The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-11-15
FOR POSTAL BANKS.
Postmaster General Gary Tells Con
gress the Time Has Come.


Washington. Nov. 15.-The first an
nuaI report of Postmaster General
James A. Gary to the president has
been made public. The feature is the
pOsitOries as a scheme over which Post
master General Gary has worked for
several months in the formulation Of
plans to present to the president and
congress. He says the time is ripe for
the establishment, and that the add
ton of a well organized system would
confer a great boon upon large num-
Der of people, and ultimately be OF ines
Unable benefit to the whole country
The revenue and expenditures for the
fiscal year ending June 80. 1887. are:
Total postal revenue for 1897 $50, 665,
462.73; add per cent, $4,133,273.13. IIs-
timated revenue far 1898 $50, 1913, 1856;
add per cent, $6,075. 81. Total es-
timated revenue for 1899, S92, S14, 64L31;
estimated expenditures for 1898. $9S,
922. $50; deficiency for 1899, estimated.
$6,04S, liz. g. Following is an abstract
of the report:
The increase of the postal deficit for
1897 is largely q reflection of the de-
pressed business conditions which pre-
vailed all over the United States the
first three-quaFterS of that period.
There has been no extraVa gance of ex-
penditures, save that obligated by law.
Reiterating the injustice inflicted both
upon the postal revenues and the peO-
pie by second class mail matter car
rage regulations, the enactment by
congress of some measure to remedy
the wrong, similarly pointed out by
past postmaster generals, is urged. As
to this the postmaster general says:
If this were done there would be an
end to postal deficits, and the service
could be enlarged and pOpularized by
a broad extension Of free delivery
without infringement upon the general
resources of the government and
eventually result in the much desired
reduction of letter postage to cent per
ounce.
ono 7,,a41,o5 Of rarfao+ o,e-o rf.o+io,,
of the postal service has proved more
effective than the consolidation of
pOstofffces. Legislative restrictions on
its developments are to be regretted and
a report of the five mile limit consoli-
dation measure in the 1895 postal ap-
preparation bill is recommended.
The experimental rural free deliv-
cry has been generously appreciated:
few expenditures have conferred great
er benefits in proportion, and it has
unquestiOnably proved a potent factor
in attaining what should be a chief
aim of government, the granting of the
best possible postal facilities to the
farming class
The report reviews in detail the oper-
alton of the various branches of the
department The portion on the sub
Ject OF postal savings in brief follows:
Many millions of dollars are I'M
doubtedly secreted by the people who
nave little or no confidence in ordinary
securities and monetary institutions or
ganized by private citizens. It is dead
capital. but if its owners could be in
spired with absolute confidence in the
security of an investment. it is alto
gether probable that the bulk of this
fund would find its way into the chan
nels of trade and commerce. If the
government undertook this task, the
service would undoubtedly be gladly
accepted by the people Their faith
in the government is unbounded Their
little savings. which separately could
hardly be put out at interest, would