Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-12
BIG CUT IN DEFICIT
Annual Report of the Post.
master General.
EXTENSION OF THE SERVICE
Favors Parcels Post System on Rural
Routes.
WOULD ISSUE POSTAL NOTES
Recommends That Postmasters Be
Included in the Classified Service.
Salary Readjustment.
EXTENSION OF THE SERVICE
WOULD ISSUE POSTAL NOTES

Postmaster General Hitchcock's annual
report o.a,s with the reduction of the
postal deficit in connection with the eX-
tension of the service along business
lines. and among its recommendations
are those for congressional inquiry look
ing to the establishment OF parcels
eral extension throughout the country:
for authority from Congress TO Issue
postal notes for sums not exceeding SO
at special fees lower than those charged
for money orders: for placing postmas-
ters at all presidential offices. including
he great cities of the country, under the
classified civil service; for the increase of
salaries for supervisory officers. and for
annual vacations OF thirty days for post
office clerks and letter carriers as wei.
as postal clerks who are required to
work six days a week or more through
out the year. 1t tells OF what has been
uune IN extending Tie service IN as vaia
GUS branches; OIL the application of rea-
scnab.e business sense n the extension OF
the rural delivery service, and OF the
against frauds and swindlers who seek
~ .ou TIC .,euuious III, ouen the ma.ls
4 contains deta...d statistics OF the serv-
ice in all its branches.
Reduction Of Deficit.
OF the postal deficit Mr.. Hitchcock
says:
"A year ago the fiscal records of the
postal service disclosed deficit of sew.
enteen and a half million dollars. the
largest in the history of the country. In
the space Of Twelve months reduction OF
eleven and a half millions mas been
naoe in rnls dencit, the excess OF eX-
penditures over receipts as reported fof
oh,y %u,oto,.rDoo.
1T Is most gratifying to report tnat
this unprecedented reduction has been
made without any curtailment OF postai
abilities. On the contrary. the service
has been largely extended. Attempts
restricting the development Of the postal
service have invariably failed. The policy
pi eeehI aAAm.il.s iraLivn LAS Oeei "
wipe out losses by increasing the postal
business along profitable Lines. and while
,hus enlarging the departments fncome
to reduce as far as possible the rate OF
expenditure by cutting out wasteful proc
esses, by simplifying and rendering more
,usiress end By ra sine to the highest
possible standard the efficiency of officers
>,Iu employees.
Extension Of the Service.
1.-THE departments present policy as al
ready Indicated, Is to extend the service
as rapidly as is warranted by increasing
population, and to accomplish its savings,
not by the curtailment of postal facilities,
but by handling in a more systematic and
business-like manner the constantly ex-
banding volume Of the mails.
1.-THE department favors liberal COM
pensation for its employ es. believing that
the higher efficiency secured under this
policy Is sure to justify the resulting an
crease In expense. Undoubtedly the gen
erous action taken in this regard last
year was largely responsible for the eff
fective cooperation the department re-
ceived from its officers and men through
out the country in cutting out wasteful
ice generally more efiicient."
Would Tax Advertising Pages.
Referring to the drain upon the public
revenues by carrying certain classes Of
mail matter at the rate Of a cent a pound,
Mr.. Hitchcock proposes the tax of a
higher rate Of postage on thu advertising
pages in magazines carried in the mails.
He says if the magazines can be re-
uuired to pay what 1t costs the govern
ment to carry their advertising pages the
departments revenues would soon grow
large enough to warrant one-cent postage
in letters.
The report recites what has been done
to reduce the cost of mail service in
rural communities by the consolidation
IF the star route and rural delivery sys-
TENS, and expresses the oeiiet that with
the present facilities of the rural de-
livery carriers the Introduction Of a linn
ted parcel post service is feasible with
out additional cost.
Authority to Issue postal notes Is asked
to reduce losses in the mails Of stamps,
coin and currency now sent to make small
purchases or pay small bills.
Mr.. Hitchcock hits a sharp blow at the
ranking privilege, the abuse of which he
refers to in condemnatory tones, and
asys that as first step toward Its cor
rection he is seeking to keep track of the
free business done by the postal service
by issuing stamps and special envelopes
to take the pace Of official franks and
keeping a record of their issue.
The crusade of the department against
swindlers has resulted, the report states,
in the arrest of the principal officers of
thirty -six corporations, companies and
firms and Of forty-six additional cases OF
individuals for conducting schemes to
defraud. He bellows this plan preferable
to the old one Of issuing fraud orders,
which was not found to be effective.
Extending Classified Service.
Mr.. Hitchcock recommends that the pos
tai service be entirely removed from polit-
cal control, and that, In addition to the
.,ostmasters at the fourth-class or small
est offices of the country. all presidential
postmasters be covered by the civil serv-
zee classification, SO that subordinates
nav aspire 10 them and a trained force
De thus raised for the transaction Of the
most important postal business OF the
country. With the civil service classified
ion Of assistant postmasters at first and
second class Offices, which became eff
ective December l, he says practically
all positions Except the postmasters) in
such offices became a part Of the CLASH
led competitive service.
while the salaries OF the subordinate
employees Of the postal service are now,
,or the most part, on q satisfactory
oasis,'' the report states. 1.-THE. compensa-
/ on of many of the supervisory offices is
too low. In nearly 100 Offices the assist
ant postmasters receive less pay than
some Of their subordinates, while about
100 foremen, superintendent and other
supervisory employees receive the same
salary as those they direct" The sugges-
ion is added: 1T Congress appropriates in
t1,a of Hn do