The San Francisco call., 1904-12-07
POSTAL SERVICE.
Increased Efficiency Shown
in This Branch.

In the Postoffice Department the SER
vice has increased in efficiency, and
conditions as to revenue and expendi-
ture continue satisfactory. The in
crease of revenue during the year was
SO, 35S, ,1S1 10, or 60 per cent, the total
receipts amounting to S143. 3S2, ,624 "a.
The expenditures were $152, 362. .116 20,
an increase of about per cent over
the previous year, being thus sS,979,-
492 36 in excess of the current revenue.
Included in these expenditures was a
total appropriation of $12, ,956,637 50 for
the continuation and extension of the
rural free-deliVery service, which was
an increase Of $4,9O2, 237 80 over the
amount expended for this purpose in
the preceding fiscal year Large as
this expenditure has been the beneficent
results attained in extending the free
distribution of mails TO the residents
of rural districts have justified the wis
dom of the outlay. Statistics brought
down to the 1st OF October, 1904 show
that on that date there were q, 1873
rural routes established serving aD-
prOximately 12.00O,000 people in rural
districts remote from pOstOffices. and
that there were pending at that time
1853 petitions for the establishment OF
new rural routes. UnquestiOnably some
part OF the general increase in receipts
which the rural service has afforded
The revenues have also been aided
greatly by amendments in the classi-
ficatiOn of mail matter, and the cur
tailment of abuses of the secOnd-class
mailing privilege. The average in
crease in the volume of mail matter for
the period beginning with 1902 and end
ing June. 1905 (that portion for 1905
being estimated). is 40.47 per cent, as
compared with 25.46 per cent for the
period immediately preceding, and 1892
for the four-year period Immediately
preceding that.
Our consular system needs improve
ment. Salaries should be substituted
for fees, and the proper classification,
grading and transfer of consular Off
GERS should be provided. / am not pre-
pared TO say that competitive system
of examinations for appointment would
work well, but by law 1t should be pro-
vided that Consuls should be familiar.
according to places for which they
apply, with the French. German or
Spanish languages. and should possess
acquaintance with the resources Of the
United States.
templated in section 55S6 Of the Revised
Statutes should be designated and es-
taDliShed as a National Gallery of Art:
and the Smithsonian Institution should
be authorized TO accept any additions
to said collection that may be received
by gift, bequest or devise.
1t is desirable to enact a proper na-
tiOnal quarantine law. 1t is most unde-
sirable that a State should on its own
initiative enforce quarantine regula-
tiOns which are in effect a restriction
upon interstate and international COM
merce. The question should properly
be assumed by the Government alone.
The surgeon general of the National
Public Health and Marine Hospital
Service has repeatedly and convincing
ly set forth the need for such legisla-
ton.
1 call your attention to the great ex-
travagance in printing and binding
Government publications, and especial
ly to the fact that altogether too many
Of these publications are printed. There
is constant tendency to increase their
number and their volume. 1t is an
understatement to say that no appre-
ciable harm would be caused BY. and
benefit would accrue from
decreasing the amount Of printing now
done by at least One-half Probably the
great majority of the Government re-
ports and the like now printed are
never read at all. and furthermore the
printing of much Of the material con-
tanned in many of the remaining ones
serves no useful purpose whatever.