Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-01-04
A NEEDED REFORM
IN THE METHODS OF CARRYING
THE MAILS.

IN THE METHODS OF CARRYING
THE MAILS.
There /, No Reason Why Uncle Sam Should Paw
Fifteen Times as Much for Carrying the
Mails as is Paid by the Express Companie,
for Like Service-At the Same Rate There
Would Be No Dsficit-Russian Consul,
Private Secretary Found on Death to Be a
Woman-Another Official Change Through
Woman's Influence.
WASHINGTON, d. c.. Dec. q, 1906.
Officials of the Postolfice Depart.
ment are working hard on the report
to Congress, whereon may be based
recommendations for reforms and
changes in the Postotfice generally
and the railway mail service in partic-
ular. There is, of course, immense
interest in this subject all over the
country owing to the report that an
effort was to be made to reduce the
post Office deficit and that one of the
plans in contemplation WAS to remove
the cent a pound rule on second.class
mail matter and advance the charge
on this matter to four cents q pound.
This, of course, would hit the newspa-
pers all over the country and might or
might not result in material increase
in the revenues of the Postoffice De.
partment.
The various publishers associations
have been working against the plan
for an increase in the mail rate and
have used one argument, the fact that
the government pays the railroad com.
panies much more for transportation
Of mail matter than is paid by the
express companies. Figures were pre-.
sented in the Postoffice Department
this week tending to show that in the
course of the year the Government
pays $32 ,O00, 900 more to the railroads
than did the express companies for the
same service weight for weight. This
is advanced as another reason why the
Government should take up the ques.
ton of an international parcel post.
This plan works exceedingly we'll with
Mexico and the other countries of the
international postal union with which
the United States has parcel post con-
ventions. and it is claimed that it
would lift great burden off the people
of this country if they could send
packages by mail At home as cheaply
as they can to some points abroad.
The Postoffice Department is now
weighing all Of the mail that is trans.
mitted by the railroads, and it is be-
lieved by the time the report is trans.
mitted to Congress in February that
sufficient data will have accumulated
on which to base an intelligent recon-
mendation.
One of the most curious incidents
in the foreign diplomatic service in
this country that has ever come to
light was the death in Phoenix, Ariz.,
this week, of one Nicholas De Ray.
land. for years private secretary to the
Russian Consul General at Chicago.
The evidence of the coroner showed
that Nicholas De Rayland was q wo.
man, but Baron Slipenback. the Rus.
sian Consul General who is in Wash.
ington this week on q visit to the
Russian Ambassador Baron Rosen de.
clares that he had no idea of his sec.
retary's sex during all the time she
was in his service. One OF the peculiar
features OF the case is that the DeRay.
land woman is reported to have de.
frauded Russians in this country ont
Of thousands of dollars for the services
Of an alleged legal bureau attached to
the Russian Consulate and more for
the transmission OF sums to tho revo.
lutionists in Russia when this govern
ment did not guarantee the payment
OF postal orders on that country. 1t
10 said that further investigation may
develop these transactions into an in.
ternstional scandal of some magnitude.
Sir Mortimer Durand, the British
Ambassador, is to leave this country
two months prior to the official termi.
nation of his mission here and will be
succeeded by Prof. James Bryce, the
author and political economist who 10
we'll known in the United States both
personally and by his writings. Now
that the resignation OF Ambassador
Durand has been accepted. tho story
comes out that his departure was
more in the nature Of q recall by his
own government, owing to stories set
afoat in London by Lady Susan
Townley, wife OF the late Counsellor
OF the British Embassy in this city.
Lady Susan was only in Washington
for brief space, but she made herself
very we'll known here 40 one OF the
sharpest tongued. not to say NEEDLE.
some, women who has ever afflicted
official life at the capital. She dis
liked the Durands intensely, and lost
no opportunity OF referring to the
Ambassador in the most sighting
terms and starting all sorts of stories
as to differences between him and
President Roosevelt and other mem.
bers OF the diplomatic corps. A good
deal was known OF Lady Susan's un.
eridled tongue while she was in WASH
inRton but not much attention was
paid to it. On her return 10 London,
however, her stories were taken most
seriously. and after few of the lead
ing London papers had severely COM
mented on the supposed uniriendly
relations between the British Embassy
and the White House, Sir Mortimer
Durand's resignation, or his recall
followed. 1t is source of consider
able regret to those who knew the
British Ambassador that bis mission
here should have terminated under
a cloud with his home government
It is certainly an unusual misunder-
standing in British official life, and
one that is regretted in Washington.
owing to the fact that the misappre.
hension had no basis in fact. The
Ambassador is man OF sterling char.
acter, high intelligence and of gentle
and simple manners. He is much
esteemed by the President, and BY
everybody in official life here.
The new director of the Bureau OF
American Republics, John Barrett.
formerly Minister to Siam and later