The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-12-15
AS 10 THE POSTAL DEFICIT
THE s14,5Tz, So Loss UNNECEs-
SARY, SAYS Mr. CORTELYOU.
II the Free Matter We're Properly
Taxed, the Department Would
Pay for Itself.

Washington, Dec 1O.-The post
master general, George B. Cortelyou,
in his annual report for the last fiscal
year, says that while a self-sustafning
condition OF the pOstofice department
would be gratifying, he is less con-
cerned about the deficit than the ef-
hciency Of administration For the
fiscal year 1905 the total receipts from
all sources were $152,S26,5S5, and to-
tai expenditures S167,1S1,s5s, leaving
a deficit Of $14,572, 5S4 In connection
with these figures, the postmaster
general directs attention to the in
creased amount Of free matter han
died, which, he says, averaged 1888
per cent Of the entire weight carried,
or loss in revenue OF $19, $4,000.
''Manifestly,' he says, had the mat
ter now carried free been required to
have been prepaid, Notwithstanding
the large expenditure for the rural
free delivery service, there would
have been no deficit"
Discussing appointments Of post
masters the postmaster general says
that under instructions recently is
sued, a careful rating, based on in
spectOrs' reports, is given each post
Office and that this rating carries great
weight in appointments. He says that
fOurth-claSs pOStmasters will be re-
tanned during satisfactory service,
while in the case Of presidential post
masters their reappOintment viii be
determined by the rating given them
The Amount OF Mail Large.
An increase Of 5.77 per cent in the
amount Of ordinary mail handled as
compared with 1904 is noted in the
railway service, which the postmaster
general says shows a normal growth,
with gratifying maintenance Of eff
cheney. In the year twelve clerks
were killed while on duty and 125
badly injured. Every effort, he says,
has ben made to surround the clerks
with every possible safeguard The
arduOus and hazardous duties incident
to the service, he declares, call for
some legislative action that will make
provision for clerks worn out in the
service and maintain its efficiency by
the gradual elimination of superannu-
ated clerks
Dealing with second class matter
Mr.. COrtelyOu declares the statue to
be inherently wrong. He bases this
opinion on the fact that during the
last fiscal year the total weight carried
was one cent a pound and free, was
663,1OT,12S pounds
IF says he. 'it cost the govern
ment as much as FIVE cents a pound
to handle this matter in the mails, 1t
will be seen that the amount paid out
was $33,155,356, while the actual rev.
enue was S6,1S6, 647-" He recommends
a thorough review Of the whole sub
ject by congress A fat rate deter
minable upon the material thing it
self, ne declares, is what is needed.
Compared With Eranl<lin'S Time.
After referring to the fact that there
is shortly to be celebrated the two
hundredth anniversary Of the birth Of
Benjamin Franklin, who was for more
than tweny years deputy postmaster
general for the colonies and who was
at the head Of the postal service under
the confederation, the postmaster gen
eral says:
What a contrast between the serv-
ice Of his day and that Of the present
time From seventy-five postOfices
in 1880, the year Of Franklin's death,
the number had grown in 1901 to TO-
945, and now is 6S,121; from receipts
Of S3T,935 and expenditures Of S32, 14O
we have advanced in the same period
to receipts Of $167,399,169, from a
total force Of about 500 to a total
force Of about 2SO,O0O