The Ordway new era., 1906-12-14
REPORT OF POSTMASTER GEN.
ERAL coRTELYoU.
LARGE GAIN IN RECEIPTS
Deficit Reduced-RemarkabIeR Record
for safety-Methods Of Improving
serviee-Reeommends Increase Of
Salaries,


Salaries.
Washington.-The annual report OF
Postmaster General George B. Cortel.
you reviews the work of the depart
ment FOR the year. gives in detail the
postal revenue and expenditures, dis
cusses important changes that have
been made In departmental organiza-
ton, and makes such suggestions and
recommendations as appear to be war
ranted.
The following is n statement of the
Postoiiice Departments finances:
The receipts for the year were slG7.-
s32,7s2.95; the expenditures. sl7S.449.-
TS.S9; excess OF expenditures over re-
ceipts. $l0.5iG.99594
The deficit in ,sv5 was $I4,594,-
3S7l2.
After discussing various reforms In
the organization OF the department, the
postmaster general says:
THE rural delivery has undoubtedly
Increased the bulk of first.class mail
matter. The circulation of the second
class mail also very largely Affects the
bulk OF the higher class. to what de-
gree 1t is practically impossible to de-
termine. or course, rapidly increas-
Ing deficit for period of years may be
matter OF some concern, but think
present conditions warrant us in turn
Ing our attention, rather. to an investi-
CATION and Improvement of every
branch OF the departments work. We
must have an increasing recognition
OF merit, both In posi,ion and in COM
pensation, We must have better sys-
TEN of accounting and more accurate
statistics: we must make the service
meet the needs OF the people.
In spite OF the deficit the efficiency
OF the service has been In many re-
spects remarkable as witness the rec
ord OF the registry service for the half
century OF its existence. showing n per-
centage of loss from all causes-includ-
ing burglary. theft and tire-for the fis-
cal year ended June 80. 1904. OF only
three one.thousandths OF one per cent.
Some private business enterprises
may In certain directions yield better
financial returns. but they cannot show
higher standard of integrity nor
more faithful performance of duty"
Concerning fraud orders. the report
says:
'1n the two years closed June 30.
1906, the fraud orders numbered G3O.
excee ling by seventy-one the total Is
sued in the four years Immediately pre-
ceding. The schemes suppressed rep
resented almost every conceivable va
riety of fraud. There were work-at-
home propositions. bond investment
enterprises. medicinal cure-alls. absent
treatment schemes. devices for the ex-
ploitation OF stocks. and enterprises Of
fering something for nothing under
the guise of the endless-chain method
of investment. all of which, upon ex-
animation, proved to be mere traps for
the credulous. Included In the total OF
orders issued during the two-year per-
iod in question were fifty-nire orders
against lotteries and similar enter
prises."
Concerning the necessity for increas-
ing salaries of federal employees, Sec
retary Cortelyou continues:
"The general advance In salaries in
all Industrial and commercial pursuits.
as well as the recent fiat advances OF
ten per cent. in the salaries OF their
employes by many of the Leading
railroad systems. has naturally fol-
lowed upon the great prosperity OF tne
country. That the pay OF many gov.
erpment employees Is less than that OF
equally important employees OF rail-
roads is admitted and while 1t may be
said that the ranks OF government en-
ployes can always be recruited, II
would seem that this department must
inevitably lose many OF the pest-
trained and most desirable among lts
nersonnel II nothing is done Tor tnelr
relief. , n
large growth. ,~...r
clerks and one mail weigner Riiiea,
seyenty-seven seriously injured ana fi4
slightly injured. The number OF CLERKS
Injured this year was less tnan .as. ~
wear. and the number OF acciueh.s "
mail cars has been decreasing S'no
1908" ,...r sec.
Regarding second class matter ee',
retary Cortelyou says: ,oa a.
"This subject was also d,scusseu .ha az
length in my last report. Dsrhs W .he .M ds.
period I have had cnarse ., .nr ra,at.
.ortu,ent / have found the laws reiat-
pa, imn TO 70 second class mail poorly
.ls s,.ad to present conditions, and
saua become convinced that substan-
10, change or revision tending 70 SIM
.iat ,1,aeation U is most desirable. This class
p,lIuad p ,utended exclusively for bona noe
nsrauaners ,s .nr and periodicals.. and fcr
NV NV, nniv when they observe the laws
ttils,t.t,nns tneh t and prohibitions. There
..ars and still are abuses, and tney oc,
e.s,on va" loss Of revenue. hei0rm y.
g casioh ohrse. La Il progressing steadily, but
each sae wear Years experience gives fresh en-. I'M
uss nhasis to the need Of iesis'ative ss'
ton. .s.x nrovfsion be
made for the carriage py .cI. 1. -, -
~. rN.nH ssrca,s On rural routes, Ss10n
s.asss. s,ssi ~ - fo s. restricted IA Zach 60
prlyons n. ~, 3 81 ~ payltealar Foute ~
ss;:s ! S 4 sis1i5 611lel ~ q 4 4 Y. i.