Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-07
POSTAL BUSINESS
UNPRECEDENTED
GAIN IN REVENUES SURPRISES
OFFICIALS
Hitchcock Urges Larger Salaries for
Postoffce Clerks and ADVOCATES
Merit System in Promoting
Employees
BY Assooiated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON, Jan. GA PROPOSE
tion to increase postal clerks salaries
and the proposed abandonment of the
back stamp on letters are discussed
by First Assistant Postmaster General
Hitchcock in his annual report. Parts
Of the report given out In. advance have
already been handled by Me Associated
Press.
The report shows at the close Of the
fiscal year 65,600 postoffices were in
operation and that the total number of
employees, not including postmasters
and assistant postmasters was nearly
100000. The total personnel of postof-
fees of all classes aggregated 205,2SS.
The gain in postoffice revenue during
the year, about $15.00O,000, was unex-
pectedly large, and the returns for the
present fiscal year thus far indicate that
the unprecedented gain Is being main
tanned. SO great is this gain, Mr.. Hitch
cock points out, that the additional APP
propriations 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 administration or
ganization is imperative. He urges that
the present force of his bureau be
strengthened by the appointment of ad-
ditional high grade men and the ap-
pointment of a larger force of field
agents to keep the department in closer
touch with the postal needs of the
country.
The report indicates that in order to
secure more effective cooperation in
the administration of the postal service
greater authority and responsibility
should be conferred on the postmaster.
During the past year the department
has given much study to introducing the
uniform system of recognizing efficiency
Of employees.
Efficiency" says Mr.. Hitchcock,
Should be made the important factor in
regulating compensation of postofflce
employees. All promotion should be
based on merit and no favoritism Of
any kind should be permitted"
Study of the location of postoffices
with relation to railroad facilities has
occupied much time during the year.
THE desirability of placing the main
Office" says the report, "in such prox-
unity to the principal railway station
that the mail can be delivered from the
train to the working room without in
termediate hauling is becoming more
generally recognized. Steps have al
ready been taken to secure number
of postoffice sites at points Immediately
adjacent to railway terminals. This
plan will eliminate the heavy wagon
service, service that unquestionably
represents the SloweSt stage in the
present system Of city mail distribu-
ton"
The department has established a
uniform rent for postoffice boxes,
eliminating entirely the dissimilarity of
charges heretofore prevailing. The
rate is made according to a carefully
graduated scale and runs from 10 cents
q quarter in small fourth class offices
to 81 quarter in the New York city
office.
Mr.. Hitchcock reports that the use of
specially equipped automobiles in the
collection service in Baltimore has
proved so successful that the depart
ment is planning for a similar collec-
ton service in several other cities.
1t is believed that in large cities auto
mobiles can advantageously be substi
tuted to considerable extent for the
horse carts now employed so generally
in collecting mail.
By the use of automobile vehicles a
much speedier collection service can be
adopted without added expense. IN
questionably the motor vehicle can be
made an important factor in the postal
service, as it already is in other busi-
ness enterprises.
Mr.. Hitchcock says that while the
gross receipts of city delivery offices
are ga Per cent greater than in the
preceding year, the cost of the SER
vice was but 81 per cent more than
in 1905, the average per cent of the
cost of service to gross receipts was
but 1919 as against 1906 in 1905.