The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1912-04-19
TAFT REFORMS IN
POSTAL SERVICE
Governments Biggest Business
Concern Now Run on Mod
" ern Basis.
PENNY POSTAGE POSSIBLE
Economy and Efficiency In Admins
tration Under Hitchcock Make
Cheaper Postage Rates Immi-
nent-Policies Should Be
Continued

No branch of the public service
comes closer to the people than the
postofice department. In this depart.
ment the Taft administration has &C.
complished results which have rem.
dered this service more efficient than
at any other time in the history Of the
country.
In thorough accord with the policy
Of economy and efficiency of the Taft
administration, Postmaster General
Frank H. Hitchcock has put an end tc
the annual deficit in the postoffice de
partment and made possible the seri
Gus consideration of further reforms
and improvements, not the least i'm
portant of which is the imminent pos
sibility of penny postage. Many 9th
er reforms that have the support OF
President Taft will be inauguratet
this year Another term of the Taft
administration would place this s240,
000, 900 business institution complete
ly on business basis.
At the beginning of the present ad
ministration the postal service was IL
81
which was decidedly the largest de
ncit on, record Last year the reve
nues exceeded the expenditures by
s21s,11S.12.
The wiping out Of the deficit has
been accomplished without any cur
tailment of facilities. On the con.
trary, there has been established 3.7A4
new postofices, delivery by carrier
has been provided in 1873 additional
cities, and 2.516 new rural routes, ag-
gregating 60,679 miles. have been au.
thorized. Meanwhile the force of pos
tai employees has been increased by
more than 5000, and last year the
total amount expended for salaries
was approximately $4,000. 900 greater
than two years ago. 2. The average an
nual salary has been increased from
1859 to-. 1867 for rural carriers, from
1919 to $1,0S2 for post office clerks.
from sl,021 to s1.0S4 for city letter
carriers. and from $1,163, to $1,183 for
railway postal clerks. Thus marked
increased compensation for its en-
ployes have gone hand in hand with q
vanishing deficit
Postal Banks Great Success.
BY persistent effort the present Re
publican administration secured the
passage on June Is, 1919. of the act
creating the postal savings system.
which is now in operation at prac-
tically all the 1900 presidential post
Offices Preparations are being made
for it's extension to 10000 fourth
class postofices. 1t is confidently
anticipated that the deposits at the
close of the present fiscal year will
aggregate $50, 100000 and that the in
come of the system will be sufficient
to pay all operating expenses.
Under President Taft the postof1ce
department has engaged In an aggres-
sive crusade against the fraudulent
use of the mails. Last year the in
spectors investigated many cases In.
yolving the sale of worthless stock in
imaginary mining companies and 9TH
er fictitious concerns. There were al
together 52S indictments and 1874 con-
victions with but twelve acquittals.
The other cases are pending The con-
victed swindlers had defrauded the
people of many millions of dollars. A
great number of similar concerns
have gone out of business owing to
the rigid enforcement of the Law