Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-07-03
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
Interesting News Of Public Matters From
the Capitol Of the Nation.

Uncle sam is mining himself III
dilemma. With mere money flowing
into the Treasury than ever before,
with all indications pointing that
there will be a surplus OF at least
$85, 900, 600 by the end of the fiscal
year, with the custom and internal
revenue receipts breaking all previous
records, the government is woefully
hard up. 1t is in position much
like its people, enjoying comfortable
income but the cost of living appears
to be going up faster than the income.
Just now it is serious question
whether contracts for public build
ings shall be let except for places
where there is urgent and pressing
need for them as builders the country
over are making prices which almost
prohibits construction. Prices are
from 20 to 80 per cent higher than for
similar work in past years and the
Government officials find that the
prices of labor and material apparent
ly Justify the increased figures of the
proposals but the difficulty comes from
the fact that the money appropriated
will not begin to construct the build
ings for which bids have been re-
quested. 1t is possible that Congress
may be asked to authorize postpone
ment of the public building schedule,
so that the work may be done at
time when labor will be seeking work
and the prices of material will have
dropped II not this, additional APP
preparations will be necessary.
If the recommendations of the Post
master General are carried out at the
next session of Congress. the old
fashioned and convenient postal note
will again come into existence. The
new head of the Postoffice Department
has been making thorough study OF
the accommodations afforded the
public by the means of postal money
orders and was surprised to find that
of the GA, 900 postoffices in the country,
at any one of which registry business
may be transacted, only $4,000 are
authorized to do money order bust
Less
In addition to providing for several
thousand more money order offices,
the Postmaster General will recon-
mend to the next Congress that legis-
lation be enacted providing for the
introduction of postal notes for sums
not exceeding ST. so or perhaps 80,
which may be issued without the fill
ing Of written application or the
sending of an advice. and may be OBJ
tainable, not only at all money order
offices, but at many Of the smaller
postoffices where it may not be feas-
ible to issue money orders.
Postage stamps are used largely Tor
remittances of fractional amounts,
coins being unsuitable for transmission
in letters, and substitute therefor.
adapted to this use, has long been de
manded. The proposed postal note is
intended to supply this want. 1t
would be issued for smaller fee than
the money order. could be more easily
procured, and might be placed for sale
at thousands of offices too small TO be
made money order offices.
1t is estimated that sixty-tve million
postal money orders have been issued
covering total sum of more than
$500. 0O0, 900. AS money order must
be audited in the Treasury depart
ment, against both the issuing and
paving office. the audit represents
more than billion dollars. This vast
amount of work is done by force OF
500 employees and constitutes, IL is
claimed, the largest auditing force in
the world The method of handling
the enormous quantities of money or
ders is regarded by experts who have
examined the matter. as practically
perfect as we'll as economical. Wis.,
itors connected with postal affairs in
foreign countries have expressed the
opinion generally that the American
government is far in the lead in this
line Of work and quite few OF the
postal departments OF foreign coun-
tries have sent representatives to the
United States TO study the system.
Money order files are retained by
the government for period OF seven
years before they are destroyed and in
weight will approximate 100 tons
each. For years it has been the aim
of officials to secure from congress
permission to destroy these cumber-
some files after period Of five years,
but no matter how great the pressure
brought to bear, Congress has never
taken action.
1t has been decided by the admins
tration TO afford the woman represen-
tative of the National Civic Fedora
tion every facility to investigate the
conditions ss to vice and other things
that are said to exist on the Isthmus
of Panama. in order to refute the
charges of wrong doing on the part OF
Panama officials and which were
made and given wide publicity by a
prominent clergyman.