Semi-weekly herald., 1908-02-10
CURE FOR PEssIMIsM
SEEN IN PosToFFicE
-

(By William E. Curtis in The Chicago
Record-Herald.)
WASHINGTON, Jan. zi.--It is often
said, and the official records OF the
last half-century will prove 1t. that
the civil service OF the government OF
the United States is the most honest
as well as the most efficient business
organization in the world. Any
gloomy pessimist who may have any
doubts as TO the honor and integrity
OF his fellow men should read the re-
ports of the treasury, the postoffice
department and other branches of the
government. They will give him
cheerful encouragement To think bet
ter OF mankind. The records OF the
Internal revenue bureau and the Gus
toms service Will demonstrate not
only the honesty but the economy OF
the treasury department. and will
show that the cost OF collecting the
revenue Is almost inhniLesimal com
pared with the vast amounts OF mon
ey that are handled. The report OF
the treasurer OF the United States and
the several auditors contain similar
testimony concerning the disburse-
ment OF the public funds. The recent
report of Ernest G. Timme, auditor OF
the postoffice department, is aston
ishiDg In its disclosures. Mr.. Timme
says;
The marvellous growth of the pos
tai service continues. In all proba
Dility both the receipts and expendit
ures for the ensuing fiscal year will
exceed s20O,000,000. In 1890 the re
ceipts were s60,0O0.000. expenditures
$6U,000,000. with a deficit OF about So,
100000; by 1907 this had increased
threefold. receipts being slS3,O0O, 900
expenditures S190,000,OO0, while the
deficit was only about y6,500,O00. II
is gratifying to note that while the
cAptuseS are lnfce Times as great, tut
deficit remains substantially the same
as IL WAS II years ago. The loss dur
ing 1907 by burglary, bad debts. etc,
was only two-hundredths OF / pei
cent, which emphasizes the untirine
and successful efforts OF this Office il
collecting balances due the United
States. Substantially the whole pos
tai revenue derived through the post
Offices. mainly from the sale O
stamps, envelopes, etc, postage OF
second-class matter, box rents an,
money order fees, while about two
thirds OF the cost OF the service Ii
disbursed by postmasters directl,
from the revenues of their offices"
In the auditors Office at Washing
ton are recorded the names of 1000
persons who are employed in the pos
tai service OF the United States. Q
these about $4,000 are clerks In tn
$1,000 postoffices.. 14,1S4 are employe
In the railway mail service. 24,577 ar
employed In the city free delivery sci
vice and 1882 in the rural free deli,
cry service. A card system is use
Tor all but the postmasters, who hav
individual ledger accounts. The nun
Der of postmasters has been largel
reduced by the extension of rura
free delivery service, which has ren
dered about $4,000 country office
useless and they have been discon
unued. High water mark wa
reached in 1900, when there were 7G
691 postoffices and the same numbe
OF postmasters on the rolls. Sine
then there has been a gradual fallin,
on.
The total number of employees IL
the service, therefore, is about 172
900 men and women.
Last year these people handle,
nearly billion dollars in cash, al
follows:
necelpts .......-....... $1S3, ,5S5 ,00'
Disbursements ...... 1870, ,23S, ,2S,
Money orders issued -. 563, ,73l ,O5'
Foreign money orders pd. 1S,125,ss'
iotai 1906. $50, 43
In addition to that vast sum In cash
the employees of the postal servic,
handled many millions of packages o
registered matter of value unknown
and impossible to estimateI but |
must have been very nearly equal t,
the total given above. 1t may hav,
been many times greater. and nobod,
can estimate the amount represente,
by checks. drafts and other forms o
nancy which pass daily through tn,
mails.
In handling this stupendous sun
the net loss was only $38,74S.70. o
which S2S,055.57 was due to burglar,
and fire and the balance, SIS. 5.693. 10, {,
other causes.
The sales of postage stamps durin,
the year 1907 alone amounted {,
slG5.7i2 ,o93, the city free delivery ser
vice cost s2s.24s. .535. the rural free de
livery service cost $26.65s. .S04 and tn,
railway mail service cost $15,175.7s7
These were the chief items Of ex