The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-11
DEFICIT WIPED OUT,
NOW THERE'S SURPLUS
For First Time Since 1889 financial Statement
of Post-L flee Department Shows Bal
ance on RIGHT Side

sesuSRte the subject and make report.
extensive hearings were held by the
commission during tho summer. at
which the officers of the department
presented data ia support of their con-
tentlon az to the great loss incurred In
hendling second-ciass mail and submit
ted concentrations for gradual
! equalization of postage rates on the
oasis OIL cost. AS the irst step In that
direction, the department suggested
mat inc postage rate ON second luss
| mail be Increased cent pound, thus
making Hat rate of cents a pound.
"hieh charge should be regarded as
| merely tentative. however, leaving for
future determination such additional
| increase as may be found necessary TO
meet the cost. II is hoped that the
| commission will look with favor on
| this recommendation. and that legisln-
ZION providing for Its adoption Will be
enacted by Congress.
Shipment of Periodicals. by Freight,
Among the measures adopted by the
department during the year that will
| materially reduce the annual cost OF
| carrying second-class mall Is that of
| shipping monthly and seml-monthly
periodicals by fast freight The plan
| Is being put into successful operation
without serious Inconvenience to pub
iishers or subscribers. 1t will not only
! result In large saving TO the gov
eminent by utilizing less- expensive
method of shipment. hut what Is still
| moro important to the business in
terests Of the country 1t will Insure
quicker handling OF first-class mall
! by taking out of the railway post
| Office cars the heavy periodical mat
| ter formerly sorted on route a more
! rapid distribution of letters Is made
possible. Thus the new method Of
shipping certain periodicals will mean
| greater efficiency in the handling OF
| class of mall that Is far moro i'm
| portant to the public. Tho saving from
the new plan when In full operation
| Will amount to several million dollars
year.
City Delivery Service.
Important changes were also made
! during the year In the city carrier
. service. a reduction In the number
! OF deliveries for the residential dis
! tricts OF certain cities resulted in
some misa apprehension as to the pur-
| poses OF the department In each case
| the object was to permit the redis-
| tributton Of the carrier service SO as
! to mako II more effective as whole
The curtailment OF too frequent de-
lireries In residential sections enabled
| the department to provide more de-
! liveries In business districts. This
| policy Is almost universally approved
| have fewer deliveries at their rest
dences In order to obtain more fro
! quent service at their places OF busi-
ness. AS already pointed out, the city
! delivery service has been greatly eX-
/ tended in the last two years. during
which period letter carriers have been
placed on duty for the first time In
| lS6 additional cities.
Rural Mail Service.
The consolidation OF the rural de-
livery and star route services, to
| which reference was made in the last
! annual report, has proved to be most
I beneficial. II has enabled the depart
I ment to extend mail delivery to many
thousands of additional patrons by Il
+: Encouragement of established routes
/ with little Increase In the annual rata
| OF expenditure. Much needless dupil-
! cation OF service. which II was din
! cult to prevent with two independent
systems of rural delivery. has been
eliminated since their consolidation.
! Under the new plan Of Organization the
rural mail service is being rapidly ex-
/ tended
Aeroplane Mil Service.
! The hrst aerial dispatch of United
States mail occurred in September
last, when $4,000 pieces were carried
from Aeroplane Postal Station No. 1.
| on Nassau Boulevard, to Mineola. Long
the science OF aviation encourages the
hope that ultimately the regular con-
Veyance OF mall by this means may be
practicable. Such a service. II found
feasible, might be established in many
| districts where the natural conditions
preclude other means OF rapid trans-
| portation.
| Annual Vacations
The department again renews Its
accommodation that q law be enacted
! authorizing the allowance OF thirty
| days annual leave OF absence, with
| Pay, TO post-office clerks, to city letter
carriers. and to such railway postal
clerks as are required to work ak
days a week throughout the year
! While tho granting of the proposed
leave will naturally entail considera BILE
additional expense, It Is believed that
! the cost will be moro than offset by
the greater efficiency to be expected
under law SO beneficial to the health
and spirit OF the employees affected.
Relief From Sunday Service.
An order was put into effect dur
Ing the year that has reduced to a
minimum the employment OF post office
! clerks and letter carriers on Sunday.
| The few employees who are obliged TO
report on the Sabbath to make
! necessary distribution OF important
| letters are now granted compensa-
wy lime oI okiei udSS OF the week
equal to the period of Sunday service.
| The arrangement by which the amount
/ OF Sunday work In post-ofnces is thus
| reduced has been received with great
| favor by the employees and with little
objection from the patrons of the
| service.
Pensions for Supernnnunted Employees.
Almost without exception foreign
nations provide for the pensioning of
civil service employees when they be-
come superannuated Large corpora
| tons in same principle in the retire
| ment TOT sheir aged employees. On
| business grounds, If for no other rea-
son. the government should do like
| wise.
employees has been considerably in
creased during the last few years II