The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-07-26
n POSTAL DEFICIT.

One of the gravest problems befor,
congress at its lei session will be tn,
go, 900, 900 deficit in the postottice bust
ness of the government. This depart
ment is chargeable with five seventh:
OF III total national shortage OF S2s,
600, 600 for the fiscal year ended June
30, 1908. The situation evidently needs
attention.
Henry A. Castle, formerly audito,
for the postofice department, writing
In last weeks Harper's Weekly, say:
the principal sources OF loss are: Elk.
c%essive pay to railroads, abuse of the
Thanking privilege, abuses of the sec.
ond class rates, the money order sys.
tenn and the rural free delivery system.
This means that the carrying Of letters
[ first class matter is the only part of
the business that pays.
After showing that the railways re.
ceive many times as much for mail
carriage than for any other class of
freight, Mr.. Castle points out that the
rates paid the roads for mail matter
have not been reduced since 1873, al
though admitted by j. j. Hill before
a senate committee in May last, the
average rate for other freight fell
from ,: cents per ton per mile 10 1882
to .S57 of a cent in Independently a
reduction of two thirds. a former
United States senator is quoted as
saying that the roads receive $40, OO0,.
600 from the government and 81, OOO, 900
from the express companies for carry.
ing the same amount of freight, and
that the New York Central, for carry.
ing mail over its main lines between
New York and Chicago, received 81
per n ofl the value of those lines,
including their rolling stock and city
terminals. The roads got $46, 600, 900
last year for mail carriage, and there
is little doubt that the allotments,
which are made on weighings once in
four years for a period of only thirty
49, - "a ulAAAlOuo COO large
as a result of fraudulent padding Of
the mails at these periods. In many
European countries the roads carry
the mails free in return for the same
government protection that is freely
given here.
The franking privilege is abused TO
tho nytart nf O. nln l0O ~ n1n nnn 0ln
and this leak should be reduced by
stringent measures.
The rural free delivery started in
1897 with an experimental appropria-
ton OF $4,000. Last year it cost SILL.
DOC, 900, and for the current twelve.
months the appropriation is So, $685..
600. The service pays only % per
cent OF its cost. In the main the
money is we'll spent.
The money order system loses 81.
SOC, 600 a year, the loss being on the
80, 1000, 600 orders for less than s.. Re.
form here Is needed, and it may be
provided on the post check plan of
currency payable to ORDER"
The rates at second class matter.
which were fixed at l cent a pound for
legitimate newspapers and periodicals
as a measure with educational value,
have been abused by serial book pub.
locations. patent medicine firms and
other improper schemes, many of
which have been cut off. But this
branch OF the service still loses money
by the million. The department, as
was announced the other day, may
ask congress to raise these rates.
This Is only just. 1t costs the gov.
ernment an average OF 7 cents a pound
to handle mail of all classes, and
there is no reason why the publisher
should not pay more than l cent a
pound for the distribution Of his pub.
locations. -Spokesman.R Review.