The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1900-12-15
POSTAL DEPARTMENT REPORT
RECOMMENDATIONS ARE MADE
The CHIEF Want. 20 Reach the Farm
Doer-Think. IL wan Mako the
Farms More valuable-Poas. AID
PoataI FFauda In Cuba.

washington. - EOctinASlcE 1oncfHl
Charles Emory Smith has submitted
his annual report to the president. The
financial operations of the department
for the last fiscal year are shows In
the following statement of revenues
and expenditures:
Ordinary postal revenues, $100. S99,.
ass; receipts from money order bust
ness, $l.455, las. Total receipts from
all sources. $l02. 354,579.
Total expenditures for the year.
$l0T. 740.261. Excess OF expenditures
over receipts. $5,3S5,SsS.
The deficit for the year lSSs-ls00 is
shown to be $10,OOS.0S less than last
year. The estimated postal revenue
for the fiscal year ending June 80, 1909.
is $l16,033,04a, and the estimated ex-
penditure $12l.2T6.349. leaving q proc
able deficiency Of $4.634. S07.
Rural free delivery Is here plainly
has proved to be the most salient, sig
nitieant and far reaching feature Of
postal development
Besides swelling the postal receipts
the values of farms are enhanced.
through the necessity for good rC5ds
and the opportunity afforded the farm
er to keep abreast OF the times by be-
ing put in closer communication with
the outside world. The isolation aud
monotony which has been the bane Of
country life. IS sensibly mitigated
through the effects Of free rural Z hiv-
cry in placing the farm within lilly
range OF the intellectual and CONNER.
eial centers. The farmer is also given
cause to feel he shares the govern
mental advantages OF the toWnsmen,
which stimulated his loyalty and pa
triotiSm.
Rural free delivery, the report says.
to stay" 1t reaches millions of peo-
pie scattered over a million acres OF
territory to whose doors 1t is the task
OF the government to arrange to carry
the mails through rural free delivery,
Postmaster General Smith says. BY
sAe end OF the current fiscal year one.
sixth OF them shall have been served,
| and 1890 routes in operation The u
annual cost OF a complete rural free
delivery system Is estimated at $13..
7S2.224. On this point the report says:
at VIII hardy be disputed that the
great result Of carrying the postoface
( % every home. II II can be accom-
/ plished at such comparatively small
| cost, is an object we'll worth undertak.
\ in
The report says that The postal ser,
vice in the new island possessions OF
the United States has been very ma
tertally advanced and strengthened.
| Unfortunately" says the report
speaking of Cuba, Its administrator
was stained for a time by frauds and
populations Of the most shameful char
acter. But this was the crime Of the
agents and not any fault Of the sys
tenn The frauds and peculatlonS could
not have been committed by any one
official, however dishonest. They were
made possible only through the collu
sion OF officers who should have been
a check on each other and who entered
INTO conspiracy by which the safe
guards dependent upon a careful plar
Of checks were thrown down.
! When the facts were brought Ia
light immediate action was taken to
right the wrongs and arraign the
TrongdOers. The ofrense Of those i'm
| plicated was more than infldelity to
the confidence repOsed in them and
more than ordinary malfeasanee in Of
fee. Its turpltude was enhanced by
the fact that 1t was the betrayal Of q
trust held for a people who were ouI
wards, which carried peculiarly sacred
obligations and it merits the severest
condemnation. The cases have passed
% the custody Of the courts and early
trial Is expected"
The improvement OF the last few
years in the money order system has
been continued and even enhanced
says the postmaster general, and free
delivery extended
The reports Of the second assistant
postmaster general are cited to show
the increase In the number of routes
over which mail Is transported and
the good effects 70 the service of the
order Of last February prohibiting the
consideration Of bids for star route con
tracts where the bidder resided OF the
| route he was bidding for
A reasonably satisfactory mail ser,
vice is being furnished the people OF
| Alaska and the number OF complaints
Is surprisingly small. Arrangements
have been made for weekly service
over the two overland routes.