The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-02
Hitchcock Confefs With Taft on Plans to Cut Down
 Expenses
EXPERTS ARE AT WORK
 EXAMINING METHODS
Money Order Department Will Be OverhauIed, After Which Rural Free Delivery System Will
 Be Overhauled Also.

Beverly. Mass, September 1-Postmas- ter General Hitchcock had an important conference with President Taft this after noon regarding the plans he had formu- lated for cutting down expenses in the postal establishments. He told the Pres 1dent that, according to the latest esti- mates, the postoffice department will show a deficit for the fiscal year ended June 30, last, of more than S2o 0O0,00o This is the largest deficit the postal service has ever known, and MT Hitchcock informed the President that it was his purpose ard his ambition to show a material decrease in the amount every year that he has con- trol of the department. The deficit for the fiscal year ending June 90 1903, was about s16OO0,OOO.
 The increase, as nearly can be ascer- tained, was due in part to extensions If the service; to the business depression during the first part of the fiscal year: to cumbersome and expensive methods of handling the mail and in other depart ments of postal work
 MT. Hitchcock is facing the problem, of how to cut down expenses so as to ma
 
 time to keep the postal service up to it's present high state of efficiency To this end he is to have a complete examination of the methods in vogue in every branch of the service
 The Postmaster General has now at work in Washington a commission of some forty-odd experts. examining tho registry department which has been showing a growing deficit year after year.
 Expert Examination.
 When the registry commission has dn- ished its labors MT Hitchcock will sum- mon another commission of money order experts to make a similar examination of the money order division. This division also has been showing growing deficit. whereas the Postmaster General thinks 1t should soon be placed on g self-susrain- ing basis In fact MT. Hitchcock believes that the whole postal service eventually can be put on a self-sustaining hasis.
 Many suggestions and recommendations nave been made from time to lime in the past, but now practical men have been given the task of working out inc reform and the Postmaster ,;eneral in tends to keep the various examiners m Washington until they have concluded their labors and have made specific report.
 Alter the money order department has received an overhauling, work probably Will be begun on the rural free deliy- cry system. This system was received with such enthusiasm that in some in- stances 1t was expended far beyond tho needs of the section served MT Hitch cock believes that in some sections the rural delivery can be made by contract at a saving to the government It is not the intention to interfere with tha efficiency of the rural free delivery ser- vice in any way. Ii is the purpose to ascertain here, as elsewhere if there is any waste of the efforts or funds, and to conserve both.
 Franking Privilege.
 The subject of the "franking' privi- lege, or the sending of matter through the mails free by government officials and members of congress also will come in for d share of consideration in the effort to maintain the efficiency of the service and at the same time to save money where saving can be effected It has been practically impossible to ascertain just what the sending of dead head" matter through the mails has cost the Postoffice department
 The custom has grown of recent years in Washington. however, of sending out
 
 tered mail" This system has been very expensive and is in part responsible for the heavy deficit of s3,0Oo.o00 in the regis- try division.
 President Taft was deeply interested in the plan of carrying forward the work of investigation, and the promise of econ omy in the postal service. The Presi- dent has asked all of his cabinet offl- cers to cut down their estimates for ths next fiscal year wherever possible. Ths economy of administering the govern- ments affairs Is to be one of the princi. pal efforts of his administration.
 Postmaster General Hitchcock also took up with the President number of other postal matters, including the ap- pointment of several postmasters. The appointments announced, however, were in small cities. MT. Hitchcock is start ing out on a long vacation in the west. where he will practically live out of doors and spend a great portion of the time in the saddle. He has not been in the best of health.
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