The Detroit times., 1910-12-07
1ght Taffs Message



(cee&lnbea from Page Three.'
roet of living Is such, especlalS
40 1orRE cities. that even the shiaI-
Uxed IN the proposed bill VIII en-
Cha incumbents 70 accumulat. III
q anything. 20 support their ram
after their death. Nothing Is -
ortant TO the preservation OF our
Xutry and It's beloved inFtitutions as
ri maintenance of the independence
The Judiciary, and next 10 IN" ~.
~nre an adequate salary "a the mos
UGterial contribution 10 the malhte III
n1S OF indepcndeEoe on the part o. o"'
s n N POsT0FFfcE DEPARTMENT.
81 Postnl savings Banks.
<EE A. Its last session congress made pro-
'+vioion for the establishment OF SAVING
bauks by the postonice department.
y this government, by which, under tl'o
+. xoncral control OF trustees. conslstihb
3 Of .fhe postmaster general, the seer
1(ury OF tho treasury ana the auoI
fxortrai, the system could DC pcS III "a
Ia few cities and towns, and ehlai sSu
+ 20 Cover within its operations as many
F'cities and towns and as large par
/. Qf the country as seemed WISE,
LIMITATION and establishment oi SUI
q system has required a great deai %
.sstudy on the part OF the experts III the
poetoffice and treasury depaftihents,,
\ but a system has now b"eh ueNlscN
y zeal and simpler In its operation tiah
any similar system abroad AfIhns -
*ments have been perfected SO thAl say
q ings banks will be opened IN solne
cities and towns on the LIST or January,
and there Will be gradual extension
OF the benefits OF the plan-to the I'S'
OF the country.
wIping Out Of Postal Deficit.
As / have said. the postonlce depart
ment Is great business department.
and / am glad TO note that uheeI ~
present management prinolpies 80 % h"ing
ness economy and efficiency are peihs
(, applied For many years there Has
been a deficit IN the operations OF the
postoffice department which mas peeh
met by appropriation from the treas
,lry The APPROXIMATION estimated FOR
last year from IN etrcasury over anu
above the receipts OF tue departmen.
was 1850, 000. / am sIad 10 recoru
the fact that OF that $lI50OOOO esu-
mated, sf1.500.00 were saved ana re,
turned TO the treasury The personal
efforts OF the postmaster general Sc
cured the effective cooperation OF the
thousands OF Rostmasters ana otner
postal OFFICERS throughout the country
Z Ia carrying out his plans of reorSani-
zation and retrenchment The result
Is that the postmaster general mas oecn
able to make his estimate or expenses
for the present year so low as to keep
within tn amount the postal service rs
expected 10 earn. 1t Is gratifying 10
report that the reduction IN the ueilSib
has been accomplished without any cur
tailment OF postal facilities On the
contrary the service has been greatly
extended during the year In all It's
branches A principle which the post
master general has recommended and
sought TO have enforced in respect 10
all appointments has been that those
appointees who have rendered good SER
vice should he reappointed. This he's
greatly strengthened the interest OF
postmasters throughout the country In
maintaining efficiency and economy In
their offices. because they believed gem
orally that this would secure for them
a further tenure.
Extension OF the Classified Service.
Uron the recommendation OF the
\ postmaster general l have included In
the classified service all assistant post
masters, and believe that this giving
u secure tenure to those who are the
n. ost important subordinates of post
masters will add much to the efficiency
OF their offices and an economical ac-
miEistration. large number or the
fourth class postmasters are now in
the classified service. i think II would
DO wise to put in the CLASSIFIED service
the jrst. second and third class post
masters IL - more logical TO do this
than TO classify the fourth-class post
masters, for the reason that the fourth
class postoffices are Invariably small.
anu the postmasters are necessarily
men who must combine some other
The Franking Privilege.
The unrestricted manner in which the
franking privilege is now being used
By the several federal services and by
congress- has laid IL open TO serious
abuses. fact clearly established
through Investigations recently insu-
tcted by the department IL Is be-
Iieysd that many abuses OF the frank
ing system could be prevented, and con
seuuently a marked economy effected.
nv ia "A n
the postal service special official en-
yeiores and stamps TO be issued on
requisition TO the various branches OF
the federal service requiring them, and
such records to be kept or all official
stamp supplies as Will enable the post
office department TO maintain proper
postage account covering the entire
volume of free government mail
second-Class Mail Matter.
In my last annual message | invited
the attention of congress to the made
quincy OF the postal rate imposed upon
seccnd-class mail matter In so far as
that includes magazines, and showed
by figures prepared by experts Of the
postoffice department that the govern
ment was rendering 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
q reply was filed TO this answer by the
postoffice department The utter In
adequacy oil the answer, considered In
the light OF the reply OF the postofYice
department. think must appeal to any
fair minded person. Whether the an
swer was all that could be said in be-
half or the magazines is another ques-
tion. 1 agree that the questio mis- one
OF fact: but 1 insist that if the fact Is
as the experts OF the postoffice depart
ment show, that We are furnishing to
the owners of magazines a service
worth millions more than they pay for
IL. 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 a parcels post !
and I'm reducing the cost of first class |
postage to one cent.
Parcels Post.
With respect to the parcels post, 1 |
recommend its adoption on
all rural delivery routes, and that IL |
pounds---the International limit--be |
made the limit OF carriage in such post. /
This with view to its general extern
sion when the income of the postoffice II
department will permit IL and the pos II
tai savinSs banks shall have been fully II
essphsned The same argument is II
made against the parcels post that was II
made against tho postal. savings hank Il
that II Ia introducin gthe goyernment l
into business which ought ia he con
Quoted by private persons, and il ma
ternehsin. The postonice department |
has great plant and great orEani-
zetion, reaching into the most remote
hamlet of the United states and with
this machinery IL Is able TO DO a great
many things economically that IL a
new organization were necessary IL
would be impossible TO do without ex-
travagant expenditure. That Is the rea-
son why the postal savings bank can
be carried on at a small additional cost