Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-11-30
'stimates for Coming Yes Figured
to Be Fully as
GOOD ROADS FOR RURA
Legislation for Postal Saving
Again Urged. q
IMPROVEMENT IN EFF1c1ENt
Decrease Is shown I'm Number Of
Railway Postal Clerks Killed and
Injured as Compared with
Previous Years.

WASHINGTON. Nov. 29.-In his annual |
report for the fiscal year ended June 30. |
1905, Postmaster General Meyer gives the
total receipts for the year tl9i, ,4B6S and |
the expenditures as f2cS, ,S5l ,SS6. thereby |
showing a deficit Of S1s.s73 222 the largest
in the history Of the department with an |
additional loss from fire. burglary etc. |
of $S,056. The deficit OF 1909, II Is estl- |
mated. again will exceed s16,OoOOcO.
Attention is particularly called TO a num- |
Der OF improvements in business methods
Of the department as tending to its ad- |
vantage and the saving of considerable
amounts. Recommendation IS again made
for the creation OF the position Of director
of posts. at a high salary, and who shall
hold office during good behavior, the OBJ
jet 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 delivery service. It is sug-
gested that should congress grant the de-
partment authority TO utilize rural rout IS
stili further by the establishment of a
limited parcel post, confined entirely to
rural delivery routes. 1t would then be
posslble 10 earn additional revenue
amounting to millions of dollars, and at
the same timo benefit the farmer by en-
abiing hirn to have the merchandise deliv-
cred when ordered by telephone or postal
.ard, which otherwise would not be pur-
chased. "The special parcel post" says
the postmaster general, will enable the
farmers to have small parcels delivered
at their gates. to live better, and to OBJ
tain easily the necessaries of life." Per-
mission is requested to establish expert
l..
coed four counties in order to demon
strate the prRcticability of the plan.
Postal Savings BANKS.
The postmaster general again urges leg
islatiou permitting the establishment Of
postal savings banks or repositories in
connection with postoffces.
Experiments with stamp vendip.s ma
chimes. says the. poHtmaster general. are
still being conducted with every prospect
that the defects which developed in the
preliminary tents VII. be overcome These
machines, II Is expected by the department,
win add immensely to the public con-
EFnience.
The campaign of education in the school
houses In matters pertaining TO the ordi-
nary operation of the postal service, so as
TO emphasize the importance OF careful
addressing, the placing OF the name and
Is recommended to be continued. so as to
save hundreds OF thousands of letters and
packages from going to the dead letter
office each year, as is now the case.
marked Improvement in the efficiency
OF the service Is noted by the postmaster
general. which, he says. is due to the pol
Icy OF retaining postmasters of all grades
whose records have been satisfactory. He
believes. however that the appointments
of second and thlrd-class postmasters
should lie with the postmaster general. as
Is now the practice with fourth-class Of
fices. This, he says. would reserve to the
president the appointment of postmasters
at the more important offices and relieve
him Of vast amount OF routine work that
Is tax upon his time.
The postmaster general puts himself
IN record as being decidedly opposed to
the law which prohibits the establishment
- postal stations more than five miles
u. yond the corporate limits of a city. al
hSu5h. he says, no such restriction exists
With reference 10 the extension of the
free delivery service. The department. he
declares. should not be placed in the posi-
tim Of being able to deliver mail from
door to door and at the same time OF being
forbidden to supply a district so served
With the other usual postal conveniences.
The repeal Of the law complained OF is
urged.
service in Metropolis.
The maintenance of a suitable postal
service IN New York City. IL is stated. be-
cemes more difficult each year and re-
qoires Increased expenditures in order "a
reduces SO tar as possible the heavy con
gestiop Of mail matter there. The post.
master general speaks Of what has beer
done toward remedying this condition, and
says that a night delivery in the resden-
tial section has gone far iii that direction
Recommendation is again made that tn,
leave q absence with pay by law to EN-
ployes OF the postal service be increased
from fifteen to thirty days whenever tn,
postat revenues warrant It,
While favorlng an increase in pay of tn
supervisory employees In postofflces, tn
postmaster general says he has not esti
mated for additional promotions for tn
coming year because OF the great increas
in toe deficit
regard to pneumatic tube service
"a stated that the commission appointe
under the act Of congress OF May "a. 1906
20 inquire into the feasibility OF the gov
Srnment acquiring and operating the pneu
matte tube service. has completed its work
and that the report will be submitted I
eohsreFn soon after IL convenes. No hin
Is given regarding the commissions rec
concentrations,
Low Postage 10 England.
The recent establishment Of the 2-ceni
announce rate Of letter postage betwee
the United states and the United kim
dom OF Great Britain and ireland will, i
Is stated. have the effect OF brlnEin
about greater postal receipts "A lowe
postage rate will prove another bono &c
ward closer social and commercial relation
between the two great EngliAh-speakln
countries" it Is stated, "and It will q
much to enable our Manufacturers to be,
ter advertise their goods and thus inereas
their sales In those countries" Moder
progress II Is added. is annihilating dii
81 tance. and revolutsoniEed methods in shiI