The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-12
POSTAL DEFICIT REDUCED
HfT(HfOfk'S REPORT ~ To-
GESYS MORE REFORwS.
He'd Make the Magazines Pay h'shrr
Rate for Their Ad,eraisinx Pages AMI
He'd Gut the Frankin1 privilege
Test Of Postal savings ryan,


| r.., nj Postal savings Plan.
| WARRINGTON. Dec II The report OF
Pos, master. General Hitchcock. which II
largely devoted 10 the question OF r"-
d,,cinS tbs, deficit. was made public to-
day Her. are some ~ the chief points;
,yr.r ago the n-cal records of the postal
! service. disclosed a deficit OF s'..SsNn
,h. largest in the history of the country
In th. -pac. of twsv" months a reduction
| of 81, 500 go has been made In this drn''.
the excess OF expenditures over rrcr'pts as
| r.ported for the wear ended June m taSt
! am ountin9 TO only s5.sss. $50 -
IL L. mo-t gratifying to report that this
unpr,,, ed pnted reduction has been made
without any curtailment Of ostal facilities
/ On the contrary the service has been largely
! extended Attempts In previous years 10
reduce deficit by restricting the develop
NJ rnt of the postal service have invariably
raII,~i The policy Of the present admins
! tration has been to wipe out losses by in
| cr-ssing the postal business along pronta-
bl. lines. and while thus charging the De-
/ par,ment's income tn reduce a. far rs posi-
! hl- The rate OF expenditure BY cutting ont
! wa.tpful proce>ses. by simplifying ana
rendering more effective the methods OF
handling postal business. and by raising
10 the highest possible standard the EN-
| cheney OF officers and employees
| In the last annual report OF the Depart
I ment special attention was directed 10 the
/ enormous loss the Government snStains
! In the handling and transportation OF second
| class mail. owing Ia the rapid increase
] In the volume Of such mail the loss ;, con-
| stantly growing remedy should De
promptly applied by charging more postage
| In levving the higher rates u - believed
| that a distinction should he made between
| advertising matter and what - termed
| legi, ima'. reading matter Under present
| conditions an increase IN the postage on
| reading matter IL not recommended Sh'h
| an increase would place N special burden
| on q large number OF second class pnb't-
| cations, Including educational and religious
| periodicals that derive little or no proht
| from advertising IL ~ the circulation OF
this type Of publications. which aid 80
effectively In the educational and moral
| ady anC-ment OF the people. that the 'oN
eminent can best AFFORD To encourage. fot
| these publications and also for any other
| legitimate reading matter III perlodicsI
! form the Department favors . continuation
| of tbs. present low postage rate OF one 'ht
| a pound and recommends that the proposed
| increase, ia rat. be applied only Ia maxazin"
| advertising matter Thi, plan would ue
| In full accord with the statute governing
| second class mail. a law that never ju~''he''
| the inclusion under IN. second class rates
| Of IN. vast amounts uf advertising no"
| TRANSPORTED by the Government al tre'
men,ious loss
In view of the vanishing postal deficit
| It j. h-i-ved that II the magazines could
b. required tai paw ~ha, u costs IN" Gov
.rrn,.nt 10 carry their advertising pages
| the Departments revenues would soon
| grow large enough To warrant one cent
| postage on first class mai.
| N-w-pat-.rS are not included ~ the plan
! for "A higher rate IN advertising matter he
, cause being 'h,-iV Of local distribution
! they de- no, employ ia. mails to any such
| extent a. ~" widely circulating maya
yIn--
| L,n.,tusp,- mad. nv the Department
.boyy rh,t th.. relative weights OF the at
! y.rtt.tuy matter aud the legitimate reading
matter carried by magazines can 70" r"adllN
| determined making ~ "A simple matter '"
pu, into successful operation the plan "'it-
lined
| The hoard Of trustees created by the
| act of June -. 1910 to control. supervise
| and administer the postal savings system
| ha- made substantial progress in perfect
| lng a plan OF operation
| After a most careful invest xa'ion and
| numerous conferences with leading bank
.r- the hoard unanimously decided ="
adopt the plan ~ using c"r''h'a'"- "' u"
! post instead ~ pass books
I la order 80 max" the rr-' tr'aI ~ the
new -v-'-m a. comprehensive a. possible
under the limited appropriation pr"N'u-h
/ Nv com rr-- single post "rll'- ia ~a'h
state. and TERRITORY has been selected
a. whi"h postal savings d-ir"-''- "ilI h-
| r-c-rN eel from January next
| In,. amount appropriated for tho first
year OF M. -y-r-m Wa- only slUo,.s'. and
! from This -um must bs. pa'a all the EXPENSES
of equipment Iu"mdIns the engraving
aud printing of forms. cert i'a'--. bonds.
~ a. we'll a. the cost ~ clerical assistance
| Tor 'h.. conduit Of tbs. postal savings hIri-
hes OxInx to the ,nallu--- OF ihi- ap-
| urupriaiiOn u ha- been impossible mus
| FAR to establish postal savings d-po-ii"rl"-
! IA rh.. large CIV post offices III" offices
p, ,i,-iSnat.! are all of h. second class
! The recommendation made IA the last
| annual report ot the Department for the
! introduction Of "A limited parcel post service
| ON rural routes j. earnestly reviewed "
! d, believed that a. soon a. tn. postal saw
ing y stem thoroughly organized th"
Post D.ric- department should he prepared
, Ia establish throughout TIA. country u
| general parcel post A. the preliminary
| -t.t, IN the development Of such "A service
, u l. hoped that congress VIII authorize
| the delivery On rural routes Of parcels
| weighing a. high a eleven pounds. which
- the weight limit Tor the International
| parcel post
The unrestricted manner iii which the
| franking privilege II now being used BY the
several Federal services and by Congress-
ha. la,d ~ open to serious abuses. a TACT
clearly established through nvestigstiops
| recently instituted BY the Department
While II has been impossible without -
better control OF frankins to determine
the exact expense TO the Government Of
this practice there can he no doubt that
IL annually reaches into the millions. IL
il. b.lI.v-d thai many abuses nf 'h. frank
ing system could b- rrv-nt~d. and Con-.-
au.ntly "A marked economy effected, by
| supplying through the agencies Of the
! postal --rvi,. special OifiCIal envelopes
and stamps for the free mail ~ the
Government all such envelopes and
stamps tn u. ISSUED on reputation tn
the various branches III the Federal seq
We. requiring them. and such records to
IL. kept III official stamp supplies viii
~nnIl.. th" Post once department 10 main
tain u proper po~iax" account covering the
-niIr- Nolufu- ii free Government mail
Ihr .ru-ad" started Nv 'h- Post Offic-
Department rlTly ia tn" year against Ih-
fraudlIlau' H.. of ia" mails has been pushed
with great vigUr during ih'. last iew