The Portland daily press., 1900-12-10
Extension Of Rural Free Delivery a
Notable Advance.
The Second Glass Mail
Matter Abuses
Recommendation for Their Cor
rection Renewed.

Washington, December 9.-The report
OF Postmaster General Smith has been
submitted. An abstract follows:
The financial operations Of the DEPART
ment for the last fiscal year are shown
briefly In the following statement;
Revenues ana Expenditures.
Ordinary postal revenue, SlO0, ,S99, 4SS Al
business, LABS, las, IS
:. sources, slo2, ,3i5. $40 sa
Total expenditures for the
year, lJ',f4O'Zo' 70
Excess OF expenditures
over receipts, SS,5So, oSs.'O
Willis the expenditures were over six
millions greater than for the previous lis
cal year. the deficit for the year ls99-19OO
was but S., 1856, ,6sS, being s1,225,0Ss less
than that of the previous year.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY.
The extraordinary extension of rural
free delivery during the past two years
has proved to be the most salient, signiH-
cant and far.reaching feature OF postal
s.gelopment in recent times 1t took
time and experience to develop and en-
force the more just view, trst, that the
great body OF people who live outside
cities and towns are entitled to share in
advanced mail facilities, even If the cost
exceeds the returns. and second, tnat the
barrier of unbalanced expense is not as
formidable as was apprehanded.
Rural free delivery has now been suth-
oientiy tried to measure Its effects it
stimulates social and business CORE
spondence, and so swells the postal re-
ceipss Its introduction is invariably fol-
lowed by large increase In the oircula-
tion of the press and of periodical litera-
ture. The value OF farms, as has been
shown in many cases, is enhanced. Good
roads become Indispensable, and their
improyement Is the essential condition OF
the service. The material and measurable
benefits are signal and unmistakable
Rural free delivery can be extended
practically over the whole country at an
annual cost of less than 1900, 600. AS
the appropriation for the current fiscal
year for this purpose Is 81, 900, an ad-
ditionAl outlay of Sl2,0O0,0Oo unless un-
foreseen demands should come, would
substantially take the mall every day to
every door in the land.
This amount is lest through an abuse,
that OF second class matter, that can be,
and ought to be rectified. 1t is public
contribution without any public a1van
taQe, for the sole benefit of few private
interests The cost to the government OF
this abuse is almost exactly equivalent to
che estimated cost OF broad national rural
free delivery, and If 1t is a question be-
tween favoring very limited number OF
publishers and ravoring twenty-one mil
Hone of people, who live on the farms OF
the United States, there ought to he no
hesitation in serving the many rather
than the few.
ABUSES IN SECOND CLASS
MATTER.
In my last annual report pointed out
the fragrant abuses which prevail in
connection with second class matter, and
urged the Importance OF remedial iegisla-
ton. There should be no abatement OF
the protest or effort against the perpetua-
tion of evils which have insidiously
grown up through the ingenious perver-
sion OF tine laws intent In furtherinR
'nrivate interests, and which have now
become heavy pablo burden. Their
elimination, while doing no injustice in
any quarter would effect saving rang
ing from yI2, QUO, 900 to so. D0D, 900 year,
and would relieve the way for legitimate
postal advances in every direction.
The measure of reform naturally en-
counters the strenuous hostility of the
limited special interests, tbs expenses OF
whose private business is now largely
paid by the government instead of by
themselves. But this antagonism alone Is
not enough to defeat 1t. There is opposi-
tion OF a different character which rests
on misoonception, and which onght TO
be removed 1t Is founded on fear that
the proposed act Ia aimed in part at some
legitimate publications OF the second
class, and that Its enactment would de-
prive them OF the privileges which the
existing law intends they should possess.
This is complete inisspprehension, IL
is not sought to change Uhe policy of the
present law, or to abridge the privileges
it conters upon regular and legitimate
publications for the dissemination OF
public intelligence.
The postal service in the new island
possessions OF the United States has been
materially advanced and strengthened
within the year. So long as Porto kioo
remained under military government the
service was continued on the provisional
and Independent basis adopted upon the
acquisition Of the island. The only mate
rial change where a civil government was
provided, was that the central admins
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