The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1909-09-03
President Discusses Gut In
Postal Expenses.
DEFICIT OF $2O,OOO,OOO FACED
Efforts Will Be Made to Effect Econ
omy In the Registry, Money
Order and Rural Free De-
livery Departments.

Beverly. Mass, Sept 2.-Postmaster
General Hitchcock had an important
conference with President Taft here
regarding plans for cutting down ex-
penseS in the postal establishment
The postmaster general told the pres
ident that according to the latest es-
timates the postotfice department will
show a deficit for the fiscal year OF
more than $2OOOO,OOO. This is the
largest deficit ever known in the postal
service.
The deficit for the fiscal year 1903
was about S1G,O0O,00O. The increase as
nearly as can he ascertained was due
in part to extensions of the service. in
part to the business depression dur
ing the first part of the fiscal years
and TO cumbersome and expensive
methods of handling the mail
Mr.. Hitchcock is facing the problem
of how to cut down expenses so as to
materially reduce the deficit and ut the
same time to keep the postal service
cy. If there is any possible way to do
this he intends to find il out. To this
cnd he t. to have a complete cXamina-
tion of the methods in vogue in every
branch of the service The invcStima-
tlons are TO be made by the mos
ahl" and efficient men in the service
men who are rated as experts in thcir
respective fields of labor.
The postmaster general has now at
work i'll Washington Il commission of
some forty odd experts in the registry
service. They are making thorough
examination of the registry depart
mcnt. which has been showing Il
growing deficit year after year.
Nhcn the registry commission has
finished its lHburS Mr.. Hitchcock will
summon another commission of mon
rN order experts to make Il similar
examination Of the money ORDER d-
vision !his division also has been
showing Il growing deficiency, where
aS the president thinks it should soon
be placed ON Il self sustaining basis.
The postal establishment Of the Unit
ed States il ranked as the largest
business institution in the world. 1t
has been many years since an Organ-
lied attempt has been made to reform
the methods, which have not kept
pace with the growth OF the business.
After the money order division has
received an ovcrhauiing work proba-
bly, will be begun on the rural free
delivery system. This system was re-
CeivCd with so much enthusiasm that
in some instances it was expanded far
beyond the needs of the sections Serv-
ed. Mir. Hitchcock believes that in
some cases the rural deliveries can be
made by contract ut Il saving to the
government
1t is not the intention to interfere
with the efficiency of the rural free
delivery in any way. Ii is the pur-
pose to ascertain here as elsewhere if
there is any waste of efforts or funds
and to conserve both.
The subject of the "franking'' privi-
lrge or the sending of matter through
the mails free by government officials
and members of congress will also
come in for share of consideration in
the effort to maintain the efficiency of
the service and ut the same time to
save money wherever Il saving can be
effected. 1t has been practically i'm
possible to ascertain just what the
sending of ''deadhead" matter through
the mails has cost the postotiice depart
ment.
President Taft is deeply interested
in the plan Of carrying forward the
work of investigation and the promise
of economy in the postal service.