The La Jara chronicle., 1906-12-14
U. s. P0STOFFlCE'
REPORT OF POSTMASTER GEN.
ERAL coRTELYoU.
LARGE GAIN IN RECEIPTS
Deficit Reduced-RemarkabI Record
for Safety-Methods Of Improving
Service-Recommend Increase Of

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 statement Of the
| Postofice Departments finances:
The receipts for the year were s167,-
9S2.7s2.95: the expenditures. S17S.44s,-
| 77S.S9; excess of expenditures over re-
ceipts. s1O,5lG,995
The deficit in 1905 was s14,5e4,-
| 3S7.12.
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. OF course, a rapidly increas-
| ing deficit for period of years may be
| a matter of some concern but l think
present conditions warrant us in turn.
| ing our attention, rather. to an invests
cation and Improvement of every
branch of the departments work. We
must have an increasing recognition
OF merit, both in pos.Lion and in COM
pensation, We must have a 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 a per-
centage of loss from all causes-includ-
ing burglary. theft and fire-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
a higher standard of integrity nor
more faithful performance of duty"
Concerning fraud orders, the report
says:
In the two years closed June 80,
| 1906 the fraud orders numbered $50,
| exceeding by seyenty-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-
| plotation of stocks, and enterprises of
| fering something for nothing under
| the guise of the endless-chain method
If 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-nine orders
against lotteries and similar enter
prises.'
Concerning the necessity for increas-
ing salaries of federal employees. Sec
retary Cortelyou continues:
1.-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
employees by many of the leading
railroad systems, has naturally fol-
lowed upon the great prosperity OF the
country. That the pay of many gov
ernment employees is less than that OF
equally important employees of rail.
| roads is admitted: and while it 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 best
trained and most desirable among its
personnel II nothing is done for their
relief.
i AT the close of the year the rail,
way mail service comprised 1885 Of
1 ficers and employees, an increase in the
year of ,124.
"The record of the service shows a
large growth.
During the year there were sixteen
clerks and one mail weigher killed,
seventy-seven seriously injured and Ala
slightly injured. The number of clerks
injured this year was less than last
wear. and the number of accidents to
mail cars has been decreasing since
1903"
Regarding second class matter, Sec
retary Cortelyou says:
"This subject was also discussed at
length in my last report. During the
period | have had charge of the de-
partment | have found the laws relat-
: ing to second class mail poorly
ADAPTED to present conditions, and
have become convinced that suostan-
tial change or revision tending to sim
nli6cation is most desirable. This class
is intended exclusively for bona hde
newspapers and periodicals. and lot
them only when they observe the laws
Limitations and prohibitions. lhere
we're and still are abuses, and they oc-
casion a loss of revenue. Reform OF
J the abuses is progressing steadily, but
each years experience gives fresh en-
!, phasis to the need of legislative ac-
= ton.
81 recommend that provision be
made for the carriage by rural car
riers, at fair rate of postage, OF
small parcels on rural routes. such
l IL L., p<,t, CO