The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-11
YEARS POSTOFFICE WORK.
OUTLINED IN POSTMASTER GEN.
ERALS ANNUAL REPORT.
Dwens ON Rural Free Delivery and
the Benefits to BE Derived From
it-Deficit for Inst Fiscal Year
Less Than the Year Before.

General Charles Emory Smith has sub
united his annual report TO the president.
In IL the financial operations of the de-
partment for the last fiscal year are
shown briefly in the following statement
OF revenue:
Ordinary postal revenue, 800, 500, 1873; re-
l45
Total receipts from all sources, s1o2. 354-
5is; total expenditures for the year, si07,-
ceipts, s5,35s, SIS.
The deficit for the year is9s-19D0 Is
shown to be 81 ~, 0ss less than the pre-
vious year.
The estimated postal revenue for the
fiscal year ending June 30. 1902 is Sil6-
eyS.0t2 and the estimated expenditure SILL
2I6,3ts leaving a probable deficiency of
Rural free delivery. the report says, has
proved to be the most salient. significant
and far-reaching feature of postal devei-
opments
Beside swelling the postal receipts, the
value of farms are enhanced through the
necessity for good roads and the oppor-
tunity afforded the farmer to keep
abreast OF the times by being put in
closer communication with the outside
world The Isolation and monotony which
has been the bane of country life Is sem
sibly mitigated through the effect of rural
free delivery in placing the farm within
daily range OF the intellectual and COM
mercial activity OF the world The farm
er is also given cause TO feel that he
the townsrnan. which stimulates his 10y
atty and patriotism.
with all these results clearly indicated
by the experiment as thus far tried says
the postmaster general, rural free de-
livery Is plainly here to stay"
Plans for Coming Year.
OF the twenty-one millions Of people
scattered over one million square miles of
territory to whose doors II Is the task of
the government TO arrange to carry the
l. n 1r1fx
master General Smith says that by the
end of the fiscal year one-sixth of them
shall lave been served and 1900 routes In
operation. The net annual cost OF a COM
plete rural free delivery system Is est-
mated at HS.7S2,224 On this point the re-
port says:
ut will hardly be disputed that the
great result Of carrying the postoffice TO
every home. II it can be accomplished at
such comparatively small cost, Is an OBJ
Ject well worth undertaking.
Ihis duty Is emphasized and enforced
when we consider some other phases of
the postal question. In my last annual
report It was shown that IL a Class of
publications which now. under an evasion
of the purposes of the law, pay the sec
ond-class rate of postage. were really
made to pay the third-class rate. as they
ought to do, IL would bring an additional
revenue to the government OF $l2.S43. si2.
The cost to the government of this abuse
Ia almost exactly equivalent to the esti-
mated cast of broad national rural free
delivery. and II II is question between
favoring a very limited number OF pub
fishers and favoring twenty-one millions
Of people who live on the farms of the
United States. there ought to be no hest
the few. The abuse should be uprooted
az a public duty; the national delivery
service should be undertaken as a public
policy. and when, through the overthrow
lished without the slightest additional
burden. the appeal becomes irresistible"
Abuse of Postal Laws.
The effort to eradicate the abuse Of the
postal provisions for second class mail
matter. the postmaster general assures.
OF the present law or to abridge the prfvi-
iege 1t confers upon the regular and legiti-
mate publications for the dissemination
of public intelligence"
But, instead says the report, ut Is only
sought to cut of the abuses which the
law never contemplated. and which have
crept in through the ambiguity OF its
provisions or through doubtful interpre-
tations that have opened wide door for
wrongful entries. II is aimed at the serial
paper-covered books, at the private house
organs at the spurious trade journals
and sheets OF an exclusive advertising
character; AT bulk distribution, which Is
falsely called subscription. and at the
repeated turn and overturn, by news
agents, of unsold periodicals. There is
no objection to serving these purely pri-
vate enterprises through the mails. but
there Is no reason why the government
should carry them at the second class
rate OF cent a pound. involving a dead
loss to II of millions OF dollars a year,
when other articles OF the same kind
rishtfuiiy pay the third class rate Of
The postmaster general says some adj
vance has been made In wiping out the
abuse above referred TO.
Island Postal Service.
The report says that the postal service
g.x 81. Al.
ed States has been materially advanced
and strengthened "Unfortunately saws
the report. speaking OF Cuba. cts admin
istration was stained for time by frauds
and peculations OF the most shameful
character.
"But this was the crime OF the agents
and not any fault OF the system The
system was such that the frauds and
peculations could not have been commit
ted by any one official however dishcn-
est. They were made possible only
through the collusion Of officers who
should have been check on each other.
and who entered into a conspiracy by
which the safeguards dependent on n
careful plan OF checks were thrown down
when the facts were brought 20 light
Immediate action was taken to right the
wrongs and arraign the wrong-doers. The
offense Of those implicated was more than
inhdelity TO the confdence reposed tn
them and more than ordinary malfeas-
ance In Office. Its turpitude was enhanced
by the fact that Il was the betrayal of q
trust held for people who were our
wards which carried peculiarly sacred
obligations, and II merits the severest
condemnation The cases have passed to
the custody Of the courts. and early trial
u expected
The improvement; Of the last few years
In the money-ort,er system has been Goa
tinued and even enhanced says the post
master general, and free delivery ex-
The report 81 the second assistant post.
master general Is cited TO show the In
crease IN the number 81 routes over which
mali IL transported. and the good effects
10 the servics OF the order ~ last Feb
ruary prohibiting tire consideration Of
hids for star raute contracts where the
bidder resided on the route he was bid
ding for
4 reasonably satisfactory mail service
IL being furnished the peOple ~ Alaska.
and the number % complaints IA sur
rrisingiy small Arrangements have been
made TOR weekly service over the two
overland routes
MIL Operatives Quit.
NEW BEDFORD. Mass. Dec iA--To-
morrow morning nearly i"o operatives
will remain away from the AcuShuet and
HATHAWAY mills owing TO a dispute with
their employers on the subject - the
Stoppage 81 pay