has been carried on for a year oyer selected routes in twenty-nine states un- der such varying conditions as to give the experiment. the fairest and fullest test. Congress placed 900 at the dis posal of the department for this pur- pose in the fiscal year 1S96-97 and pro- vided s50.G00 for a continuation of the expenditure during the present fiscal year. It would be difficult to point to any like expsnditure of public money which has been more generously appre- clated by the people, or which has con ferred greater benefits in proportion to the amount expended
 '"The response from each community in which rural delivery has beth intro duced is that, rather than have it dis continued after once experimenting Its benefits. most of the people served would wl1ngly defray itfae cost t1f:mselvesL either by paying the salaries of the car rRers of by submitting to an increase of postage for rural delivery.
 'HThe adva ntages of being able to re- ceive a. dalily newspaper, so as to keep in touch with the news of the world and with the condition of the markets which regulate the price of their products and the enhancement of comfort in having the mails collected and delivered daily at their homes instead of having to ride or walk in all 1ncleme ncies of weather Ito the nearest postoffice or railway station, have been appreciated, and many ex- presslons of gratitude have reached the department from the beneficLaries of this system.
 Another noticeable fact is the loyal service of fine carriers employed in the rural districts. Though receiving maximum pay of but $500 year and fur nishirg their own means of conveyance, many of those men ride twenty or lthfr- ty miles a day in all kinds of weather, over every description of road, and of ten across farms where there are no roads at all, With cheerful alacrity. The farmers themselves facalitate the ser vice as much as possible by placing boxes at convenient points for the re- ception of mail Tn every instance the introduction of the service has resulted in an increase of ithe amount of man matter handled There is no doubt of the disire wherever the system has been tried that it should be made permanent. There is equally no doubt in my mind that, as stated in the report of the com