Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-12-07
Total expenditures for year. .sll5. $50,


Iotal expenditures Tor year 'Sll5,o3bJEV'el
Excess OF expenditures over
receipts ...,............. S,923,12I42
While the expenditures In the ordi-
nary development and through various
extensions OF the service are 1854, 653.35
greater than for the preceding year. the
deficit, says the report, is 81, 461 ,961. %
less. Under present prosperous condl-
tionB the annual Increase OF receipts is
fortunately larger han the inevitable
increase OF outlay, n for several years
the deficit has been steadily growing
smaller.
The estimate OF the revenues n ex-
~penditures of this department Tor the
fiscal year ending June 80, 1903, which
has been transmitted to the secretary
of the treasury, Is given below. togeth-
er with such other items as may be nee
essary to show more clearly the bases
upon which the calculations are made:
Total postal revenue for 1901. .. $lll, 63l 1873
add o per cent for estimated in
crease for year ending June 30 -
lSO@ lo'Vfo,eo'
Estimated revenue for 1902. IL. 1921, $50
Appropriation for postal service
Tor IVZ. .'''''t''''' i[)''o%,o9S
Estimated deficit for 1902. .....s 2,10i, 6SS
Estimated revenue for 1902. ....,. l2l,6l8,M
Add S12 per cent....,.,........ lo,3i2,eS)
Estimated revenue for 1903. &. 1892, 90, G3o
Estimated expenditures for 1903. 13i,7 1871 $40
Estimated deficit for 1908 ...,s 2,7lO,946
This estimate Is based upon the ordi-
nary course Of operations, and without
considering the possible effect of spe-
cial measures, the results Of which are
Not yet determinablc.
Second Class Mall Abuses.
The secretary says time and expert
ence have emphasized his statements.
made I'm the report for 1899, concerning
kccond class matter. He devotes much
space to this subject, and In part says:
IL Is the most urgent need, because II
aims at the one great overshadowing evil
Of the service, and because II underlies
and overtops all other reform and ad-
vance. 1t would relieve the department
from the one oppressive burden which
cripples and weighs II down. and which
stands as n constant and formidable bar
rier against Improvement and progress
for the benefit Of all the people In many
directions. Deeply impressed with this
conviction, the department has taken pos
1.-Two steps, I'm orders issued on July III
1901. to correct the abuses and accom-
plish substantial reform, 80 far as 1t Is
possible by administrative action.
The second class matter constitutes
nearly GO per cent OF the weight or the en-
trio mafi OF the country, and yet, while
the postal revenue for the last fiscal year
Was Sill 3l. i32, the second class matter
paid only 81, 2gi,4 I5 OF that amount. That
Is, while making three-fifths Of the mail
in weight, It furnished only one twenty
eighth part Of the evenue. The trans
portation OF the mails Is paid for chiefly
by weight. The enormous d"isproporton
OF return to cost I'm second class matter
Is thus apparent at a glance. 1t Is ex-
tremcly conservative to say hat the sec
ond class mail, which makes three-hfths
Of the weight OF the malls, may fairly be
4Inp y.1 MIL. nnn-fnInFTn nf thn cost This
certainly UNDERSTANDS rather than over
states the truth. The cost Of the mails for
the last fiscal year was $ll5,55i go. One
fourth OF that amount Is $2S, SSS, 1870. The
revenue from second class matter was
81, 29i, ii5, leaving an actual net cost and
loss to the government OF $24,59i,2 S5.
Throwing aside all the expense of hand
ling and combining the examination 10 the
single item OF transportation. the result
may be more definitely stated and IL no
less striking. The expense OF carrying
the mails, making the whole cost divlsible
by tho whole volume. has In the past been
reckoned at s cents a pound. 1t
is now believed that this figure is eXces-
eivc. A more accurate weighing and n
closer analysis place the cost OF carrying
tho mail as u whole at 9 cents n pound,
and, making all allowances, put the cost
on second class matter at about . cents a
pound. This figure Is clearly within tho
truth. The second class mail matter
paid the pound rate amounted for
the last fiscal year to 429, 443 ,573 pounds. At
cents a pound II cost $2l, Az, 22S to carry
It. It paid i'm postage 81, 294, 445, leaving a
net loss to the government OF $l7,27,I 1888 on
transportation alone. ~
Essence Of Evil.
If the mail thus carried at n heavy loss
were limited to what the law intended,
there would be nothing more TO be said.
In that case II would be a deliberate and
rational public expenditure for a well de-
fined, justinable and worthy public OBJ
ject, and taking the service as n whole
there woul be no loss at all. our free In
rest on popular Intelligence,
and 1t has from the beginning been our
fixed and enlightened policy to foster and
promote the general diffusion OF public
Congress has wisely framed
the postal laws with this just and liberal
IL has uniformly sought to
intercommunication and the
exchange Of intelligence. AS facilities
nave ~cheapened II has gradually lowered
all postage rates. it has never aimed to
make the postal service a source OF profit,
but simply to make II a It's own way
and to give the people the benefit of all
possible advancement. In harmony with
his sound and jIdiCious policy IL has de-
liberately established "A low rate OF pos
for genuine ewspapers and periodi-
cals, with the express design OF encourage
Ing n aiding the distribution of the rec
means and agencies or public in
1t Is not "A matter OF favor,
of approved judgment. 1t is not for
the publishers, but for the people. But in
adopting TINS special rate TOT II leSlllIlale
public end congress has sought TO restrict
It's privilege to legitimate publications
a manifest public aim and a clear
public demand. 1t never meant to open
the food gates fer an inordinate stream
Of purely private enterprises which have
no public object whatever within the con-
temptation of the law, and which have
seized upon the low rate of postage sole
Is for private profit at the public expense.
In various ways thousands of publica-
ions have come TO enjoy the privilege
which are not within either the spirit OF
the letter of the law, me the volume Of
second class mail has been Immensely
by a vast and questionable mass
Of printed matter which was not intended
or foreseen when congress-, in the educa-
interest of the people, provided that
the government should practically pay the
cost of transmission.
Must Be Ended.
II Is morally impossible that the fragrant
which have been depicted shal &c
ON uninterruptedly and increasingly. If
their palpablc obstruction OF posta