Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1907-01-10
A POSTAL REPORT.
There Are $500 PostOnices and
Employees Of All Glasses
Aggregate 205,2SS.
An UNPRECEDENTED GAIN
Receipts Of Department Increasing
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Should Be
Based on Merlt--To Use Automo-
blles for City Collections.

Washington, Jan. IA proposition
to increase postal clerks salaries ant
the proposed abandonment OF th'
back stamp" on letters are discussed
by first assistant Postmaster Genera
Hitchcock. in his annual report, made
public. Parts Of the report given ou'
in advance, already have been hand
led by the Associated Press.
The reports show that at the close
Of the fiscal year, $500 postoffices
were In operation and that the totaI
number Of employees not including post
masters and assistant postmasters
was nearly $4,000. The total per
sonnet of postoffices of all classes az
gregated 205,288.
The gain In postoffice revenue dur
ing the year about $15,0OO,OOO, was
Unexpectedly large, and the returns fol
the present fiscal year thus far indf
cate that the unprecedented gain is be-
ing maintained. SO great is this gain,
Mr. Hitchcock points out, that the ad'
ditional appropriations requested Of
congress scarcely will be sufficient to
maintain the service
In view of the large increase Of the
business of the department Mr.. Hitch
cock says, a larger administrative or
ganization is imperative. He urges
that the present force Of his bureau be
strengthened by the appointment OF
additional high grade men and the ap-
pointment of large force of field
agents to keep the department in clos
er touch with the postal needs of the
country. '1t
The report indicates that "in order
to secure mos effective cooperation
in the administration Of thepostal ser
vice greater authority and RESPONSE
bility have been conferred upon post
masters.
During the past year, the depart
ment has given much study to the
question of introducing uniform sys'
tenn Of efficiency records of en-
ployes. Efficiency" says Mr.. Hitch
cock, Should be made the important
factor in regulating compensation OF
postoffice employees. All promotions
should be based on merit and no IA
voritism of any kind should be per-
mitted."
The department has established a
uniform rent for postOffice boxes,
eliminating entirely the dissimilar-
ity Of charges heretofore pre-
vailing. The rate is made according
to a carefully graduated scale and
runs from ten cents a quarter in small,
fourth class offices, to 81 a quarter in
the New York City Office
Mr.. Hitchcock reports that the use
of specially equipped automobiles in
the collection service in several other
cities. 1T is believed that in large
cities automobiles can advantageously
be substituted to a considerable extent
for the horse carts now employed SO
generally in collecting mail. BY the
use of automobile vehicles much
speedier collection service can be or
ganized without added expense. I'm
questionably the motor vehicle can be
made an important factor in the postal
service as 1t already is In other bus
mess enterprises"
Mr.. Hitchcock says while the gross
receipts of city delivery offices were
1906 per cent greater in 1906 than
in the preceding year, the cost Of
the service was but 5.O7 per cent more
than in 1905, and the average per cent
Of cost of service to gross receipts
was but 1919 as against 1906 in 1905.