Warren sheaf., 1899-12-07

abuse of second-class mail privileges,
which, he says, results in an annual waste
Of upwards Of $4,000 900. The financial ex-
hibit for the fiscal year shows. total ex-
penditures Of s1O1, ,632,161 and total reseipts
of 95,021,3S4, the deficiency being s2,422,747
less than last year. s955 .S
Second-Class Mail.
The postmaster general says: t'The most
urgent need Of the postal service is the
rectification of the enormous wrongs which
have grown up in the perversion and abuse
of the privilege accorded by law to second
class matter. There. are many improve
ments and advances waiting development
and application; opportunities for speedier
transmission and delivery; fields for broad
ening the scope Of the mail service and
bringing it closer home to the people; Dos
sibilities Of reduced postage; but above and
beneath and beyond all of these measures
OF progress, which experience and intelli-
gence are working out, is the redemption
OF the special concession which congress
granted for distinct and justifiable public
object from the fungus growths and the
HaSrant evils that have fastened upon it,
This costly abuse, which drags on the de-
partment and weighs down the service,
trammels its power and means Of effective
advancement in every direction, involves a
sheer wanton waste Of s2O,00O, 600 or upward
year. The postal deficit for the current
year is s6,61O,776. But for this wron gful ap-
plication of the second-class rate, instead d
of a deficit there would be a clear surplus
of many millions. It is not no W proposad
( to restrict the privileges of legitimate pub
locations or to modify the design of the
law, but only to bring back its application
to its original and justsscope.
1t is believed that fully one-half of all
the matter mailed as second-class and paid
for at the pound rate is not properly sec
ond-class within the intent of the law, and
ought Justly to be paid for at the third
class rate. This gives the enormous uuan-
tity of 176351,613 pounds, from which the
department derives only a fraction of the
revenue to which it is fairly entitled The
department actually derives revenue of
sl4.75 cents a pound for the third-class mat
ter mailed last year, and on this basis
the department would have received for
this Wrongly-c -classed second rate matter
$26,0 ,011,S63, instead Of $1,763,516 which it ac-
tually received. and the postal revenues
would have been increased by the hand-
some sum of 5s24, ,24S,347.'' Mr. Smith con-
5cludes that over &one-fourth Of the entire
volume and weight4of the mails pay as sec
sond-class matter when it should pay third
class, and that this furnishes only one
fifty fifth part of the postal revenue, and
its carrying, reckoning at eight cents a
pound, costs $14, Jos, ,129, While revenue from
it was 5$1,763, SIG, thus causing loss to the
government of over s12, ,OOO. 600. 2ss 49Ell r.
If there is to be a favored Glass; Mr..
Smith says, let it embrace all the people.
With this class paying properly even PEN
ny postage, with reasonable Limitations
could be applied to letters without entail
ing deficit larger than that Of the last
few years. and possibly with none at all J,
,Onr New Possessions.
Regarding our new possessions the post
master general says: ''The presence Of
United States troops in the new island pos
sessions and Cuba, n cons tant 8communi-
cation with home, constrained the estab-
slishment of mail facilities for their needs
and the practical obliteration Of the old
local postal system with the extinguish
sment Of Spanish authority compelled a re-
construction of the whole service for the
requirements Of the native population.''a
Rural Free Delivery.
The free delivery Of mails in the rural
districts has proved to be one of the most
important among recent developments of
the postal service. and presents in its pos
5sibilities question Of. the largest proper
5tlons. The results already attained have
been of significant character, and the
practical evidences bearing upon the feast
.bility Of the system, upon the degree of its
self-support and upon the effect and the
sentiment in the communities where it has
been tried, deserve the most.careful consid-
Grafton. How far the system shall be ex-
tended is submitted for the determination
of congress, with a full presentation Of
facts upon which to base a Conclusion, This
service has been called 8.experirnentap in
each appropriation made by congress for
its continuance. It is the opinion Of the
officers having 1t in charge that the expert
mental stage has been passed, and in their
view coincide The appropriation for
rural free delivery service for the present
fiscal year was increased from s15O,OOO "a
$500, 600, and this amount will be prac ctically
absorbed by the continuance to the end
of the fiscal year Of the service already es-
stablished. 1t is now inssuccessfu operation
from 800 stributing points, scattered
among 40 states and one territory (tle only
states unrepresen In the list being Ida
no, Mississippi, Montana and Wyomingl.
giving service to 179, ,131 people, at an aver.
age annual cost of 81 cents per capita W u
Assets Very Light.
4 Boston, Dec. j. Newell, a ,mer.
chant Of New Bedf ford, formerly of New
Y ork, has fled a pet titi on il ban kruptcy.
Liab bill ties, 1894 04o; assets, $1OO.
3 Aged Lady Per1shes.
q Bing on, i. y e, Dec. ire at
Hancock, destroyed three stores, caus-
i -