Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-12
POSTAL DEFICIT SHOWN
REPORT OF THIRD ASSISTANT
POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Difference in Receipts and Expendi'
lures the Past Year Amounts
to $17,441,719.82.

With an increase of S12OS3, 1886 in the
postal receipts for the fiscal year end
ing June 30. 1909. over those OF the pre-
ceding year the Post Office Department
accounts. nevertheless, showed a postal
deficit Of $17,4H,7 1882 at the close Of
the yeaNa total OF S56S, 497.Os larger
| than for the previous year. according to
| the annual report of the third assistant
postmaster general. which has just been
issued. And to this announced deficit.
the report states, must be added the sum
Of $3s.OJO.65 for losses by burglary. fire,
| bad debts, etc, making what is termed
| the gross deficit $17,479. 77O.47, or $780,
491.4S larger than the previous year and
| the largest in the history of the postal
service.
Detailed figures in tabular form in the
report show how these results are reach
ed and how nearly two hundred and a
quarter millions OF dollars were expended
in keeping the American people in touch
with one another and the remainder OF
the world through the medium of the
mails.
Cost of Second-Class Mail.
Assuming the report of a special COM
mittee which investigated the subject to
class mail during the year, tine report
| states, was approximately $64.OOO.O0O
more than was received from that source
H7. 232, 331. S2). And the report adds that
"a greater amount OF mail matter is car
ried free for publishers than for the legis-
lative and executive departments Of the
government combined"
AS illustrating the growth in number of
newspapers and periodical publications
for which the law provides a greatly re-
duced rate of postage, the report states
that 1892 applications were received dur
ing the year for the admission of such
publications to the second class of mail
matter. and 1880 of them were allowed.
an increase of 30 over the previous year.
Attention is called in the report to a
change in the law which now prescribes
penalty of 500. instead of $40, as for
patching matter Of a higher class with
matter OF lower class whereon the post
age is paid at the rate applicable to the
latter, instead OF to the former.
Mailed Without Stamps.
29S pieces of third and fourth class mat
ter were mailed without stamps affixed
for postage. upon which the revenue
amounted to $3,319. SOB. This act was
passed for the convenience of merchants
ana OlnefS VINO Uldli large UuUDeTS OF
pieces Of printed matter or merchandise
at time.
Money orders to the number of S. 79I,-
93S were issued in the domestic service
during the year, for the aggregate sum
of $491. O74. S44.26. upon which fees to the
amount of A.079.69l.lS were collected,
and the value Of money orders paid in
the domestic service amounted to $685.
O7S, 800 1S, including repaid orders.
Registered letters and parcels were
mailed during the year to the number of
40, 80. $40, upon 36.9O6.S47 of which the
registry fee was collected, amounting in
the aggregate to $685.. 547.76. an increase
of So, 634. 96 over the previous year.
The report states that the free regis
trations for the fiscal year amounted APP
proximately to per cent of the total
Registrations Of the country. and that 2S
per cent Of them originated in Washing
ton, .. c. Money and other valuables of
the government to the enormous sum of
So 335s. $40. 2251 .33 were transmitted in the
registered mails during the year for the
Post Office and Treasury departments
alone, without the charge Of any fee
therefor.
Rural carriers registered 1,02S,536 and
delivered 1,4SS21j pieces during the year,