Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-12-14
BOTH DISCUSSED IN POSTMASTER
GENERALS REPORT.
GOOD RECOMMEN DATl0NS
More Than II Per Cent of
Mail Now Goes Free at
a Yearly Loss OF Nearly
$2o,ooo,oo o-Some Specific sueges.
tons.

General Cortelyou in his annual re
port for the last fiscal year says that
while selfsustaining coalition on
the postottice department would be
gratifying he is less concerned about
the deficit than the efficiency of ad-
ministration. For the fiscal year
1905 the total receipts from all
sources were $152,S26,5S5 and total
expenditures $16I1SL959, leaving a
deficit of $14,572.5S4.
In connection with these figures
the postmaster general directs atten,
tion to he increased amount of free
matter handled, which he says
averaged 1858 per cent of the entire
weight carried, or a loss in revenue
of $19,S22 900 "Manfestly," he says,
had the matter now carried free been
required 10 nave been prepaid, not
withstanding the large expenditures
for the rural free delivery service,
there would have been no delcit."
Answering sane of the criticisms
which he says have been directed
against the pc, tai service, he states
that much of it overlooks the unusual
conditions existing in this country
its great extent of territory and its
widely scattered population, With the
introduction of "lral free delivery as
yet unfinished and other details OF
postal development incomplete he
thinks it the part of wisdom to pro
coed conserva -lvely until the present
service is more nearly perfected
In other words" says he, lit is
believed that Tor the time being at
tention can be more pr0titably devoted
TO an improvement in the service al
ready established than to an i'm
mediate consideration of such ques.
tions as the reduction of the rates Of
postage, a pa-'oels post, postal say
ings repositories, a postal telegraph
and telephone and kindred subjects"
AS remedy for the ranking evil
of which he complains the postmaster
general suggests that there are sound
administrative reasons why it would
be better business policy for each de-
partment to pay postage upon it's
mail matter ccording to it's class
than to return to the practice of re-
curing government free matter to be
prepaid by postage stamps in Che
Gin
by the public. The weight OF opinion,
he says, is in f.vor of the plan sug-
gested so modified as to eliminate the
necessity of afliing stamps, but main>
tanning the prA:.iple that each depart,
ment be charged with the whole eX,
pense of conducting its business
From this change" he adds, there
would come some great advantages
The tendency &c use the mails for mat.
ter that ought otherwise to be trans
ported would De restrained; mechan-
disc, including heavy quantities OF
printed matte not requiring eX-
peditious hauling, would be sent by
cheaper modes of conveyance: only
matter not requiring expeditions de
livery and on which the postage can
be properly paid as for government
business would be sent by mail and
the true relation of the postoffice de.
partments as regards actual receipts
and expenditures would be more ac,
curately determ ned"
Discussing appointments of post
masters the postmaster general saws
that under instruction recently issued
a careful rating, based on inspectors
reports, is given each postofice ana
that this rating carries weight in de-
terming the question of reappoint.
mcnts. He S2ys that fourth.class
postmasters will be retained during
satisfactory service, while in the
case of presidential postmasters their
reappointmeng will be determined by
the ratings given them.
The work OF purifying the mails Is
not confined TO the suppression OF
frauds and lotteries, but includes as
well the exclusion therefrom the
obscene, indecent and scurrilous mat
ter and The punishment Of those found
TO have deposited such matter for
transmission. He adds that a more
strict enforcement of these statutes
recently mas brought about highly
gratifying results.
The work of the postofice in.
spectors is praised and the opinion
is expressed that many of them are
rnderpaid. a similar view is ex.
pressed with respect to postoffice
clerks and letter carriers, city and
rural.
Government control OF the pneu-
matte tube serrice and mail wagon
service is recommended, and in the
latter case an appropriation is asked
70 purchase wagons Of approved par.
tern for carrying the mails. An in.
crease of 5.57 per cent in the amount
Of ordinary mail handled, az com.
pared with 1901, is noted in the RAN
way mail service, which the post.
master panaral Eavc shnv-r : normal