The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-11


partment shows surplus instead OF a
deficit, says the report of Postmaster
General Hitchcock, which was made
public to-day. The revenues for the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1911, amount
ed to S23f.S79,S23.60, ard the expendi-
lures to S237.660.705.4s. leaving a sur
plus OF $219,llS.l2. AT the beginning
of the present administration In. 1909
the postal service was In arrears to
the extent of s17.479.77o.i7. which was
decidedly the largest deficit on record.
In the brief space Of two years this
deficit has been changed into sub
stential surplus.
Extension of the Service.
The wiping out of the dehcit- has
been accomplished without curta.lment
of postal facilities. on the contrary,
important extensions have been made
In every branch oil the service. since
the opening OF the present administra-
ton there have been established g.
t44 new st-ofiices, delivery by car
rier mas been provided in lS6 addi-
tional cities. and 2.6l6 new rural
routes. aggregating 60,G70 miles, have
been authorized. Meanwhile the
force of postal employees has been in
creased by more than 5000. In COM
pensating such employees the depart
ment follows a liberal policy. Last
year the total amount expended for
salaries was approximately $4,000
600 greater than two years ago The
average annual salary has been in
creased from 1869 to 1857 for rural
carriers, from s97s to ;l,oS2 for post
office clerks. from S1.021 to $I,Os4 for
city letter carriers. and from $i,l6S 10
H,laa for railway postal clerks Thus
marked extension of the postal SER
vice and higher compensation for It's
employees have gone hand in hand
with vanishing deficit
Postal SAVINGS System.
An important event of the year was
the successful organization of the
postal savings system. On January
., ISL, repositories were opened ex-
perimentally at single post-ofiice In
each one of the forty-eisht States
and Territories. After a careful test
for four months ct these offices the
system was rapidly extended and now
comprises practically ali of the $500
presidential post-officea. Preparations
are being made to establish the system
also In about 10000 fourth class offices
that do a money order business.
In the establishment of depositorics
only such post-otfices are selected as
have record for efficient manage
ment. This plan has materially aided
the department In Its efforts to Inn
prove conditions In the postal service.
Under the method devised for the
conduct OF the postal savings system
certificates are Issued as evidence of
deposits and all accounts with de-
positori are kept by the post Offices in
stead of by the department Compared
with the universal practice in other
countrdes OF entering deposits In pass
DOCKS and keeping at the central Office
q ledger account with each depositer
the use OF the certificate OF dcposit
In the manner adopted has proved to
be source OF great economy.
Postal savings deposits have kept
pace with the extension OF the system
Amounting at the end OF the first
month to only s6o,252 In the forty
eight experimental Offices. theE in
creased in q half year to $s7s,31o, and
now. after eleven months of opera
ton. have reached a total of $I1ooO,-
600. This sum has been distribute ed
among 2.710 national and state banks
where II is protected by bonds de-
posted with the Treasurer OF the
United States.
Assuming that the postal savings
system will be extended to additional
Offices in accordance with present
plans and that with this extension
TIC ucPOSllp Will TO increase
at the same rate as now, Ii Is conf
IDENTIFY predicted that from $4,000, 900
to s50.oo0.o00 will have been taken IN
by the close of the current fl cal year.
At that time the income of the system
should be sufficient to pay all operating
expenses, including those incurred at
the central administrative office.
Parcel Post.
Now that the successful operation OF
che postal savings system is' assured,
1t Is hoped that Congress will promptly
authorize the establishment OF parcel
post. The benefite of this service are
widely enjoyed by the people Of foreign
countries. and should be provided In
the United States. The department not
only renews Its recommendation OF last
year for Legislative authority to start
parcel post on rural, routes. but asks
q similar authorization for the intro
duction Of such service in cities and
towns having delivery by carrier. AT
ter the organization of o parcel pest
on rural routes and In the city deliv-
cry service Is completed. its extension
to inclued railway and other transport
tation lines can be more readily ac-
complished without Impeding the hand
ling OF the ordinary mail. In esiab-
fishing a parcel post service great
care should be taken not to cause a
congestion Of the. malls. and thus en-
barrass the present operations of tho
post-offices. An attempt to absorb i'm:
mediately under one sweeping order
the entire parcel business of the coun-
try would be a dangerous experiment
for our postal service. That the dIfi-
culties of such plan may be avoided.
the department favors more gradual
introduction of a parcel post, In the
manner proposed. To bring the issue
clearly before Congress. three itema
OF $4,000 each have been inserted in
the estimates of the postal service two
of these items to cover the initial ex-
pense of introducing a parcel post on
rural routes and in the city delivery
service, respectively. and the third item
to meet the cost of an investigation
locking to the final extension of the
service to the railways and other trans
portation lines. If Congress Will grant
without delay the desired authority and
provide the necessary appropriations, 1t
lis believed that before the end of an