The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-06

To classify first, second and third class postmasters would require the passage of an act changing the method of their appointment so as to take away the necessity for the advice and consent of the senate. I am aware that this is inviting from the senate a concession in respect to it's quasi exec utive power that is considerable, but I believe it to be in the interest of good administration and efficiency of serv- ice.
 To make this change would take the postmasters out of politics, would re- lieve congressman who now are bur dened with the necessity of making recommendations for these places of a responsibility that must be irksome and can create nothing but trouble, and it would result in securing greater attention to business, greater fidelity and consequently greater economy and efficiency in the postoffices which they conduct.
 Tho Franking Privilege.
 The unrestricted manner in which the franking privilege is now being used by the several federal services and by congress has laid it open to se- rious abuses, a fact clearly established through investigations recently insti- tuted by the department. While 1t has been impossible without a better control of franking to determine the exact expense to the government of this practice, there can be no doubt that it annually reaches into the mill lions.
 It is believed that many abuses of the franking system could be prevent ed and consequently a marked econo- my effected by supplying through the agencies 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 requiring them and such records to be kept of all official stamp supplies as will enable the post office department to maintain a prop CT postage account covering the entire volume of free government mail. As the first step in the direction of this reform special stamps and stamp ed envelopes Have been provided for use instead of franks in the free trans mission of the official mail resulting from the business of the new postal savings system. By properly record ing the issuance of such stamps and envelopes accurate records can be kept of the cost to the government of han ding the postal savings mail, which is certain to become an important item of expense and one that should be sep arately determined.
 In keeping with this plan it is hoped that congress will authorize the sub stitutdon of special official stamps and stamped envelopes for the various forms of franks now used to carry free of postage the vast volume of de- partmental and congressional mail matter. During the past year methods of accounting similar to those employ ed in the most progressive of our busi- ness establishments have been intro duced in the postal service, and noth ing has so impeded the departments plans in this regard as the impossibil- 1ty of determining with any exactness how far the various expenses of the postal service are increased by the present unrestricted use of the frank ing privilege. It is believed that the adoption of a more exact method of dealing with this problem as proposed will prove to be of tremendous a@- vantage in the work of placing tn postal service on strictly business like basis.
 Second Class Mail Matter.
 In my last annual message I invited the attention of congress to the inad- equacy of the postal rate imposed upon second class mail matter in so far as that includes magazines and showed by figures prepared by experts of the postofice department that the govern ment was rendering a service to the magazines costing many millions in excess of the compensation paid.
 An answer was attempted to this by the representatives of the magazines, and reply was filed to this answer by the postOfice department. The ut ter inadequacy of the answer, consid- cred In the light of the reply of the postof1ce department, I think must appeal to any fair minded person. Whether the answer was all that could be said fin behalf of the magazines Is another question.
 l agree that the question Is ono of fact. but I insist that if the fact is as the experts of the postoface depart ment show, that we are furnishing to the owners of magazines a service worth millions more than they pay for it, then justice requires that the rate should be increased. The increase in the receipts of the department result ing from this change may be devoted to increasing the usefulness of the de- partment in establishing parcels post and in reducing the cost of first class postage to l cent.
 It has been said by the postmaster general that a fair adjustment might be made under which the advertising part of the magazine should be charged for at different and higher rate from that of the reading matter. This would relieve many useful magazines that arc not circulated at profit and would not shut them out from the use of the mails by a prohibitory rate.