The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-06-05
HITCHCOCK DEFENDS
POSTOFF|CERECORD
REPLIES TO BURlESON'S At
TACK ON FORMER ADMINS
TRATlON.

| Mogollon Mountains, where he has
been spending some weeks, former
Postmaster General Frank II. Hitch
cock was shown the statement issued
few days ago by Postmaster Gen
eral Burleson, attacking the admin
istration of the postoffice depart
ment.
Mr.. Hitchcock issued the following
statement:
"A committee, composed in the
main OF newly appointed assistants
having less than three months eXpe
rience in postoffice business, attempts
in a report to the present head OF
the department to discredit the finan-
cial showing made by the postal ser
vice under President Taft's admins
tration. After reporting alleged dis
crepancjes that are insignificant when
compared with the great sums known
to have been saved by their prede-
cessors, this committee of novitiates
proceeds in it's published statement
to enlighten the American people as
to the character of the postal serv-
| ice they have been receiving.
Their statement is inaccurate as
| it is gratuitous, for the public well
| knows that never was the postal serv-
ice conducted more efficiently or mail
handled with greater precision and
dispatch than in the closing years of
the Taft administration. During that
administration nearly 5000 new post
offices were established, delivery by
letter carrier was provided in about
800 additional cities and over 5000
new rural routes, aggregating about
$1,000 miles. were authorized.
Self Sustaining Basis.
Notwithstanding these great eX-
pansions of service and the heavy in
crease in expenditures they required,
the postoffice department was placed
on a self sustaining basis ana that
was its condition when on the 4th
of March, it passed into the hands of
newly appointed officers, who seem
thus far to have been eXhausti1g
their time and their energy in a vain
attempt to detract from the record
'ade by the devoted public servants
they succeeded.
"The postal committee of demo-
cratic house of congress endeavored
last year in a similar manner to at
tack the audited accounts of the
postal service, and after investigation
that committee was fair enough to
admit that the department had be
come substantially self sustaining. |
The returns as to the surplus of de-
ficit are made up not by the post
office department, but by the treas
ury department, where all postal in
come is received and postal accounts
finally audited
Franking Privilege.
"The secretary of the treasury re-
ported the wiping out of the postal
deficit and the record thus certified
to in his fiscal report is likely to
stand in history If the postoffice de-
partment could have received prop
er allowance for the cost of carry
ing frank mail, the postal surplus
would have been much larger than
that recorded and this is true after
deducting the expense incurred on
account of the postal service by the
treasury department for the free
Guartering of certain postoffices in
federal buildings, an expense that is
less tain half hte cost of the frank
ing privilege. During the fiscal year
of 1912 more than 300,000000 pieces |
Of mail, having an aggregate weight
of 61,000,000 pounds, were carried
free of charge under the franks of
congressman and of the various gov
ernment establishments. If postage !
at the usual rates had been paid on
this matter it is estimated that the
postal revenues would have been in
creased by more than s20,O00,O0O.
Would Save Millions.
"In the last administration we ap-
pealed in vain to democratic house
for legislation abolishing the frank
ing abuse. 1t is subject that the
present postal management might
well consider, for it affords an oppor-
tunity to save the department mil
lions of dollars year. But Judging
from the committees report. as pub
lished in the press, the gentleman
now in charge of the posta! destinies
seems more interested in disclosing
the fact that during the four years
preceding March an average Of th:r-
ty-four clerkships per annum re-
mained vacant in the department.