Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1901-11-30
POSTOFFICE REPORT.
Annual Statement Shows 8
Decreased Deficit.
SECOND CLASS NAIL ABUSES
The Government Has Annually Besn
Carrying 2oo,0o0,vOo Pounds OF
Matter mt 4 Cent Mates which
ought 10 Have Paid \ Cents.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S.-The an
nuai report of the postoffice depart
ment for the fiscal year ending june
30, 1901, shows in brief the financial op
erations OF the department for thu
year as follows: Ordinary postal rev
enue, $lo9,531, 77s.6T: receipts from
money order business, $l.66S, 659, 20
receipts from unpaid money orders
more than one year old, $43o, 753.43
total receipts from all sources, Sill.
OBI, 1889; total expenditures for the
year, $115. BOD. 92o.S7; excess of expend
lures over receipts, S3,923, 72I.4S.
While the expenditures In the ordi
nary development and through various
extensions of the service are $7.S14,.
652.SS greater than for the preceding
year, the deficit Is $1,461 ,961 % less
Under present prosperous conditions
the annual increase Of receipts Is for
tunately larger than the inevitable In
crease of outlay, and for several years
the deficit has been steadily growing
smaller.
A large space in the report Is occu.
pied with the subject OF second claas
says:
I'm my annual report for 1890 | said
The most urgent need OF the postal
service Is the rectification OF the enor-
nous wrongs which have grown UP
In the perversion and abuse Of the priv.
ilege accorded by law to second class
matter Time and experience only EN-.
phasize this statement. 1t Is the most
urgent need because 1t aims at the
one great overshadowing evil OF the
service and because 1t underlies and
overtops all other reform and advance,
1t would relieve the department from
the one oppressive burden which Grip
pies and weighs II down and which
stands as constant and formidable
barrier against Improvement and prog
ress for the benefit Of all the people
in many directions. Deeply impressed
with this conviction, the department
has taken positive steps in orders IL.
abuses and accomplish substantial re-
form so far as it Is possible by admin
istrative action.
1.-THE second class matter constitutes
nearly 90 per cent Of the weight of the
entire mail matter OF the country. and
yet, while the postal revenue for the
last fiscal year was $111,631, 1913, the
second class matter paid only 81 294,-
445 OF that amount--that Is. while
making thrce-fifths of the mail In
weight is furnished one twenty-eighth
part of the revenue. The transporta-
ton Of mails is paid for chiefly by
weight The enormous disproportion
of return TO cost in second class matter
is thus apparent at glance.
Careful computation shows prodi-
gious aggregate of 2O0.O0O00O pounds
of mail year which the government Is
carrying and delivering at ! cent a
pound and which ought either to pay
the third class rate, equal TO cents a
pound, or not to be carried at all. Not
counting the expense of handling, it
costs the government $10,0O0O00 year
to transport this matter. 1t returns in
postage S2.000000, thus involving di-
rect loss on transportation alone of
IS. 600. 900. If II be charged with its
fair share of the total cost of the mail
service on the very conservative calcu-
lation heretofore given. the loss of the
government Is not less than $4,000
600 That amount Is three times the
postal deficit OF the last fiscal year.
Had that loss not been sustained there
would have been a surplus of $1,000
600.
1.-THE government Is thus not only con-
tributing largely and rightly to the dis
tribution of legitimate newspapers and
periodicals with public object and
coming within the law. but II is paying
subsidy of $12.000.000 "A year for
purely private publishing enterprises
run solely for private profit. How great
burden this is and how it stands In
the way OF just public undertakings
will be plain on moments considers
ton. This wrongful subsidy would
pay substantially the net cost OF ex-
tending rural free delivery over all the
feasible part of the whole country. 1t
would pay If not all at least the great
er part OF the loss OF revenue involved
I'm penny postage on drop letters. II
would pay the cost OF three battle
ships. 1t would pay the largest amount
that has been proposed to be set apart
for the upbuilding of great American
merchant marine and leave $4,000 900
to spare every year"
ON the subject of mail routes the re-
port gives the following:
"'rhe length of domestic or inland
mail routes was increased during the
year by l0,S1S miles, or 694O2S5 miles