Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-21

POSThAS TER GENERAL
Submits His Estimates for.
I Next Fiscal Year.
SALARIES INCREASE
THE NORMAL GROWTH.
Curtailment Recommended Wherever
Possible and No Appropriations
for Experiments Asked.

Postmaster General Cortelyou recently
completed and forwarded to the Secretary
OF the Treasury the estimates for the Post.
ONCE Department for the fiscal year end
ing June 80 1907. They show a reduction
of expenses wherever it Is believed 1t will
not impair the service, but the Postmaster
General has emphasized his belief that it
Is poor economy not to make adequate pro-
vision for a proper development Of postal
facilities to meet the growing needs of all
sections of the country.
The amount asked for salaries in the de-
partment proper is 81, $50 an apparent
Increase of $61 800 over the current appro-
priation; but as $5s3o0 Of this is simply a
transfer from other appropriations, the
net increase is only 1890. The estimate
submitted for next year is $4,000 less
than the estimate submitted one year ago.
The clerical force Of the department. there
fore. Will remain practically as 1t now is
during the next fiscal year.
For the Postal Service at Large
The estimates FOR the postal service at
large-the field service-aggregate 1913 &c.,
Oc0, an increase over last years appropria-
ton of about So. 0O0, 900. This Increase rep
resents the normal growth of the service,
based upon the most careful and conserva-
tive estimates. Each succeeding year sees
large increase in the business of the de-
partment This business is of a current ma
ture, and the public demands that there be
no cessation in its operation. It therefore
becomes manifest that in submitting his
estimates for the service at large the Post
master General has no alternative but to
make proper provision for the additional
facilities that are required. Judging from
the experience of the past, the estimates
are believed to cover only the actual neces-
stiles of the postal service for the coming
and IN rny1 cont fbn lon, Rcy-
ures consistent with efficiency. The prin-
cipal items in the increase are the rural de-
livery service, railway mail service, COM
pensation to postmasters and their clerks,
and the compensation of letter carriers.
For the maintenance of the rural delivery
service and its proper extension over
500 600, 600 will be required This is In
crease of So, 100000 over the appropriation
$5OO0,O00 more than that of last year, SO
that the present estimate is 81 100000 less
than the increase of the present over the
preceding year.
Railway Mail Service.
The estimates for the railway mail serv-
ice and railway mail transportation call
for an increase of about s., 100000 over
the current appropriation.
To provide for the compensation of post
masters and clerks in post offices an In
crease of nearly s., 600 600 will be necessary
for the coming year; and for the compensa-
ton of city letter carriers an increase of
more than 100000 will be needed. which is
$4,000 less than the increase Of the APP
priation for the present year over that for
the preceding year.
That the extension of the pneumatic tube
service is contemplated is shown by the
fact that the estimate carries 1922, GOO more
than the current appropriation.
A number of other and comparatively
minor increases have been asked for in
order to allow for the natural expansion
of the service and to meet the
demand for improved postal facilities.
Curtailment has been recommended
wherever possible and many decreases are
shown, of which the following are ex-
amDles:
Railway transportation, special facilities,
$167 600; letter carriers new Offices S25 coo;
free delivery service, incidental expenses
100000; incidental expenses, rural delfv-
cry, $4,000; advertising schedules of
foreign mails, $4,000 The recent reorgan-
ization of the department is also in line
with the intention to simplify the admins
fation of the service and reduce expenses
No Innovations Asked For.
No large appropriations for experiments
or innovations have been asked for by the
Postmaster General. his aim being, for the
present at least, to improve and develop
the existing service.
The deficit for the fiscal year ended June
80, 1905, was 81, 572, 1854 This amount
the difference between the expenditures
and the revenues of the department-may
be said to represent the actual cost of the
postal service to the people. If recent cal
culations are as accurate as they have been
frequently in the past, they afford good
reason for believing that the deficit for the
year ending June 80, 1908, Will be consid-
erably less.
1t Is an interesting fact that the total
revenue for the fiscal year 1908 exceeded
the total expenditures for the fiscal wear
1904 by nearly 100000.