The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-11
P. 0. DEPARTMENT
ON PAYING BASIS
Postmaster General Hitchcock Reports 1t
To Be So For the FIRST Time
Since 1888.

Washington, d. c., Dec. ll.-"For the
first time since 1883 the annual financial
statement of the postotiice department
shows surplus instead of a deficit,
says Postmaster-Gene Hitchcock in
his annual report published to-day. "Fhe
revenues for the fiscal year ended June
30, 1911, amounted to $237 $40 1873 90 and
the expenditures to $237 $50, ,705.4S, leav-
ing surplus of $2l9,llS.l2. At the
beginning Of the present administration
IN 1909, the postal service was IN ar
rears to the extent of Si7,479,7 ,770.H,
which was decidedly the largest deficit
on record. In the brief space of two
years this deficit has been changed into
a substantial surplus,
"The wiping out of the deficit has
been accomplished without eurtailment
Of postal facilities On the contrary,
important extensions have been made in
every branch Of the service, Since the
opening of the present administration
there have been established 3,744 new
postolices, delivery by carrier has been
provided in 1856 additional cities, and
25l6 new rural routes, aggregating co.
go miles, have been authorized. Mean
while the force of postal employees has
been increased by more than 5000.
"In compensating such employees the
department follows liberal policy. Last
year the total amount expended for sal
aries was approximately $l4o00,00O
greater than two years ago The aver
age annual salary has been increased
from $500 to 1867 for rural carriers, from
1919 to Sl,0S2 for postoffiee clerks, from
$I,02l to 81 ,0s4 for city letter carriers,
and from 81 ,l6s TO ST 1873 for railway
postal clerks Thus marked exten-
sion of the postal service and higher
compensation for it's employees have gone
hand in hand with vanishing def
Misuse of Mails.
The departments crusade against the
fraudulent use of the mails, begun in
1910, has been aggressively continued
Last year the inspectors assigned TO this
work investigated great variety Of
cases ranging from petty schemes for the
commitment Of fraud on small scale TO
gigantic projects involving the sale of
worthless stock in imaginary mining
companies and other fictitious concerns.
There were altogether $40 indictments,
and in these cases ls4 convictions have
been already secured, with but 2 acquit-
tails. Most of the pending cases will
come to trial during the current fiscal
year. The swindlers thus indicted had
fraudulently obtained from the public
many millions of dollars. Reports from
the large cities indicate that numerous
concerns utilizing the mails in a ques-
tionable manner have gone out OF bus
mess as the result Of the departments
vigorous crusade. The publicity given
the prosecutions through the daily press
all over the country has been Of great
value in preventing innocent persons
from being defrauded.
MANY inspectors have been employed
solely in the investigation of~cages in
volving the fraudulent use Of the mails
and thus their attention his been d.
verted from the important work Of scru-
tinizing the routine operations Of the
postal service. 1t is believed that the
handling Of all such fraud cases should
be assigned to the agents Of the de-
partment Of Justice, thus relieving the
postofiiee inspectors Of responsibility
the discharge of which seriously inter-
feres with their usual duties"