Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1910-12-16

For many years there has been a deficit
In the operations OF the postoflce depart
ton from the treasury. The appropria-
ton estimated for last year from the
treasury over and above the receipts of
the department was SIT, 500, 900. I am glad
TO record the fact that of that 81, 500, 600
estimated for, 81, 500,000 were saved and
returned to the treasury. The personal
efforts of the postmaster general secured
the effective cooperation OF the thous-
ands OF postmasters and other postal Of
hcers, throughout the country In carrying
out his plans Of reorganization and re-
trenchment. The result is that the post
master general has been able to make his
estimate OF expenses for the present year
so low as to keep within the amount the
postal service is expected to earn. 1t is
gratifying TO report that the reduction in
the deficit has been accomplished without
any curtailment Of postal facilities. On
the contrary the service has been greatly
extended during the year in all its branch
es. A principle which the postmaster gen.
eral has recommended and sought TO have
enforced in respect to all appointments.
mas been mat those appointees who have
rendered good service should be re-
appointed. This has greatly strength
ened the interest of postmasters through
out the country In maintaining efficiency
ana economy In their offices, because they
believe generally that this would secure.
for them a further tenure.
Extension of tho Classified Service.
Upon the recommendation OF the post
master general, / have included in the
classified service az assistant p-ost:aasters.
and l believe that this giving a secure,
tenure to those who are the most i'm
portant subordinates Of postmasters will
add much to the efficiency of their Offices
and an economical administration. A large
number or the fourth class postmasters
are now In the classified service. l think
1t would be wise to put In the classified
service the first, second, and third class
postmasters. 1t is more logical to do this
than to classify the fourth class mast
masters, for the reason that the fourth
class postoftices are invariably small, and
the postmasters are necessarily men who,
must combine some other business with
the poStmastership, whereas the first, Sec
ond, and third class postmasters are paid
a sufficient amount to justify the require
ment that they shall have no other bust
ness and that they shall devote their at
tention to their postoffce duties. TIC clas-
SHY hrst, second, and third class post
masters would require the passage OF an
act hanging the method Of their ap-
polntment so as to take away the neces-
sity for the advice and consent OF the Sen
ate.
The %Franking Privilege.
The unrestricted manner in which the
ranking privilege is now being used by
the several federal services and by con-
gress has lad 1t open To serions abuses.
a fact clearly established through in
designations recently instituted by the de-
partment. While 1t has been impossible
without a better control OF franking to
determine the exact expense to the gov
ernment of this practice, there can be no
doubt that 1t annually reaches into the
millions. 1t is believed that many abuses
or the ranking system could be prevent
ed, and consequently a marked economy
effected, by supplying through the agen-
cies OF the postal service special official
envelopes and stamps for the free mail
OF the government, all such envelopes and
stamps to be issued on requisition to the
various branches OF the federal service
them and clPh rnnnrdG tn he
kept of all official stamp supplies as Will
enable the postofice department to main
tain a proper postage account covering
the entire volume of free government mail.
AS the first step in tie direction Of this
reform, special stamps and stamped en-
velopes have been provided for use in
stead Of franks In the free transmission
of the official mail resulting from the
OF the new postal savings system.
BY proper recording the ISSUANCE Of such
stamps and envelopes accurate records
can be kept of the cost to the govern
ment of handling the postal savings mail,
which is certain to become an important
item OF expense and one that should be
separately determined. In keeping with
this plan 1t Is hoped that congress will
authorize the substitution Of special of
fetal stamps and stamped envelopes for
the various forms of franks now used TO
carry free OF postage the vast volume Of
departmental and congressional mail mat
ter. During the past year methods of ac-
counting similar TO those employed in the
~ &SDs oSs 90 49, 80 - tiSGI-
ments have been introduced in the postal
service and nothing has so impeded the
departments plans in this regard as the
of determining with any ex-
actness how far the various expenses of
the postal service are increased by the
present unrestricted use OF the franking
privilege. 1t is believed that the adoption
Of a more exact method Of dealing with
this problem as proposed will prove to be-
of tremendous advantage In the work OF
placing the postal service on a strictly
businesslike basis.
Second Glass Mail Matter
In my last annual message I invited the
attention of congress to the inadequacy
of the postal rate imposed upon second
class mali matter III SO far as that in
cludes magazines, and showed by figures
partment that the government was rem
dering a service to the magazines, cost
ing many millions In excess of the com
paid. An answer was attempt
ed to this by the representatives OF the
magazines, and a reply was filed to this
answer by the postoffce department. The
utter i~nadeqnaSy OF the answer; consid-
office department, I think must appeal to
any fair-minded person. Whether the an
swer was all that could be said in behalf
of the magazines In another question. I
agree that the question is one OF fact: but
I insist that IL the fact Is as the experts
of the postoflce department show, that
we are furnishing to the owners OF maya
zines a service worth millions more than.
they pay for 1t, then justice requires that
the rate should be increased. The in,
crease in the receipts Of the department
from this change may be de-
voted to increasing the usefulness OF the
In establishing a parcels post
and in reducing the cost OF first class post
age TO one cent. 1t has been said by the
postmaster general that a fair adjustment
might be made under which the advertis-
part Of the magazine should be
charged for at a different and higher rate
from that Of the reading matter. This
would relieve man useful magazines that
are not circulated at q profit, and would
not shut them out from the use OF the
mails by a prohibitory rate.
Parcels Post.
With respect to the parcels post, I re-
spectfully It's adoption on ali
rural delivery routes, and that II pounds
the international lim.t-be made the lin
1t of carriage In sue post, and this with
a view to its general extension when the
income of the postoffce will permit and
the postal savings banks have been fully
established. The same argument Is made
against the parcels post that was made
against the postal savings bank-that II Is
introducing the government into a bust
ness which ought to be conducted by pri-