The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1906-01-03
|EOR NQNP0sTA REFORMS
Postmaster General Cortelyou Issues
His First Annual Report.
his PLANS FOR NEW YORK CITY

Ills PLANS FOR NEW YORK CITY.
Tre Placing OF, Tho Operating scheme OF
the Entire Department Upon a Firmer
Busisess Basis is the Keynote Of
i Message = Advocates Governmental
ConttoI o: the Mall Tubes.
Washington, D. C.-The. ruling pur-
pose Of Postmaster-G General Cortely0ul
to c~entralize the control of the great
department over which he presides APP
pears in his first annual report. Hay-.
ing organized the Department of Com
mercejand Labor from the ground up
on. thi$ principle, the task which he has
the last eight months essayed
has been easier for him thanit would
have been for any Of; his predecessors.
The Postsfice Department, embrac-
ing nearly 100000 employees, had for
maRy;years been managed under q het-
e~ro1enouS and accretive process OF adj
mi strative growth until by Its. unzl
w ILLNESS and manifold repetition OF
re ne forms Of business the condi-
t were absolutely intoierabIe to O.
n cut business a like Mr.. Cor
bu. .
ith the first of the present month
department, under a general orGa.
b the Postmaster General, realign>f
If on a logical distribution Of the
Fious bureaus. The divisions and
Feaus that were akin in. their func-
Rs and subject matter were assem-
d together under the control OF the
stmaster-G General zand his four 8
tants. 80,
Ir. Cortelyou outlines IN his report
: acute need now of comprehensive
|ganization so that there shall. be
mple and direct CONTRIBUTORS Wash-
gton OF; the whole postal service OF
be country. He proposes that there
hall be q sharp field supervision from
ere Of the whole service. The plan
nder which he hopes to accomplish
his is not perfected. aud he Gays Is -
till under consideration.
He says that while q seif-snstaining
condition Of the Postofice Departments
would be gratifying, he As less con-
eerned about the deficit than the ef-
of administration.
For the fiscal year 1905 the total re-
ceipts from all sources were. $152,S26,-
$50, and total expenditures $l67,lS1.-
$50, leaving q deficit of $14,5721584-
In, connection with. these figures the
'Postmaster General directs attention
to the increased amount Of free matter
handled, which he says averaged lob
per cent. OF, the entire weight Carried,
or a loss In revenue of S19,S22,000.
As a remedy for tie Thanking evil OF
which he complains, the Postmaster
General suggests that there are sound
administrative reasons why 1t would
be better business policy for each de-
partment to- pay postage upon ts mail
matter according to Ats class than TO
return to the practiceiof requiring Gov
eminent free matter to be. prepaid by
postage stamps in the same way az
similar matter mailed by the public.
MI. C%ortelyou speaks OF. New York
City as the metropolis of the country
and the great distributing point for the
international mail service.
"'yVith its rapid increase in popula-
ton and extension Of business" he
saws, at makes unusual demands upon
the postal service, furnishing at the
same time a proportonately LARGE
share of receipts.
Several months ago there was sub
mitted to me for approval & draft OF
proposedAdeed for the acquisition
the Government for Postofice pu
poses, in4accdrdanCe with Thereon
mendation Of a commission appointa
by Congress, Of certain ground adjoi1
ing the site Of the new terminal statd
to be erected by the PENNSYLVANIA RAJ
road Company in New York City.
;I,haYeAthus far withheld my
pyoval Of the pr6pfsed deed for t9
property, for the acquisition OF VIII
nm appropriation was made. wishing
familiariZe myself more fully with
postal problem presented andgt0
slider the ACCESSIBILITY Of certain md
fcations of the original plan with
object Of providing in the best posi-
manner for the future needs Of N
postal service. A definite p
Is now being devised for the soluf
Of this problem, and 1t Is hoped
the matter can be satisfactorily. set
In the near future"
Mr.. Cortelyou takes ground aga
putting Postofices in Federal bq
ings.
The work of purifying the mail
not confined to the suppression
and lotteries, but includes
well the exclusion therefrom Of
scene, indecent, and scurrilous ma
and the punishment Of those foun
have deposited such matter for Z
mission. r:y, ,
TIE work Of the Postofice I7spe3
Is praised.
Government control of the fpneuI
tube service and mail wagon serV1
recommended.
!. He thinks worthy Of serious CO
a suggestion that a subst
saving would be effected in ral
mail atranspc ion by forWa
bulky period. ea1s and mailableJ
chandise by fast freight.
Kills Wife and Her Mother.
Albert L. Freligh, a druggist,
N. Y.,sons Of employing
shot and killed his wifesand mott
and thenrgae& himself up.