The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-18
THE COMING POSTAL CUT.
NOTICE GIVEN THAI IT WILD n
PUT IN FORCE ON FEB. 4.

Tho Department, Says It 1s Net = Matter OF
Choice. hut ns . Necessity Unicss CenErcss
Provides More N1sney rr the Service
Postnastor Wan cett Rnters Eis Protest.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-THE New York and
Brooklyn delegations In Congress will make q
strong effort to induce tho House Committee
on Post Offices and Post Roads to make an APP
preparation to cover the deficiency. which exists
In the. APPROPRIATION for carrier service. They
will be assisted by the members from Boston,
Philadelphia and other cities interested. Post
master vrn Colt of New York came to Wash
ington to-day and discussed the situation with
First Assistant Postmaster-Goneral Heath.
Mr.. Heath was firm in his insistenco that 1t was
absolutely necessary that tho service In New
York should DO cut down unless m appropria-
tion Is made by Congress. The department,
he said, was without recourse In tho matter,
and must do what 1t could to make both ends
meet. He assured Mr.. Van Colt that 1t was
not choice, but necessity, that compelled the
cut, and that he was In favor of giving New
York and other cities all the facilities needed,
but could not do 80 with the limited supply Of
money at his command. He gave notice that
tho reduction would be put in force on Feb. 1
and that the necessary orders would DO issued
about Mondaysnext, or as soon as he had time
to consider the plans submitted by the repre-
sentatives OF tho department who have been in
New York investigating the subject.
To Sun reporter Mr.. vanCott to-day expressed
himself as very much against any cut in the
force or the present service in the Now York
Post OHico. ''The business of the New York
Post Office" he said, always large. is rapidly
increasing, and it will soon be impossible to
keep up with the rush Of matter without q largo
increase In the appropriation for clerk and car.
FIRST SIX months Of the fiscal year OF about $500,
600, and for the year 1t will run bet ween 800, 900
and 81 1000, 900. In the face OF this large In
increase in the amount of work to DO performed,
am obliged to oppose strenuomsly any decrease
pected to save in the next five months some
thing like $sb, 000, and to do this viii cripple our
I @eSt x is not m to blams. as III Il is f foTeo S% to take R%sP this
Mr.. Heath to-day notified the Postmesters
that the appropriation for the carrier service
was showing q deficiency, and that q cut must
He asked each Postmaster to notify him at
once how many carriers could be spared be.
tween now and the end q the fiscal year, and
Among. the cities SO affeetod will be Buffalo;
TGensst CITY aH r. j. troy N H. ana newark ana
Postmaster Thomas of Boston will arrive
sSaRSsSfts' &c eSssio 'h in a Spposins q fhe sn re GSs:
pected as soon as the other Postmasters learn
no doubt that the Post Office Department Is
strongly opposed to the reductions, and with
good cause. The receipts are increasing at q
more for this year than for last. business is
increasing all over the country, and in many
mails with the forces at present employed. But
the appropriation for carrier service has been
exhausted, and unless q new appropriation Is
made, there will be a deficiency Of 81 SO 900
by the. LIST of July. The appropriations for
clerk hire are also almost exhausted, and how
the department Will meet the increasing de-
mands for additional clerks during the next
five months If a mystery. Never before has
marked as during the past six months, and
there is srave danger Of the mails being clogged
ances for handling the business is made by
Congress.