Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-12-05
POSTAL
ABUSES
Fully Exposed by POST
master General in
Annual Report
Over Sz4,ooo,ooo Loss to
the Government
Annually
And the Outrage increas-
ing at a Disas-
trOus Rate

meatIest report ever made by post
master general was that issued yester-
day by Mr. Smith, 1t embraces a
sweeping and unanswerable expose Of
the vase abuses Of second class mail
privileges and the following recon-
mendatiops for legislation, some of
which have heretofore been made, are
submitted for the consideration of
congress:
That the maximum fee for a money
order be fixed at 70 instead Of 30
cents.
That fund be created out of the
aalaries Of railway mail clerks TO
provide for the retirement Of such
clerks as have, after long periods Of
service, become incapacitated for
active duty.
That publishers De required to make
a preliminary separation of news
papers, under the direction of the de-
partment, as a condition under which
they shall enjoy the exceedingly
liberal rates provided for carrying
gecond-class matter through the mails.
That a building be provided in
Washington to be used wholly or in
part by the mail bag and mail lock
repair shop and as q depository for
mail bags.
That section OF the act Of June
49, 1898, chapter 446, providing that
assistant postmasters, cashiers, and
ether employees i'm postoffices Of the
first, second, and third classes shall
give bond direct to the United States
he repealed, aud that statute be
enacted requiring such officers to give
sond directly to the postmasters and
holding postmasters responsible I'M
der their own bonds for any and all
acts and defaults occurring at their
Offices
That provision be made for the pay
aont OF incidental expenses incurred
by local officers or others in the ar
rest. detention. and keeping of prison
ers charged with violations of the
postal laws until such prisoners can
&c transferred TO the custody OF a
United States marshal
That a statute be enacted authorize
ing postoffice inspectors to take out
search warrants whenever the same
nay be necessary in the prosecution
of their official duties.
That an appropriation be made for
abe purpose of constructing IookOuts
wherever, In the opinion of the post
1aaster-generaI, they may be needed.
That the nterstate-commerce law
ss amended to prohibit, telegraph
aRd express companies, or any of
their employees from aiding and abet-
ting in the green-gOods or lottery
swindles, or any other scheme car
ricd on partly by mail and partly by
common carrier and which is in viola
eioa of the postal laws.
Second-Class Matter.
In his annual report for 1899 Secre-
tary Smith said: The most urgent
aeed of the postal service is the recti-
acati0n of the enormous wrongs
which have grown up in the perver~
slsx and abuse of the privilege &C
sorded by law to second-class matter"
Time and experience only emphasize
this statement. It is the most urgent
need because 1t aims at the one great
overBhadowing evil of the service, and
because 1t underlies and oVertops all
other reform and advance. It would
relieve the department from the one
oppressive burden which cripples and
weighs it down, and which stands as a
constant and formidable barrier
against Improvement and progress
aDr the benefit of all the people in
many directions. Deeply impressed
with this conviction, the department
has taken positive steps, in orders Is
sued on July IT, to correct the abuses
and accomplish substantial reform, so
far as it is possible by administrative
action.
Before explaining these steps it will
be useful to understand more clearly
just the extent of the evil and the i'm
peratiye need of an effective remedy.
In dividing mail matter into four
classes the law provides that newspa-
pers and periodicals coming within
the conditions it prescribes shall con,
stitute the second class with q post
age rate of l cent per pound. All other
printed matter. including books, cir
culars, and advertising sheets, con-
stitutes the third class, with a postage
rate of | cent for two ounces. The
law defines the characteristics which
shall distinguish and determine sec,
ond-class matter, and it intends to
limit the privilege and benefit of the
pound rate to legitimate newspapers
and periodicals which fulfill these
statutory requirements. But. in fact
thousands of publications which are in
reality books or purely advertising
sheets or gift enterprises, and which
the law never meant to include within
the second class, have crept il
through evasions and loose construc
tons until this abuse has grown II
colossal proportions and imposes a bur
zen of many millions Of dollars a yea
On the government and the people.
The second-class matter constitute
nearly 60 per cent. of the weight o
the entire mail of the country, an,
yet, while the postal revenue for tn
last fiscal year was Sill ,631, 1913, tn