Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-11-03

ment. putting the blunt question as TO
whether government clerks we're hon
est The postmaster general replied;
Il answer emphatlcally, yes, and IL
you ask whether they are equal to thu
average business employe I'm efficiency
] will again say yes, Take our registered
mail In 1904. This department handled
Is, 0v0, coo pieces containing billions OF
dollars and other valuable matter. How
much Of that do you think We lost? Just
about three-thousandths of J per cent,
and that percentage includes losses
from fire and food AS well as from
stealing. II means a loss Of cents IN
$1,000, and a total money indemnity to
be paid OF less than $1,000. | don't be-
ieve there Is a private enterprise In the
world that can show a better record.
UNCLE SAINTS POSTAL DEFICIT.
by your report. see that the post
office department spent last year just
about Slf 100000 more than Il took IN
Does not our postal service pay. and II
not, how can that he re,ne,iied2'
by the word pay / infer that you
mean TO ask whether the department Is
sef-sustaining The so.oalsd deficit
for the last fiscal year was more than
you state by over half u million dol
the revenue from certain classes OF
mail matter Is not equal to the cost OF
maintaining their parts of the service,
it could be reneded by giving the de-
psrtn1ent credit for all free matter han
died by the different government de-
partments and by members Of Congress
or by placing n higher tariff upon one
of several classes Of mail matter and
especially upon second class matter |
think ii would be- better business TO
have each department pay It's own
postage. We should then know Just
what Il costs 20 maintain each branch
VI the government and the postofIice
department would get credit for its SER
vices
AS TO second-class matter" con-
tinued Postmaster General Cortclyou,
THAT makes M two-thirds OF the bulk
weight Of our mails, and n large part
iof 1t is handled at loss. Some of
THAT ENABLED by the publishers Is car-
lried free. and the remainder Is al a
lnomlnal postal charge OF q cent a
pound. Upon all such matter II IS es-
minated that The revenue Is only about
eisht-tenths Of a cent pound. and
the enormous sums which we receive
come mainly from the high rate upon
tthe other three classes. IL the rate
on second class matter we're raised and
II all she mail which II carried paid.
there would De no dchcit As u Is
now tho amount lacking has 20 be
supplied by n draft upon the treas
ury FOR moneys received from other
sources OF government revenue"
THE RURAL DELIVERY SERVICE.
Tell me something about the rural
delivery mall
The rural delivery service has been
pretty Well established throughout the
United States We have now more
than 35,s7i routes and we mploy 3d.
l6S rural mail carriers. Almost all
these deliver and collect mail along
Their routes every day They deliver
letters TO more than 5000 900 families
or to almost 10000 600 pcrsons. TAX
ing the population Of the Uaited States
at The round number of 50 900 900.
fully one person IN every six gets his
daily mail by rural delivery"
Just what are the duties OF o rural
mail carrier
He Is required 20 deliver to the
box OF 2 patron all the mall addressed
10 his family and TO collect an mail
deposited In the BOX for dispatch.