The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-12-04
THE MAILS OF THE NATION.
ABSTRACT OF THE REPORT OF THE
POSTMASTER GENERAL.


10 be S6.6l0.776.
The Postmaster Generals annual state
ment is as follows
Ordinary postal revenue ......S 93,7S4,7ls 81
Receipts from money order
business ........................ l'-So'oot o.
Total receipts from all
sources .......................... 95,02l .3s4 Il
year 1Ol .682, 100 80
Excess of expenditures over
receipts OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. b'blo,Tb 70
The frst fact connected with this state
ment which commands attention is the
large decrease in the annual deficiency. As
compared with the deficit for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 1895 which was 5000
905 O6. il shows a reduction of $2,422, 1866,
or PSI per cent.
The feature of the report is the excori-
alton of abuses in second-class matter
of which the Postmaster General delivers
himself. Had the mail matter been class
iaed as Congress intended, he says
there would have been a surplus of some
millions of dollars instead of a deficiency.
The second-class or pound rates were in
thucu 70 Apply OiliS " hNN0 bopNAa anu
legitimate periodicals. Postmaster Gener-
al Smith says that 'paper-back' books
'house organ" publications and adver-
Using schemes in enormous quantities
have forced themselves into the mails by
taking advantage of technicalities, inVolv-
ing a large loss to the government for
transportation. From statements made
by postmasters in the various large cities
to the Postmaster General it appears
-fp1lrfh Of thA
tire volume and weight of matter carried
through the mails is rated and pays as
second-class matter, when under the
spirit and intent of the law, IL ought to
be rated and to pay as third-class mat
ter that while this wrongly classed mat
ter amounts TO more than one-quarter of
the whole volume of mail transmitted, IL
furnishes only one-nfty-fifth part of the
postal revenue; that the expense of trans
portation being reckoned at cents a
pound, the mere carrying of this matter
cost $14,1OS l29.O4, while the revenue from
it was only $l.763, 5l613. involving a loss
to the government of $12,34A 6l29l."
Abuse of Privilege.
Continuing the report says The first
abuse is the ''paper-covered books put
out under pretense OF being serial publ
cations. They have nothing of the nature
of periodicals. They do not possess sin
gle one of the attributes which Congress
meant to require in publications that
should be entitled to the second-class rate
Their consecutive numbering is a trav-
esty; their issuance at stated intervals
a parody; their subscription list a flc>
ton; their claim of being published for
the dissemina lion of information of pub
lic character a burlesque. There is moth
ing 10 distinguish them in substance from
bound books, and the discrimination in
their favor is most unjust to the publish
afs Of Ia ny mir
a legitimate list of subscribers for publ
cations coming in the second-class. The
paper-covered books under consideration
have few or no actual subscribers. The
scheme is TO treat the orders of news
agents as subscriptions. The books are
mailed IN bulk TO a central locality, and
then remailed to other places When the
possibilities of these places are exhaust
ed, there are other shipments, the same
books being transported again and again,
and every time the government loses z
cents pound. wrong so transparent
and fragrant ought not 10 be tolerated
The second abuse is connected with the
advertising house organ and so-caled
trade journal. One of my predecessors.
Postmaster General Bissell, characterized
II as the bogus trade journal There are
many genuine trade journals which are
as legitimate as any periodicals and Justly
entitled to all their privileges These are
trade journal described is simply an adj
vertising scheme 1t ia not designed 10
disseminate information of a public char
acter and has no standing as the expon-
ent of any trade or industry. 1t is only a
collection of advertisements strung to-
gether, with little scissored reading mat
ter to give il the guse of a publication.
It does not seek circulation on it's merits
or through subscription, but is mostly
given away on a pledge to advertisers that
so many copies shall be distributed. The
house organ is Of the same type, but
limited to being the advertising circular
of particular establishment. These prints
do not conform in any just sense to the re-
quirements of the law, but offer only
nominal and technical conformity"
For this costly abuse, which drags on
the department and weighs down the serv-
ice, trammels its power and means of er-
fective advancement in every direction il
involves sheer wanton waste of $40 O00-
coo or upward a year. The postal deficit for
the current year is $S,610776. But for this
wrongful application of the second class
rate, instead of a deficit there would be
a clear surplus of many millions. With
such an ample margin the possibilities of
practical improvements are apparent
The report asserts that ID is vital to the
interests of legitimate publishers to com
bine against these 'house organs" and
advertising schemes and have them ex-
cluded from the mails at publishers pound
rates.
The Service in the Islands.
The report says: when peace was re-
stored and Cuba remained for the present
in the military possession of the United
States, while Porto Rico Guam and the
Philippines became our territory the d.
rection and administration of the postal
work throughout their limits devolved on
our government The construction of the
system in Cuba was made to conform to
the nature Of our connection with that isl
and. While necessarily directed by the
Postmaster General, under the Presidents
authority and order, il was framed with
the view Of being as nearly autonomous
and independent as possible. IL
cannot yet be definitely determined wheth-
er the postal system will be self-sustain-
ing. The initial expenditures in providing
offices, equipment and material have nee
essarily been large and win not be repeat
ed Nevertheless, the cost of MANAGEMENT
has been kept within very reasonable linn
its"