Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1912-02-24
INCREASED POSTAGE
ADVOCATED BY TAFT

Inquiry Board Advises Increasing Sec
ond Glass Rates Affecting Periodi-
Gals and Newspapers From Cent to
2 Cents a Pound, but That Present
Free In County Privilege Be Main
tanned.
Washington, Feb. 22.-President Taft
has sent to both houses OF congress a
special message. accompanied by the
annual report of the postmaster gen
eral for the fiscal year ended June so.
1911. ana the report of the federal com
mission on second class mail matter.
The presidents message is as follows
To the Senate and House OF Repre-
sentatives:
the postmaster general for the fiscal
year ended June 80, 1911, 1t gives me
pleasure to call attention to the fart
that the revenues for the fiscal year
ended June 80. 1911, amounted to S23T.4
Ss79.s23.60 and that the expenditures
amounted to $237. eco. 704.4s, making Il
surplus of S219,11s.12. For the year
ended June 80. 1902 the postal service
was In arrears to the extent of S17.-
479.77047. In the interval this very
large deficit has been changed into a
surplus. and that without the curtail-
ment of postal facilities. Indeed, in the
same time there have been established
3,744 new postoffices. delivery by car
rier provided In 1856 additional cities
and new rural routes established, 2,516
in number and aggregatlng 60,679 miles
in extent.
The force of postal employees has
been increased by more than 5000. and
a liberal policy In the matter OF sala-
ries has been followed, so that the
amount expended for salaries is now
$14.000.000 more than two years ago.
The average salary has been increased
from $500 to SCOT for rural carriers.
SOTO to S1.0s2 for postoffice clerks.
$1.021 to $1.0S4 for city letter carriers
and $1,16S to $1.1s3 for railway postal
clerks.
The Postal Savings System.
The report shows that the postal saw
In January. 1911, and that it has now
been extended so as to include 1900
presidential postoffices, which includes
practically all Of the postoffices of that
class. Preparations are also being
made to establish the system at about
10000 fourth class Offices. The de
posits in eleven months have reached "A
total OF, $11.000.O00. distributed among
2.7l0 national and state banks.
The postmaster general recommends.
as ! have done in previous messages.
the adoption of a parcel post. and the
beginning % this in the organization
Of su h ser'-iee on rural routes and In
the city Ce.'very service first. The
placing OF resistant postmasters In the
classified service has secured greater
efficiency. II Is horel that the same
thing may be done with all the post
masters.
The report CT the postmaster general
is full of statements OF the important
improvements in the organization and
methods OF the postal service made
since the last annual report aud Of ten
tative drafts OF legislation emb0 lying
certain recommendation OF the depart
rnent which need legislation 10 carry
them out.
Opposes Government Control Of Tele-
graph Lines.
There is only one recommends Un 10
which cannot agree that L.. oUc
which recommends that the telegraph
lines in the United States should H.
made part OF the postal system aIa
operated In conjunction with the mai
system. This presents q qpes ion %
government ownership Of public u.ii
ties which are now being conducted sr
private enterprise under franchise
from the government. / believe that
the true principle Is that private enter
prise should be permitted to carry Oh
such public utilities under due regula
ton as to rates by proper auth0ritS
rather than that the government should
itself conduct them. This principle
favor because | do not think It IN ne
cordance with the best public policy
Thus greatly to increase the body
public servants. OF course IL 1t cou
be shown that telegraph service coub
be furnished TO the public ut a les
price than it is now furnished TO ii
public by telegraph companies M
with equal efficiency the argume
might he strong one In favor Of tn
adoption " the proposition.
But am not satisfied from any evi
dence that II these properties wer
taken over by the government the
could be managed any more economi
ais or my more efficiently or that en-
would enable the government 70 fe
uish service II any smaller rate tii