Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-12-13

washington, IL. u, Dec. LIZ OoC-
master General Charles Emory Smith,
in his annual report, besides discussing
domestic and insular operations in the
last fiscal year, devOtes particular at
tention to the abuses of the second
class mail matter privileges and extern
sion of rural free delivery. He makes
the following recommendations for leg
islation:
Compulsory separation by publishers
of second-cIass mail matter.
Amendment Of the interstate COM
merce law to prohibit telegraph and
express companies or their employees
from aiding or abetting in the green
goods or lottery sWindles or any other
wrongful scheme carried on jointly by
mail and common carriers
Punishment of persons who forcibly
attempt to enter mail cars or who as
sault railway mail clerk while on
duty
Authority for postofice inspectors to
take out search warrants whenever
necessary.
At appropriation for constructing in
spectors outlooks in postotfices where
ever the postmaster general deems
them necessary.
Payment of incidental expenses in
Cured by local officers or others in the
arrest, detention, and keeping Of pris-
oners charged with violation of postal
laws until the United States marshal
takes custody of the prisoners.
During the last fiscal year the total
receipts from all sources aggregated
$102, ,579; total expenditures, $lO7,-
740,268. The excess of expenditures
over receipts was $685. 89. The reye-
nues have now passed the hundred
million mark. The deficits have shrunk
from $9,020,055 for the fiscal year
1897-'98 to $685., 688 for the last fiscal
year, decrease of $3,635, PIT in three
years, Notwithstanding the large ex-
penditures now made for several new
features The estimates follows:
Postal revenue for 1900. $102, 354,57
Add 712 per cent. for esti-
mated increase .... 1876, 593
Estimated revenue for 1901 110,931, liz
Add per cent. for esti-
mated increase for year
ending June 80, 1902. 6,6O1,87
Estimated revenue for 1902 116, 633 ,042
Estimated expenditure for
1902 -. ............... 121, 276, 349
Deficiency for 1902, esti-
mated 49,. .............. 1854, 301
In urging the Importance of remedial
legislation for fragrant abuses of sec
ond-class privileges, the postmaster
general says:
"There should be no abatement of
the protest or effort against the perpet-
uation of evils which have insiduously
grown up through the ingenious per-
version of the laws intent in furthering
private interests and which have now
become a heavy public burden Their
elimination, while doing no injustice in
any quarter, would effect saving
from $12,00000O to $2O,000,00O a year,
and would relieve the way for legiti-
mate postal advances in every direc-
ton.
The measure of reform naturally
encounters the strenuous hostility of
the limited special interests, but some
opposition is founded On fear that the
proposed act is aimed in part at some
legitimate publications of the second
class, and that it's enactment would de-
priVe them of the privileges which the
existing law intended they should pos
sess. This is a complete misapprehen-
sion.
1t is only sought to cut off the
abuses which crept in. 1t is aimed at
the serial paper-covered books, at the
private house organs, at the spurious
trade journals, and sheets of an eX-
elusive advertising character; at bulk
distribution, which is falsely called
subscription, and at the repeated turn
and overturn by news agents of unsoId
periodicals.. There is no reason why
the government should carry them at
the second class rate of cent pound
when other articles of the same kind
Tightfully pay the third-class rate of
eight cents a pound
"A plain, simple act, which shall
distinctly specify the glaring and
acknowledged wrongs, and which shall
leave legitimate publications without
any ground for the misunderstanding
that has heretofore excited their alarm.
will, it is not doubted, receive the
sanction of congress.
"A ruling of the department limiting
the number of sample copies which
may be sent with each issue effectually
curtails and restricts this evil.
Another abuse which has been es-
sentlally reduced is that known as
bulk subscriptions" by Which is
meant copies sent out to make circula-
ton for advertising purposes.
Whatever may be done by admins
trative action, the extirpatfon of these
abuses can be thoroughly and success
fully accomplished only by reform of
the law, and in the interest of a postal
progress, which is blocked in many
ways by this burden, earnestly urge
the enactment of a measure against the
&rosser wrongs that are acknowledged
on all sides"
While pointing to the DEVELOPMENT |
OF the Cuban postal system, the report |
says that unfortunately its administra-
ton was strained for time by frauds |
and speculations Of most shameful |