The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-12-11
and that legislation providing for it's
adoption will be enacted by congress.
The Frankinu Privilege.

The Franking Privileges.
In the last annual report its was |
recommended that the ranking privi- |
lege be discontinued and that legisla- |
tive authority be granted for the use
of special envelopes and stamps in the
free transmission of official mail. such
envelopes and stamps to be furnished
on reQuisition through the agency of
the postoffice department. 1t IL to
be hoped that favorable action on this
recommendation will be taken at the
coming session. The desirability of
the plan has been demonstrated by its
application to the postal savings sys
tenn. Every letter and package mailed
in conducting the business of the sys-
tenn has been required to carry postage
sufficient for its weight and class.
Thus 1t has been possible to ascertain
the exact amount expended by the gov
eminent for postage in this new
branch of the postal service. A sim
liar opportunity to determine the
proper postage charges against other
branches of the government establish
ment ought to me afforded. BY grant
ing the desired authority congress can
aid in a substantial way the efforts
of the department to render still more
accurate its system OF accounting. The
Importance Of such reform is APP
parent when it is understood that the
annual cost of carrying RANKED mail
reaches into the millions
| 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 mail is that of
/ shipping monthly and semi monthly
| periodicals by fast freight. The plan
1 is being put into successful operation
| without serious inconvenience to pub
fishers and subscribers. 1t will not
only result in a large saving to the
government by utilizing a less expen
| sive method of shipment, but what is
still more important to the business
| interests of the country 1t will insure
quicker handling of first class mail.
BY taking out of the railway post
office cars the heavy periodical matter
formerly sorted en- 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 mail that is far more important to
the public. The saving from the new
plan when in full operation will amount
to 100000 a year.
Readiustment of Railway Mail Pay.
Another problem of great conse-
quence to the postal service that
should be acted on by congress during
the coming session is the compensa-
ton of the railways for carrying the
mails. During the year the depart
ment completed the investigation be-
gun early in the administration with
the object of determining what its
costs the railways to perform this serv-
J Ice, and the report of the inquiry was
submitted to congress on Aug IL last
. The statistics obtained during the
course of the investigation disclosed
for the first time the cost of carrying
mail in comparison with the cost of
carrying passengers and express. They
also showed the relationship of cost of
mail transportation to the revenue de-
rived by the railways from this serv-
ice. 1t appeared that while many of
the railways and particularly the
larger systems, made heavy profits
from mail transportation, certain of
mails at loss. AS a result of the in
curry the Importance OF making some
change in the method OF fixing railway
mail pay became apparent, and the
department, after giving the subject
careful consideration, decided to urge
the abandonment altogether of the
present plan of fixing such compensa-
ton on the basis of the weight of the
mails carried, a plan that has proved
to be exceedingly expensive and in
other respects unsatisfactory. In SUBJ
stitution for the method the depart
ment recommended a plan by which
the compensation should be determined
on the basis of the amount of space
required in cars for the handling OF
the mails. making proper allowances
of course for the extent and frequency
of the service performed. The new
plan. if authorized by congress, will
require the railway companies each
year to report exactly what it costs
them to carry the mails, this cost to
be apportioned on the basis of the car
space provided, and payment to be al
lowed at the rate thus determined in
amounts that will cover the cost and
s per cent profit. Should a railway
be dissatisfied with the manner in
which the department apportions the
cost in fixing compensation, it will
have an opportunity, under the pro-
posed plan, to appeal to the interstate
commerce commission. If congress
gives the recommendation of the de-
partment in this regard its favorable
consideration and authorizes a read
justment Of railway mail pay in the
manner suggested, 1t is believed that
the resulting saving to the govern
ment will amount annually to about
100000.
Reorganization Of Railway Service
Following the inquiry into the cost
of transporting mail on the railroads
the department started thorough in.
vestigation Of the railway mail serv.
ice. In certain branches of that serv.
8 ice most unsatisfactory conditions
q We're disclosed as the result of ineffi
S cient management. 1t was found tina
"a in some divisions the Grief clerks hat
not Inspected their lines for severa
" years. Employees on certain lines wer,
B compelled to work exceptionally lonl
8 hours, while in other parts of the serv
ice a sufficient period OF train dut.
was not required. In many instances
the sanitary condition Of the cars ha,
been neglected and the health Of tn
employees thus jeopardized The re
81 ports of the inspectors who made tn
3 investigation showed that the govern
ment had been paying large sums 70
car space that was not properly util