Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-12-10
g()RIELYOU HINTS
At MAIL GAR GRAFT
Says Uncle Sam Is Compelled to
Pay Too Much For Carry
ing Privileges
WANTS AN INVESTIGATION
Expenses of Department Exceed Re-
e.ipt. by $4,000, ooo-want. Higher
Wages for Employees and General
Postal Manager - Postmaster Gen
erals Annual Report.

Washington, D. c., Dec. 1o.-Post-
master General Cortelyou has submit
I ted his annual report to congress It
shows a deficit of more than s10,000,-
] 600, reflects by intimation on the rail-
roads for Withholding information that
might tend to reduce carrying charges,
urges a ship subsidy to facilitate for
eign mails, recommends reform in the
Z second class mail system. favors In
creasing employees wages, declares for
parcels post on rural routes, and rec
ommends that politics give way to bus
mess methods in the department. Con-
corning the deficit the postmaster gem
eral says:
Il repeat what stated year ago,
that altho 1t would be gratifying cir
cumstance II the postoffise department
We're self sustaining, l am less con-
cerned about the deficit than about the
& efficiency of administration
After reviewing the ffuitless efforts
since 1879 to secure data from the rail-
roads on which to base estimates for
the railway postal service the report
continues:
The departments present relation to
the matter of pay for postal cars is far
from satisfactory. From business
point Of view the mpensation would
seem to be excessive.
If the government is paying too
much for the carriage of the mails thai
fact should be determined in justice
to the government II it Is not that fact
should be determined in justice to the
transportation interests.
Concerning foreign mails, Postmaster
General Cortelyou says:
'sfhe mail steamers of other coun-
tries leaving ports of the United States
Will absorb more land more our for
.eign mail transportation until such
time as the United States provides an
adequate compensation for the outward
voyage on steamers of equal speed and
regularity of sailing.
The unprecedented expansion Of
trade and foreign commerce justifies
prompt consideration of an adequate
foreign mail service
Expenditures to this end seem fully
warranted also from the standpoint of
a proper naval establishment, mas
much as the vessels performing serv-
ice are so built as to be readily con-
verted into auxiliary cruisers. Legis-
lation on this subject is urgently need
! ed'
On the subject Of higher wages the
report says:
The highest efficiency in any serv-
Ice can be attained only by furnishing
the natural and proper Incentives of
recognition of merit and adequacy
OF. compensation.
One of the most important steps,
therefore that can be taken for the
immediate betterment of the postal
service lies in increases, of compensa-
ton among certain classes of en-
ployes.
The employees of this service have a
right to expect that their chosen vo-
cation shall yield a sufficient income
] to meet current expenses and provide
q little in addition for the needs of
the family in times of sickness and
misfortune. The increased cost of liv-
ing, together with the multiplying re-
eponsibilities which result from the
phenomenal growth of the postal serv-
ice, fairly entities many of its clerks
and other employees to an increase of
salary"
The postmaster general also asks for
deputy who shall be over all assist
ant postmasters general and be sort
of general manager. He also wants
force of statisticians, which may cost
from $4,000 to 100000.
The report has this to say of rural
free delivery:
There CAN be further economies in
rural delivery without any impairment
OF that service. BY more precise
method of determining the basis of pay
for the transportation of the mails the
department. can be relieved of an un-
businasslike feature of administration
with a probable decrease in expendi-
tures.
81 recommend that provision be made
for the carriage by rural carriers, at a
fair rate of postage, of small parcels.
Il cooperation with the department
of agriculture, systematic efforts have
been made during the year to secure
the improvement of the roads travers-
ed by rural carriers in Illinois, Iowa,
Maine Minnesota, Missouri, New Jer-
sey, New York, and Wisconsin. Post
masters of rural delivery offices have
been requested to aid state and local
officials in all efforts to secure th,.
betterment of the highways on which
rural routes are maintained
In conclusion, the report says:
II know OF no one thing that will do
more for the postal service than con-
tinued insistence upon the policy of
substituting business for politics in the
administration Of it's affairs"
DIVORCE FOR POWDER KING.
n.,..A CO.. neera. - S;oux