Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-10
NEEDS OF POSTAL SERVICE
.z.raots from Annual Report Of Post
master General Oortelyou
MORE PAY FOR EMPLOYEES IMPERATIVE
Dehcit for the Year f. More Than
Ten million DOIIars-Inoreased
Rural Facilities Are
Discussed.
MORE PAY FOR EMPLOYEES IMPERATIVE


WASHINGTON, Dec. s.-The annual re-
port Of the postmaster general reviews the
work Of the apartment for the past year,
gives In detail the postal revenue and ex-
penditures, discusses important changes
that have been made in departmental or
ganization, and makes such suggestions
and recommendations as appear to be war
ranted.
The following Is a statement of the de-
partments finances:
The receipts for the year were s1s7,s32,-
1925; the expenditures, S17S,449,7IS89;
excess Of expenditures over receipts.
3lO,516,995.eA
DeReit.
After discussing various reforms in the
organization Of the department, the post
master general says.
repeat what / stated a year ago. that
while II would be a gratifying circum-
stance II the PoBtofice department were
self-sustaining, / am less concerned about
the deficit than about efficiency of admin
istration. The public demand for postal
facilities is constantly growing. If the
installation Of the rural service had de-
pended upon the existence Of a surplus In
revenues under the existing system Of &C
counting, that service could not have been
given. The same considerations apply TO
a number Of other branches The fnan-
cial returns from certain branches are so
interviewer with and dependent upon 9TH
tention that IL IS unreasonable to charge
any one Of them with the responsibility
for the deficit.
In spite Of defects, the efficiency Of the
service has been in many respects remark
able as witness the record OF the registry
service for the half century Of its exist
ence, showing a percentage OF loss from
all causes-including burglary. theft and
hre-for the fiscal year ended June so
1904, Of only three one-thOusandths Of
per cent. Some private business enter
prises may in certain directions yield bet
ter financial returns. but they cannot show
a higher standard Of integrity nor more
faithful performance Of duty.
The following are further extracts from
the reports
Deputy Postmaster General.
While this department has a personnel
Of more than 100000 and requires annual
appropriations approximating $500, 000, 600,
the general supervision Of It's affairs Is
intrusted to postmaster general and but
four assistants. Its remarkable growth
in recent years has put upon these OIL
Gals burdens of which they should be re-
Neved; and their tenure, which is in the
nature Of things dependent largely upon
changes in the national administration,
operates against a continuity of policy in
the general operation OF the department,
which Is most unfortunate.
To meet this situation, at least in some
degree. recommend that provision be
made for a deputy postmaster general,
who shall be the ranking officer OF the
postmaster generals assistants, whose
tenure shall be permanent, whose COM
pensation shall be commensurate with his
position, and whose duties shall be in the
nature of a general manager of the postal
service. If there were appointed to such a
position an Official of tried executive ca
pacity and long experience in postal mat
tiers, he could relieve the head of the de-
partment Of innumerable details which
now consume large portion Of his time
and preclude the proper consideration of
important questions Of general policy de-
ANeloped in our own and foreign postal ad-
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Compensation of Employees.
year ago / invited attention to the
o.Hp, hsatlon OF various classes OF postal
c..p.oyes and stated that 1 was con-
N.--4 that I'm many cases the salaries OF
C-IAliE employees were inadequate; that
Ni..o Ia recent years the cost OF living
lad iulrea sed,, particularly in the larger
cites, Ilere had been no corresponding
advance N the remuneration OF postel
etnp-oyos, as there had been in the cases
OF persons employed outside the service.
/ then expressed the hope that the matter
would receive the earnest attention OF
the congress and that a scale OF salaries
and system for their adjustment might
be devised that would place the question
OF compensation on a more satisfactory
basis. The experience Of the last yeal
convinces me that the time has arrived fol
the consideration Of this important featur,
or the service
The general advance in salaries In al
industrial and commercial pursuits al
well as the recent fiat advances Of 10 De
cent in the salaries OF their employees b,
many Of the leading railroad systems, hal
naturally followed upon the great pros
perty OF the country. That the pay o
many government employees IS less thar
that Of equally important employees OF rail
roads is admitted, and while IL may b.
said that the ranks Of the government EN-
pluyes can always be recruited Il wouI,
] seem that this department must inevitabl,
lose many Of the best trained and mos
desirable among its personnel II nothinI
Is done for their relief.
Especially do the foregoing comment
ola
clerks, city carriers and rural carriers
many Of whom are, in my judgment, yer.
inadequately compensated. This view /
concurred in by the assistant postmaster
general having immediate supervision q
the work of these employees and by man
other ofncials OF the department who hav
had occasion to investigate conditions sur
rounding their employment. compre
hensiHe plan for the readjustment Of sails
( res OF postoffice clerks and city letter car
riers VIII be presented in the report Of ID
hrst assistant postmaster general.
The department has already submitte
estimates for certain increases Of salaries
and now submits the general subject 10
the consideration OF the congress. Nan
rally there will be differences OF opinio
as to the amount Of increases desirable
the several classes OF employees The gram
ing OF adequate relief would be a measuT
or true economy and would instiu new uf
into the entire service.
Rural Delivery.
june 30 1906 marked the close OF ts
years experience In the free delivery an
collection OF mails to and from the res
dents Of rural districts OF the Unite
States, living remote from the postofnct
ana previously debarred from easy into
change Of communication by letter wit
the outside world.
In the interval between 1897 and 1905 n
annual appropriations for rural deliver
had been Bradually increased year by yef
from $4,000 IN 1871 70 SIS, S2S 500 IN 1905.
has been deemed imperatively necessary
the absence OF legislative regulations otht
than as before mentioned to establish son
rules Of administration which shall be ~
pleaoie 20 the entire service
The saving effected by the diacontinuans
OF Fourth class postOfiices and star routt
should have consideration IN connectic
with the estimated aggregate net cost
rural delivery.
I recommend that provision be made Z,
The carriage bI rural carriers al a "a
rate OF postage, OF small parcels on r7lr
routes. such privilege 70 be restricted
each case % the limits OF the Darticuli
route on which the parcel Originates. on
found feasible, 10 all the routes emanatir
from a single postofncG
Good Roads and Rural Delivery.
In cooperation with the Department
Agriculture. systematic Efforts have be-
made during the year 70 secure the in
prOvement OF the roads traversed by mir
carriers. Road officials IN the states