The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1897-01-02
l'OsTOFFICEs AND POST ROADS.
Greater Increase in Receipts than in
EXnenllitureN.


Expenditures.
Our postoffice department is in good con-
di:ion and the exhibit made of its opera
lions during the fiscal year ending June ~,
1896. IL allowance Is made for imperfectfons
in the laws applicable to it. is very salts
factory. The total receipts during the year
were $50 4n. :)S4 40. The total expenditures
were $50 6:2G, 22N,. As, exclusive Of S1.:EE'.-
S|S27. which was earned by the Pacific rail-
road. for transportation, and credited OH
their debt to the government. There was
an increase of receipts over the previous
year of S5.516, OSO.21. or IL per cent, and
an increase of expenditures of $3,sS6, OF
or 4.42 per cent.
The deficit was 81, go, 9:6 10 less than that
Of the preceding year. The chief eSpendi-
lures of the postal service are regulated by
law and are not in the control of the post
master general. All that he can accomplish
by the most watchful administration ana
economy is to enforce prompt ana thorough
collection and accounting for public moneys
and such minor savings in small eXpendi-
lures and In letting those contracts Tor post
office supplies and star service which are
not regulated by statute.
The deficit for the last year. although
much less than that of the last and preced-
ing years, emphasizes the necessity TOT
legislation to correct the growing abuse of
secOnd-cass rates, to which the uenclehey
IL mainly attributable.
The transmission at the rate of one cent
a pound of cerial libraries advertising
sheets, 'house organs" periodicals adver-
Using some particular ''house" or 'nstitu-
tom, sample copies. and the IKE ousht
certainly to be discontinued. A glance at
tie revenues received for the work done
last year will show more plainly than any
other statement, the gross abuse OF the
postal service and the growing waste OF It's
earnings.
The growth of weight Of second-class mat
ter has been from 200,OOO,OOO pounds in
s49 900, 900 in 1896. and 1t is quite evident
this increasing drawback Is far outstripping
any possible growth of postal revenues
our mail service sho lid, of course, be
such as to meet the wants and even the
conveniences of our people, at difect
change upon them. SO light as perhaps to
exclude the idea Of our postoffice depart
mcnt being money making concern. hut
In the face of a constantly recurring defc-
iency in it's revenues, and In view OF the
fact that we supply the best mail service
in the world, 1t seems to me 1t Is quite tlne
to correct the abuses that swell enormously
our annual deficit II we concede the pub
lie motley of carrying weekly newspapers
free In the county of publication, and even
the policy Of carrying at less than one
tenth of their cost other boni hde news
paners and periodicals, there can De no e1-
cuse for subjecting the service to the 1ur.
finer immense and increasing Joss invoivea
in carrying a" the nominal rate OF one cent
n Mound the cerial libraries,> sometimes III
ending trashy and even harmful literature,
and other matters which, under the loose
Interpretation Of loose statute, mas been
gradually given sccond-class rates. thus aD-
sorbine ali profitable returns derived from
drst-class matter. which pays three or four
times more than its cost. and producing