The Portland daily press., 1899-12-04
Involves Sheer Waste Of Twenty
Millions a Year.
P. M. Gen. Smith Shows
up Gigantic Grab.
Prevents Advancement In Every
Direct ON.

WAS 'lnRbOn, Decemoer - Ahe 'Hhuai
report Of p, master General Smith was
made public tonight. Its chief feature
Is plea for congressional action to stop
the abuse OF $50 oad-o GLASS mail privileges,
which, he says results In an annual
waste OF upwards Of $40, COO coo. The
financial exhibit for the ifs al year shows
total expenditures OF SOL, 63a, l61, and
total receipts OF S5.0n.ss4. the de1cien.
cy teinR &s.4s2,747 less than last year.
Under the head Of "Abuses In second
class NATTER the reT ort s,ys:
: Tho most urgent need OF the postal SER
Woe is the rectifcation Of the enormous
wrongs which have grown up In the
pcrversion and abuse of the privilege &C.
corded by law to seoond-olass matter.
This reform 10 paramount to oil others.
There are many improvements and ad.
vsnoes waiting development sni applica-
ticn; but above and ben sath and beyond
ell of these measures Of pro Zress. IL the
dsmpt'oa of the special concession
which Con yrels granted for a distinct
and justibable public object from the
fungous gr0wths and the nagrant evils
tn At have Fastened urol 1t.
For this costly abusa. which draes on
the department sni weighs down the ser
vice, trammels Its power and means OF
effective advancement In every direction.
it involves a sheer wantCn waste OF $50,
600 900 or upwards q year. Rat for this
wrongful application of the seoond-class
rate instead OF deficit there would be a
90 tuiIlifna IN this
deadly burden upon tina mails were re-
moved The department could hopefully
enter upon a systematic policy OF en-
largsd and pi o yrs ssive service.
The won IS which have pJored SO in.
furious were never contemplated by Con-
grsss They are wholly outside the intent
Of the law. They are directly In consra-
vtnsion of its spirit and haze become
pNslbIs only through the evasion lni
dis .ortit OF Its letter.
Careful inquiry has hef n made through
experienced postmasters and by an ex-
amin on of the records If the depart
,nsnt. and 1t is believed that fully one
half of all the matter mailed as second
class, AND paid for at the pound rate,
Il not properly second class within the
int mt of the law, AMI ought justly to
he paid for at the third clr 81 rate.
From these statements 1t appears;
First-That OF, than ons-fourth Of the
entire volume and weight Of matter car
ried through the mails Is rated and pays
es sleonG-clafs matter when. under the
spirit an 1 intent o. the law, 1t ought 10
be rated and to pay as third class mat
Ter.
olssssd matter amounts to more than
cns-quartsr of the whole volume Of mail
transmitted, 1t furnishes only ons fifty
fifth part OF the postal revenue.
Third-That the expense Of transporta-
ton bsiny reckoned at cents q pc und,
the me'e carrying of this matter cost
S14. los, 1290i, while the revenue from 1t
YVES only Sl,7o3. o 6.lS. involving loss TO
the government OF Sl2, s4i,8l2 Of.
These statements convey their own
moral.
The character OF the abuses Of the
FOUND rate are summarized.
The first Is the paper-covered looks put
out under pretenoe Of being serial pub
locations.
The ssoond abus, is connected with
the advertising "house organ" and the
so-oalle trade journal.
1t is only n collection of Advers;s ,ments
strung together. with little scissored
reading matter to give 1t the guiss of a
publication.
The third abuse grows out of the
privilege of sample copies. In many in
stances the sample copy has bee ONE, not
the individual exhibit, but the potsn-
tial cloak of q thousand times multi
pIisa distribution without regard TO sab
scriptions and solely as the plea and
pledge for advertising
The free delivery of mails n the rural
di s.ricts has proved to be one of the most
important among recent developments
OF the postal service, and presents in Its
possibilities a question of the larges.
proportions.
There has besn an increase of $50, 000.-
900 in the amount of domestic money Or
dsrs issued-a greater increase than ever
before recorded In one year
A practical test is about to be made in
Chicago to determine the fes slbility OF
transporting the mails between the main
office and branch possibilities by automo-
biles.