Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1908-11-30
POSTMASTER GENERAL
SUGGESTS ~
InPRoy[Mil=. \.
In His Annual Report He \ g
of Various Ways to
Make Depart
ment Pay.
WANTS PARCEL POST
AND POSTAL BANK
Deficiency This Year Is More Than
iSl6OOO.OOO and Estimate Puts
Deficiency for Next Year
In EXCESS of That
Amount.

washington, NOV. SV.-ln MS An-
nual report for the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1908. Postmaster General
Meyer gives the total receipts for the
year as s1s1,47s.ss4 and expenditures
as s2OS.351.sS6. thereby showing
deficit of s16,s73.222. the largest in
the history of the department, with
an additional loss from fire. burglary
ETC., of $37,056. The deficit of 1900
1t Is estimated again will exceed $16,-
100000.
Attention is particularly called to a
number of improvements in business
methods of the department as tend
ing to its advantage and the saving
of considerable amounts. Recon-
mendation is again made for the cre-
alton of the position of director Of
posts, at a high salary, and who shall
hold office during good behavior, the
object being to have a continuity OF
policies for the benefit of the postal
service and the people OF the United
States.
The necessity for good roads is
pointed out in connection with the
development Of the rural free deliy-
cry service. It Is suggested that
should Congress grant the department
authority to utilize t-rai routes stiii
further by the establishment OF q
limited parcel post confined entirely
to rural delivery routes, 1t would then
be possible to earn additional revenue
amounting to millions of dollars and
at the same time benefit the farmer
by enabling him to have merchandise
delivered when ordered by telephone
or postal card which otherwise would
not be purchased. ''The special par
eel post" says the postmaster general,
will enable the farmers to have
small parcels delivered at their gates,
TO live better. and to obtain easily the
necessaries of life." Permission Is
requested to establish experimentally
a limited parcel post in not to exceed
four counties In order to demonstrate
the practicability of the plan.
The postmaster general again urges
legislation permitting the establish
ment Of postal savings banks or de-
positaries in connection with postof-
Aces
Experiments with stamp vending
machines. says the postmaster gener-
al, are still being conducted, with
every prospect that the defects de-
veloped in the preliminary tests Will
be overcome These machines, 1t is
expected by the department will add
immeasurably to the public conven-
ience.
The campaign of education in the
school houses in matters pertaining TO
the ordinary operation of the postal
service, so as to emphasize the i'm
portance of careful addressing, the
placing of the name and address Of
the sender on envelopes, etc. is rec
commended to be continued, so as Ia
save hundreds of thousands of letters
and packages from going to the dead
letter office, each year, as is now tne
case
A marked Improvement in the eff
cheney Of the service is noted by the
postmaster general which he says, Is
due to the policy of retaining post
masters of all grades whose records
have been satisfactory. He believes,
however, that the appointments OF
second and third class postmasters
should lie with the postmaster gen
eral as is now the practice with
fourth class offices. Tnis, he says
would reserve to the president the
appointment of postmasters at the
more important offices and relieve
him OF a vast amount of routine work
that is a tax upon his time.
The postmaster general puts him
self on record as being decidedly op-
posed to the law which prohibits the
establishment of postal stations more
than FIVE miles beyond the corporate
limits of a city. although, he says. no
SUCH restriction exists with reference
10 the extension of the free delivery
service. The department, he de-
clares, should not be placed in the
position OF being able TO de.iyer mail
from door to door and at the same
time of being forbidden to supply the
district so served with the other usual
postal conveniences. The repeal OF
the law complained 0f Is urged.
The maintenance of a suitable pos
tai service in New York City, II IL
stated, becomes more difficult each
year. and requires increased expendi-
lures in order TO reduce so far as
possible the heavy congestion of mail
matter there. The postmaster general
speaks OF what has been done toward
remedying this condition. and says
that a night delivery In the residen-