Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-10-03
Postmaster General Payne Will
Ask For a Large Appropri-
alton by Congress
WILL NEED TWENTY MILLIONS
BY the End of the Present Fiscal Year
it Is Expected That Mot Less Than
$1,000 Routes Will Be in Operation
Postoffice Auditors Feport-Wash-
inston News.


General Payne Will probably ask for an
appropriation of $2o,o0o,0O0 for rural
free delivery service next year. which
is S',5oo,ooo more than congress appro-
priated for the current year. The app
preparation for the current year for III,
extension of the service will all be used
UP by the end of the present calendar
year. only enough remaining to pay
salaries for the remaining six months
of the fiscal year. 1t is not unlikely
that congress will appre pirate a def
cheney allowance amounting to S100, 00O
or 100000 to provide for new routes
that are to be put in this year This
was the way the rapid establishment OF
new routes last year WAS provided for
last session. Congress appropriated
for the purpose. 100000.
Under authorization of congress
there have been established since July
last. 800 new routes, AMI there are alo
that have been agreed Ga ana are yet
to be put in operation this year. 1t is
expected that by the end of the present
fiscal year there Will be In all 2l.00o
routes In operation. The estimate is
made that il Will take $4,000. 600 to
operate tie routes that will be In exis-
tence at the end of the year and So
100000 more Will be asked to establish
additional routes.
In submitting his estimate for rural
free delivery service, the postmaster
general viii undoubtedly call the at
tention of congress to the fact that in
order TO do the greatest good 10 the
greatest number of people, he was
obliged to make rule that no route
should be established OH which fewer
than 100 families resided, a rule that
has seriously retarded the extension of
the service in Minnesota and his own
state of Wisconsin. While he Will not
ask congress to fix limitations for the
establishment of routes. Mr.. Payne
would be greatly relieved if some STAN
iard were fixed by legislation. 1t is
not improbable that congress will pre-
scribe a minimum number of families
or pieces of mail to be handled before
route is established.
Captain Castles Report.
Captain Henry A. Castle, auditor for
the postoffIce department, estimates
that the deficit of the department. for
the fiscal year ending June 30, last, viii
approximate s4,6l7.000. Estimated re-
ceipts for the year were sl34, 26S, 900,
and expenditures. si3S,SS5.000--a con-
siderable increase in both cases over
preceding years: but still the deficiency
of last year exceeds that of the pre-
ceding year by over $1,5D0,00o. The in
crease in the deficiency is due to tbs
extension of the rural service. expen-
,iitures for which amounted to $S.000,-
900 last year, and which will increase
rapidly each year until all available
territory is covered with this service.
While stating that the rural free de-
livery service Is the cause of the pres
ent deficiency, Captain Castle does
no; say that the service should not be
extended. He believes that the rural
service is a good thing. and that ulta-
mateIy ii Will pay its own way.
Captain Castles annual report 20 the
secretary OF tie treasury which will be
ready in about "a month, will almost
certainly contain some reference to
faulty nGtnOQS VI ~ A'ss'
office, largely due to the inadequacy OF
the law under which tie accounts are
examined Two branches of the service
railway mali and postage stamp ac-
counts-are not audited properly, and
the auditor has called attention TO this
In his annual reports for several years
past.
Another subject he will treat on IS
the inadequate force TO take care OF the
constantly increasing business OF the
department. In his recommendations
relative to changes in the law proVld-
ing for auditing postal accounts, Cap
tain Castle will be supported by the
special committee appointed by Secre-
tary Shaw some months ago, to exam
inc into the methods of al AUDITORS ana
recommend such changes as were
thought necessary. The report OF this
committee Was handed TO Secretary
Shaw about Sept. !, and IN IL are sug
gested many changes in accounting 1or
postal funds the most lmportanl Oh
which Captain Castle has repeatedly
mentioned in his annual reports.