The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-12-12
DEFICIT IS CUT DOWN.
Postal Service Only Ran $5,S4S,566
Behind in the Last Year.

Washington, Dec. I'm the space
of twelve months a reduction has been
made in the deficit of the postofhce
department of $1I,5OO,00O, according
to the annual report of POSTMASTER
General Frank H. Hitchcock.
While a year ago the fiscal records
of the postal service disclosed a deflclt
of $17,5O0,000, the largest in the MS
penditures over receipts for the year
ended June 80 last amounted to only
$5,S4S,566.
The departments policy is to ex-
tend the service as rapidly as Is war
ranted by increasing population. IN
furtherance of this policy, 1900 new
postoffices were established during the
last year and 515 new rural delivery
routes traversing altogether l2'aS9
miles, were instituted. Nearly $500
new employees of various classes were
placed upon the rolls of the depart
ment, whose aggregate salaries were
more than $2.0OO,00O annually. IN
addition to this sum, $1,750,00O was
added to the salaries of postoft1ce
clerks, $1,226, 900 to the salaries of
letter carriers, and $250,000 to the
salaries of railway mail clerks All
increases in salary were based upon
efficiency ratings.
In the discussion of second class
mail. Postmaster General Hitchcock
points out the constant growth OF this
class of matter. 1t is carried at a
loss, and he urges that a remedy
should be promptly applied by charS-
ing more postage.
I'm Ievying the higher rate" the re-
port suggests, cit is believed that a
distinction should be made between
advertising matter and what is termed
legitimate reading matter.
In view of the vanishing postal de-
felt it is believed that If the maya
zines could be required to pay what
1t costs the government to carry their
\. ~, he la ri q
revenues would soon grow large
enough to warrant one cent postage on
first class mail.
Newspapers are not included in the
matter because, being chiefly of local
distribution, they do not employ the
mails to any such extent as the wide
" circulating magazines"
Mr.. Hitchcock reviews the work al
ready accomplished looking to the
esta blishment of postal savings banks.
A trial of the new system will be
made, beginning January L, 1911, at
one postoffice in each state and ter
ritory of the Union. The amount ap-
propriated by congress for this trial
was 100000. All Of the offices Sc
lected for the trial are of the second
class, wage earners being particularly
benefited. 1t is expected that the new
postal savings system will be extend
ed to many other offices before the END
OF the current fiscal year.
A renewal of the previous recon-
mendation for limited parcel post
service on rural routes is made. Mr..
Hitchcock expresses the hope that
congress will authorize the delivery on
rural routes of parcels weighing as
high as eleven pounds This scheme
can be put into operation with little
if any expense to the government.
A recommendation is made that con-
gressional authority be given the de-
partfnent for the issuance of postal
notes in amounts not exceeding ten
dollars, at a lower fee than is charged
for none orders.
Mr.. Hitchcock strongly urges that
the entire postal service be taken out
OF politics. He says:
ssThe recent order of the president
classifying, on the recommendation OF
the department, all assistant postmas-
tiers was an important step in the right
direction As a still more important
reform, presidential postmasters of all
grades from the first class to the third
should be placed in the classified
service. This action, which is earnest
" recommended. would unquestion-
ably result in a still better standard OF
Service"
A general extension of the civil
Service rules to fourth class postmas-
tiers is recommended, although some
disadvantages have developed in the