The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1909-12-30
MAGAZINES AND
THE LAWMAKERS
These Two Are Responsible for
the Deficit in the Postoffice
Department

Washington, Dec. 30.-Second class
mail matter and rural delivery arc
principally responsible for deficit of
$17,479,77O.47 in the revenues of the
postoff1ec department for the fiscal
year Of 1909, as shown in the annual
report of Postmaster General Hitch
cock, made public yesterday. The
deficit Is the largest in the history of
the department.
Although the, deficit is increasing
annually, and an effort Is being made
10 effect economies in all divisions
OF the service, the report says:
ut should be stated with emphasis,
however, that economy is not to be
enforced at the cost of efficiency.
Only such measures of economy will
be adopted as part of general pro-
gram to improve the personnel, the
form of organization, and the busi-
ness methods Of the postal establish
ment. = ~ - -, - -; :. :
The most striking fact" says the
report, disclosed by recent investlga-
tions is the tremendous loss on ac-
count of second-class matter. While
this class of mail provides a revenue
Of little more than 1 cent a pound,
the cost to the government for its
handling and transportation averages
9.2S cents a pound. The growth in
the quantity Of second-class matter
sent through the mails has been ex-
traordinary. By the weighing of 1907,
second-class matter was shown to
constitute 63 per cent of all domestic
mail, and yet it yielded only about S
per cent of the postal revenue.
Magazines Burden Mails.
Magazines and other periodical
publications, exclusive of daily news
papers, comprise about go per cent
of the second class mail. The maga-
zines alone form about 20 per cent.
"The annual loss on third-class
mail is something over $4,000, 900. The
mail matter carried free under con-
gressional franks costs the govern
ment annually about a half million
dollars.
'The rural delivery service has de-
veloped in twelve years from an ex-
pertinent requiring an appropriation
of $4,000, to one of the. largest
branches of the postal establishment,
with an annual expenditure exceeding
$35,0O0,000. The postage on matter
mailed on rural routes is estimated
at about $7,000,000.
"The departments recommended
for the establishment of postal saw
fngs banks is earnestly renewed. AS
SO per cent of the savings of the peo-
pie are deposited in the banks of
fourteen states, the need for addition
al savings repositories for other parts
of tn country is apparent.
ITO provide simple and cheap
means of transmitting small sums
through the mails and to lessen the
use Of coins, bills, and postage stamps
for that purpose, 1t is recommended
that form Of postal note or check
be adopted, similar to the present
money order, but issued for lower
fees without written application In
fixed denominations less than So"
Magnitude Of the Service.
Some idea Of the size Of the postal
service of the United States and the
magnitude Of its business can be
gained from brief review of the sa-
lient facts disclosed by the annual
statistics. These figures show that
the service now has about 325,00O
employees, and that these employees
handled during the last fiscal year
nearly $4,000, 100000 pieces of mail.
The number Of postohices in opera
tion is 60.144. There are 26,625 do
mestic transportation routes, aggre-
eating 44S,61S miles in length, with
an annual travel Of 542 2,151,12 miles.
A delivery service by carrier is pro-
vided on 40,62S rural routes and in
1,4OO cities and towns. Ordinary
postage stamps to the number Of g.
712,9o7.o31 were sold during the year,
and domestic money orders to the
value Of $491, ,07o,s44 were issued
The total receipts for the fiscal
year 1909 were $203, ,562, ,3s307, an in
crease Of 6.31 per cent over the re-
ceipts Of the previous year. The to-
tai expenditures amounted to 3221,-
004,102.Ss. an increase Of 6.o7 per
r,aR D. Il ss sTrf.