The daily tribune., 1907-11-27
Postmaster General Meyers Address
To New England Postmasters' ASS n
Mr.. President and Postmasters of New

Mr. president and POStmaSterS OF New
England:
Some one has said: Uncle Sam
meets his folks face to face at the
postoflice." 1t was in order that
might have the pleasure of meeting
accepted the invitation of this asso-
citation.
1t is the post which brings people
from all parts of the world into COM
munication with each other. In 1899
the General Court of Massachusetts
ordained that Richard Fairbanks
house in Boston should be the place
for all letters. Benjamin Franklin,
the father of our post-otfice, was ap-
pointed postmaster at Philadelphia in
1887, and in 1853 he was appointed
Deputy Postmaster-General for the
Colonies. The Continental Congress
made him Postmaster-General. and
authorized him to establish post-ofiices
from Maine to Georgia.
Washington in 1859 appointed Sam
uel Osgood, of Massachusetts, the first
Postma of the United
States. At that time there were but
rs postoffices. The rate of postage was
6 cents for 80 miles, and up to 25
cents for $50 miles. Today there are
60 ,659 postoffices and an equal number
OF postmasters. The rate of postage
is cents an ounce for first class
mail addressed to people living in
North America or in our insular po-
sessions, and five cents an ounce on
first class matter for other parts of
the world. 1t is surprising and graft
flying that there are so few errors,
when we consider that we are distribu-
ting in the United States about
thousand million letters and postal
cards month.
The expenditures for 1906 were sl7S.
449, 1859; the receipts s167 1892, 1895;
the deficit being sl0,5l6. 1854. Judg
ing from the figures of the first three
quarters and the estimate for the last
quarter of the fiscal year ended June
80, 1907 Cthe exact figures will not be
available until the end of this month";
there is every indication that the de-
felt will be reduced to about seven
million dollars for that year Conse-
quently, | do not propose to advocate
the raising of rates, because | believe
that the weighing of all mail matter
which is now being carried on under
the authorization of Congress will
show. when taken into consideration
the franking privilege and make a
proper charge on the books for the
mail matter distributed for the variois
Departments. that the Post-Ofiice De-
partment is not chargeable for much
of a deficit
The history of the rural delivery is
an interesting one, and one that should
be understood by our people, for the
reason that there is feeling preva
lent in many parts of the country that
this service is an extravaganza and an
unnecessary drain upon the Depart
ment. However, let us look at the
results accomplished in the last ten
years: The first rural route was es-
tablished in the fall of 1896 Fifteen
thousand dollars was expended during
that fiscal year, the postal deficit being
eleven and one half million dollars.
For the fiscal year ended June 80,
1907, the expenditures for rural de-
livery were twenty-seven million dol
lars, and the estimated postal deficit
showed a decrease as compared with
1897, of about four and one half mil
lion dollars, the total being about
seven million dollars This is an un-
doubted evidence, to my mind that
while the expense incurred in con-
nection with rural delivery is enor-
nous, yet II has Increased the re-
ceipts and the benefits to our people
can not be measured in dollars and
cents. The isolation which existed In
overcome; the people are In daily COM
munIcation with their friends in the
rest of the world; the daily papers
and magazines come to the door of
every farmhouse on the rural routes,
and enlightenment and Information
are being spread broadcast through
out the land. Medical men have said
that already the establishment OF the
rural service IL having its effect upon
the mentality OF our country patrons.
and that because OF 1t insanity Is on
the decrease.
| want TO draw to the attention OF
you gentlemen at this time to certain
features and Inconsistencies in con-
nection with the parcel-post service:
In the first place 1t does not seem to
be understood by many of our people
that we have parcel post at present.
Tho rate is l6 cents per pound, and
the limit of weight 4 pounds. To Illus
trate the incongruitles that exist: Any
individual entering the post-oflice here
In Boston, or In any other city or
town In the country, with two parcels,
each weighing 4 pounds, can send one
parcel to New York for Ga cents. while
for the other parcel, which is ad-
dressed to some one In foreign land
and goes via. New York, he Will have
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