Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-11
POSTMASTER GENERAL
His First Annual Report
Submitted.
PU BLIC u T IL [ T [ E S
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP ADVo.
GATED OF CERTAIN OF THEM.
Each Department Should Be Charged
With Cost of Its Own Mail
Service.
PUBLIC UTILITI E S

tube mail service and the wagon service Of
the Post Office Department should be own
ed and controlled by the government. And
lie gives ample reason for this belief Also
lie recommends a more stringent restric-
ton of the franking privilege. and, while
not advocating q rule compelling all the
government departments to place stamps
on all mail matter, he believes each depart
ment should be charged with the cost OF
conducting It's own mail service. In other
words, he would have the mail of each gov
eminent department weighed and classified
and a certain amount per pound deducted
from the appropriation for that department
and added to the income of the Post Office
Department. Mr.. Cortelyou thinks this
would result in making the lends meet"
and would avoid the usual deficiency.
For the fiscal year 1905 the total re-
eeipts from all sources were s152 S26,bS5,
and total expenditures Sl6I, Isl ,959 leaving
a deficit Of S14,5T2 5S4. In connection with
these figures the Postmaster General d.
reefs attention to the increased amount of
free matter handled, which he says aver
aged 12.oS per cent of the entire weight
carried, u loss in revenue of $40 500 900.
Manifestly,' he says, had the matter
now carried free been required to have
been prepaid, Notwithstanding the large ex-
penditures for the rural free delivery serv-
Ice there would have been no deficit
The Postmaster General lays considerable
stress upon the new rule extending the civil
service regulations TO postmaSters and other
appofntive employees of the Post Office De-
parment. He insists that merit should be
the controlling factor In appointment and
promotion. as well as when reappolntments
are under consideration. Mr. Cortelyou
asks for $4,000 with which to send three
Officials OF the department abroad to study
the postal systems of other countries He
asks that more pay be allowed outgoing
steamers for carrying United States mail
TO Foreign countries and he hplieyeS
Will help build up the merchant marine
Service. He devotes much space to a re-
cital of the growth and value OF the rural
free delivery service. and points to an en-
eouraging future. The report follows, in
part:
1T is sometimes said that the Post Office
Department should be self-sustaining. Such
a condition would be gratifying but l am
less concerned about the deficit than l am
about efficiency of administration"
referring TO the recent order Mr.. Cortel-
You says: Under instructions recently is
sued careful rating is given to each post
office. This rating, based upon inspectors
reports and other data. will have material
weight In the department attitude toward
II postmaster reappointment. Fourth-class
postmasters Will be retained during salts
factory service. In the case of presidential
postmasters who seek reappointment the
ratings viii be guide to the department
IN making Its recommendations TO the Presl-
dent"
Campaign Against Frauds.
I'm the year ended June 30 1905, fraud
orders to the number of S5T were issued
or more than twice the number promuI-
gated the preceding year, which was 1877
or the total number of orders issued in
the fiscal year 1905, 50 were supplemental
to previous orders and intended to reach
persons and concerns whose business had
been heretofore declared fraudulent and
who were seeking to continue 1t under new
nriar
sued In the fiscal year 1904 and go OF the
1S1 issued in the year 1903, were supplement
tai to previous orders. The net increase in
fraud orders shown by the year 1903 over
that of the year 1903 Is therefore lTG or
nearly threefold. This does not mean.
however. that there has been a correspond
ing increase in the number OF lotteries and
FRAUDULENT schemes operated through the
mails. for there has been a marked falling
Off In such enterprises during the last two
years. II is due to the increased vigilance
OF the Post Office Department and the
broader application and morse strict en-
forcement of the statutes
Pneumatic Tube Service.
IAN appropriation of $1,233, 676.s4 for
pneumatic-tube mali service for 1907 is
recommended.
1.-The question OF government control or
pneumatic tubes for the transmission OF
malls has been discussed at various times
for several years past both in and out of
Congress. The expert commission, COM
posed Of business men and civil engineers
of national reputation, appointed in 1900 by
authority OF the act of Congress, approved
June of that year. fully confirmed the
opinion held by officials of the Post Office
Department that ultimately government
control Of pneumatic-tube systems would be
found essential to a satisfactory admins
tration. In the language of the commits
sions report. ownership by the govern
ment is considered desirable whenever the
systems adopted have DaGspd the pypari-
mental stage
After commenting on the Importance OF
the mall wagon service and the difficulties
of operation, the report says: The mag
nitude Of the service and the exacting con-
ditions which govern It render II extreme
ly difficult to secure a satisfactory bidder
under a four-year contract-one who can
give the sufficient guarantees required and
possess the force OF character and admin
istrative ability essential to efficient super
vision. Government ownership OF wagons
seems worthy of a fair trial in one or more
OF the great cities. The horses and har-
ness may be promptly obtained from a
number of bidders at short notice and
hence need not be owned by the govern
ment. Competent drivers also could read
lily be enrolled as government employees al
fixed salary.
81 recommend that out of the appropria-
ton available for wagon service the Post
master General be authorized to expend. n
his discretion. not exceeding 100000 in the
purchase of wagons and the employment OF
the same IN a certain well-defined section OF
one OF the great cities where an expert
mental test can be made to the best advan-
tage of the government. in his judgment.
Railway Transportation.
ION June 80. 1905. there We're 3.o64 rail-
road routes the total length of which was
200965.S3 miles, with an annual travel of
362. 645. 731 So miles
I'm thirty-siX foreign countries which re-
port 10 the International Bureau of the
Universal Postal Union there were 80S 421
miles of such routes. and the number OF
miles travelled was 565, 40i 1888
THE annual rate of expenditure IN the
United States was $39. S33, 07075. The IN
crease for the year was 4,05799 miles in
length of routes, 9.60I. 334.15 miles In an
nual travel and 1855, % In annual rate
OF expenditure.
1T is not deemed wise. at least at tn s
time. TO ask authority of Congress for the
establishment OF a separate parcel post in
the domestic service, but an earnest recon-
mendation is made that third and fourth
class mail matter be merged at the rate OF
] cent for ounces.
Against Franking Privilege.
There are several administrative reasons
that are properly urged against a return
n h.