The Detroit times., 1909-12-28
WANTS POSTAL
DEFICIT CUT
Postmaster General Points To Big
Loss To Government in Carry
ing Magazines.


ter-General Hitchcock. in his annual
report, urges that action be taken TO
reduce the growing deficit in the post
office department. In the past year II
was st7. 100000 Tfe says the two
great sources Of loss 10 the postal
revenues are second-class matter and
rural delivery.
The report says.
The loss on second-class mail mat
ter has been increasing for many
years. until il now amounts TO s64.-
600. 900.
The loss from rural delivery, =
service begun hardly a dozen years
ago and OF unprecedented growth,
reaches as high as s2s,000.000.
In these two items alone the postal
service now suffers an annual loss of
more than the entire national deficit
OF the last fincal year.
Since the opening Of the admins
tration the postmaster general and
his assistants have adopted measures
in conformity with the presidents
policy of retrenchment. and these
| ahtnCAttS oAN bNAht PAA iANC thNNS
with substantial results. as will De
shown in this report
1T should be stated with SsoDhasis,
however, that economy is not to be
enforced at the cost OF efficiency
only such measures of economy
will be adopted. therefore. as can be
made consistent part OF general
program having for its chief object
the Improvement OF the personnel. the
form of organization. and the business
methods OF the postal establishment.
The most striking fact disclosed
by recent Investigations is the tre-
mendous loss on account OF second
class mail While this class OF mail
provides a revenue OF little more than
cent pound, the cost TO the gov
ernment for its handling and trans
portation averages 9.23 cents a pound
The annual loss thus incurred. as al
ready stated. is about s64.000,000.
The growth in the quantity OF sec
ond-class matter sent through the
mails has been extraordinary. Since
the passage OF the act OF 1879 pres
cribing conditions under which pub
locations may be mailed at second
class rates the weight of such matter
has increased more than 1900 per
cent. Last year II amounted 10 over
zoe. 900 900 pounds.
by the weighing, 1909 second-class
matter was shown TO constitute 63 per
cent of all domestic mail, and yet ir
yielded only about per cent OF the
postal revenues. The loss on second
class matter was greater than the
profits on all classes OF mail COM
bined. II exceeded the total amount
paid the railways for mail transporta-
tion.
Magazines and other periodical
publications exclusive OF daily news
papers comprise about SO per cent Of
the second-class mail The magazines
alone form about 20 per cent. Maga-
zines proper, because OF the long aver
age haul, show a cost OF more than .
cents pound for transportation.
while in the case OF daily newspapers
( for which the average distance OF dis
tribution is much less, the Transports
ton cost is under cents a pound.
The annual loss on third-class mail
is something over three million dol
lars. The mail matter carried free un-
der congressional franks cost the gov
ernment annually about a half million
dollars. A greater loss. about two
and a quarter millions annually. results
from the free handling OF official mail
for executive departments other than
the postoffice department
The rural delivery service has de-
veloped in twelve years from an ex-
pertinent. requiring an appropriation
OF $4,000 10 one OF the largest
branches Of the postal establishment.
with an annual expenditure exceeding
s35 900 600 The postage on matter
mailed on rural routes Is estimated at
about $1,000 900.
Suggestions are made IN the report
OF means by which the public could
facilitate the work OF the postoffice
department. Among them are these:
The equipment Of every residence
with a private mail box in cities hav-
ing carrier service; posting heavy
heavy mailings early in the day. In
stead of the evening; the general use
of a return address on envelopes: the
prompt notification of postmasters OF
all changes in addresses; and the
exercise OF care in the proper
addressing OF all mail matter.