Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-30
Reduced Foreign Postage.

Among the more important changes af-
fecting the general service and conven-
fence Of the people is that Of the adoption
of the two-cent letter rate Of postage be-
tween the United States and Great Brit
ain and Ireland, which, it is said. will
ultimately bring about greater postal re-
cepts and prove another bond toward
closer social and commercial relations be-
tween the two great English-speaking
countries" besides enabling our manu-
facturers to better advertise their goods
and thus increase their sales in those
countries Reference is also made to
notifications that have been made in the
international parcels post conventions
toward securing lower rates of postage
or an increase in the weight Of the par
cells carried. each tending toward a gen.
eral uniformity in such matters.
In regard to the pneumatic tube serv-
ice, it is stated that the commission ap-
pointed under the act of Congress of
May p. 1903, to inquire into the FEAST
bilty of the governments acquiring and
operating pneumatic tube service. has
completed it's labOrs, and that a report
will be submitted to Congress soon after
it convenes. No mention, however, is
made of the commissions findings or rec
concentrations.
or automatic vending machines for the
sale of stamps to the public the report
states that there is reason to expect that
satisfactory machines will result from the
work now going on, but the department
| is not yet prepared to accept any make
of machine for it's own use. Many OF
| these machines are now being expert
mented with locally and elsewhere at
| their makers risk.
| Reference is made to the campaign OF
education in the schoolhOuSss in matters
pertaining to the ordinary operations OF
the postal service. and its continuance
is recommended so as to emphasize the
| importance of carefully addressing mai
matter and placing the name and ad.
dress of the sender thereon to save hun
dreds of thousands of letters and pack
ages from going to the dead letter office
instead of being returned to the sender, as
| Is now the case.
A Director of Posts.
A marked improvement in the efficiency
| of the service is noted by the Postmaster
General, which he says Is due to the
policy of retaining postmasters of al
grades whose records, have been salts.
| factory, but he again urges upon Con.
gress the wisdom of establishing the
position of deputy postmaster general. o,
| director of posts, at a salary that should
not be less than $4,000 a year. who would
hold office during good behavior, to secure
continuity of policies for the benefit OF
| the postal service and the people Of the
United States. This salary, he believes
will attract to the position a man OF
| wide business experience and ability
which are needed in this rapidly growing
| department, whose expenditures increase
at the rate Of more than $4,000, 600 an.
| nually.
| The Postmaster General states that 1,
| has been his policy to impress upon
every officer in the department having
control of an appropriation the necessity
[ for real economy. but not for such re.
trenchment as would impair the efficiency
| of the service.
The report contains a great deal OF
data relating to the subject of postal saw
ings banks. which the Postmaster Cen
eral believes would foster thrift and in
crease the habit of saving in many states
and localities where opportunities dc not
now exist and would in the end serve as
| feeders to the regular stock and mutual
savings banks where greater returns in
the way OFF interest would be received by
depostors.
The report strongly urges that the law
be so modified as to give the Post Office
Department voice in the selection OF
post Office sites and the planning of post
office buildings. which now il given ex-
clusively to the Treasury Department. II
contends that unquestionably the entire
l equipment of government buildings used