Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-15
POSTAL AFFAIRS REVIEWED.
Postmaster General James A. Gary
Strongly Favors
The Inauguration Of Postal Savings
Depositories-His Argument in
Favor of the Plan a Strong One.
Experimental Rural Delivery.
The Deficit in the Department.

first annual report of Postmaster Gen
eral James A. Gary to the President
was made public tonight. Its fea-
ture is the strong advocacy of postal
savings repositories, a scheme over
which Postmaster General Gary has
worked for many months in the for
mutation of plans to present to the
President and Congress. He says the
time is ripe for their establishment
and that the adoption OF we'll or
ganized system would confer a great
boon upon a large number of people
and ultimately be of inestimable bene-
fit to the whole country. The esti-
mates of the revenue and the expendi-
lures for the fiscal year ending June
81, 1899, are:
Total postal revenue for 1897, sS2,-
665, 262.73; add five per cent, 81 1885,
273.13. Estimated revenue for 1898,
$86,79S, 1856; add seven per cent, &c.
075,91151. Total estimated revenue
for 1899, $92,S74,647.3 estimated ex-
penditures for 1899, $9S,922, 100; def
cheney for 1899, estimated at s6,O4S,-
1888.
Following is an abstract of the re-
port:
''The increase of
THE POSTAL DEFICIT
for 1897 is largely a reflex of the de-
pressed business conditions which pre-
vailed all over the United States dur
ing the first three-fourths of that
period. There has been no extrava-
gance Of expenditure, save that obliged
by law. Reiterating the injustice in
flicted both upon the postal revenues
and the people by secondclass mail
matter carriage regulations, the enact
ment by Congress Of some measure to
remedy the wrong, similarly pointed
out by past Postmasters General, is
urged" AS to this, the Postmaster
General says:
"If this were done, there would be
ar end to postal deficits, and the SER
vice could be enlarged and popularized
by broad extension of free delivery
without infringement upon the general
resources of the government and even
tually result in the much desired re-
duction of letter postage of one cent
per ounce.
mo method of perfecting the organ
ization Of the postal service has proved
more effective than the consolidation
Of postoffices. Legislative restrictions
on its development are to be regret
ted, and repeal of the five mile limit
consolidation measure in the 1896 pos
tai appropriation bill is recommended.
"The experimental
RURAL FREE DELIVERY
has been generously appreciated; for
the expenditures have conferred
greater benefits in proportion and it
has unquestionably proved a potent
factor in ascertaining what should be
a chief aim of government, the grant
ing of the best possible postal facili-
ties to the farming class. The report
reviews in detail the operations of the
various branches of the department.
The portion on the subject of postal
savings, in brief, follows:
Many millions of dollars are I'M
doubtedly secreted by people who have
little or no confidence in ordinary Sc
curities and monetary institutions or
ganized by private citizens. 1t 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
amount in the aggregate to a sum that
could be invested to their advantage.
1T would tend to cultivate thrift in a
large class; realizing the advantages of
depositing with the government instead
Of wastefully and uselessly expanding
it, would tend to better relationship,
bring in close relationship the govern
ment and its citizens and develop
practical and enduring patriotism. This
growth of patriotic sentiment and good
citizenship constitute powerful appeal
to craftsmanship to make a way for
these beneficient consequences The
proposition is an accomplished fact in
nearly every country in Europe in the
British dependencies, in the British
hemisphere and even in Hawaii. In
Great Britain 100000 depositors have
upward of $3.50 100000 in savings accu-
mulated during thirty-fve years and in
ten years fewer than 10000 Hawaiian
depositors saved nearly 81 200, 900. De-