The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1911-01-13
ANNUAL REPORT
Of HITCHCOCK
POSTMASTER GENERAL SUBMITS
REPORT FOR YEAR ENDING
JUNE 30, 1910.
CUT IN DEFICIT REMARKABLE
Increased MISUNDERSTANDING and
More Effective Manner Of
Handling Mails.

To the President: I have the hon
or to present the annual report Of
the Postmaster General for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1910.
Reduction of Postal Deficit.
A year ago the fiscal records of the
postal service disclosed deficit of
seventeen and half million dollars,
the largest in the history of the
country. In the space of twelve
months reduction of eleven and
half millions has been made in
this deficit, the excess of expendi-
lures over receipts as reported for
the year ending June 80 last amount
ing to only $5,S48, 566.SS.
Through the decade ended June
30. 1909, the growth in the expen-
diture more than kept pace with the
growth of the revenue, the average
annual increase in expenditures
amounting to sos per cent, while
the average annual increase in rev.
enue was only 7.91 per cent, but in
the last fiscal year an increase of
about 10 per cent in revenues was
accompanied by an increase of bare
ly 4 per cent in expenditures.
The cut in the deficit is remark
able as being several times larger
than any reduction accomplished in
previous year.
1t is most gratifying to report that
this unprecedented reduction has
been made without any curtallment
of postal facilities. On the contrary
the service has been largely extend
ed. Attempts in previous years to
reduce deficit by restricting the
development of the postal service
have invariably failed. The policy Of
the present administration has been
to wipe out losses by increasing the
postal business along profitable
lines, and while thus charging the
departments income to reduce as far
as possible the rate of expenditure by
cutting out wasteful processes, by
simplifying and rendering more eff
fective the methods of hauling mail,
and by raising to the highest posi-
BILE standard the efficiency of officers
and employees.
Every practicable measure has
been taken during the year to quick
en- the collection and delivery of
mails Delays of any kind are cost
ly for they result in complaints that
must be given attention, and the time
thus consumed is a source of heavy
loss. The department has according
ly devoted itself with great earnest
ness to the work of increasing the
efficiency of the mail service, con-
sidering this the surest method "r
making the postal establishment
self-supporting.
Extension of Service.
The departments present policy as
already indicated, is to extend the
service as rapidly as is warranted by
Increasing population and business,
and to accomplish its savings, not by
the curtailment of postal facilities,
but by handling in more systematic
and business like manner the con-
stantly expanding volume of the
mails. In the furtherance of this
policy there were established during
the year over 1900 new postoffices,
while the rural delivery system was
greatly extended by putting into OPP
Grafton SIS new routes, traversing
altogether 1926 miles.
There were appointed from the ell
igible list of the Civil Service Com
mission over 1900 clerks, to enlarge
the working forces Of city postoffices
and one thousand additional letter
carriers. The railway mail service
was strengthened by the appointment
of about $50 employees, all of whom
were taken from the civil service eli
gible list. The aggregate salaries OF
the new employees appointed in the
classified service during the year ex-
ceeded 100000.
SeCOnu-ClaSS Mail.
In the last annual report of the
department special attention was di
rected to the enormous loss the gov.
eminent sustains in the handling anC
transportation of second-class mail
Owing to the rapid increase in The
volume of such mail the loss is con
stantly growing. A remedy shoulC
be promptly applied by chargin:
more postage. In providing for thu
higher rates it is believed that dis
tinction should be made between ad
vertising matter and that which il
termed legitimate reading matter
Under the present conditions an in
crease in the postage on readin;
matter is not recommended. Sucl
an increase would place a specia
burden on large number of second
class publications, including educa
tional and religious periodicals, tina