Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-02-04
WOULD INCREASE
WEIGHT LIMIT
Of PARCELS
POST
Postmaster General Hitchcock
in Annual Report ALSO sug-
gests Reduction Of Some Of
Rates in New Service.
ASKS CIVIL PENSIONS
FOR POST EMPLOYEES
Also Advocates Increase in the
Rate on Second Glass Mail
to Pave Way for Penny Let
ter Postage Later.
my Leases wise e. Evsasus ssssisI

Il
ter Postage Later.
fHy Esessea wise g. EvsaiaS EfsVaidI
Washington. Feb. a.--Postmaster
General Hitchcock's annual report.
made public today. tentatively aug
gesis reduction OF some parcel post
rates and increasing the limit ~
weight beyond eleven pounds; recon-
meads civil pensions for postal en-
ployes; an increase In rates on second
class mail which may pave the way
for one cent letter postage; tho con-
solldatlon of the third and fourth
classes so books and papers may be-
forwarded by parcel post: and points
out that during his administration. ex-
pense OF operating the postal service
has been cut down tf5,OOO.000.
In course OF a statement on tho
condition Of postal finances. Mr..
| Hitchcock says in his report;
In 1911. for the first time since
/ 1859. postal receipts exceeded postal
expenditures. leaving a surplus in
stead Of a deficit A heavy loss OF rev.
cnue In 1912 due tO the extraordinary
amount or ranked matter mailed In
the political campaign. created tenn
porary deficit but since the close of
tho fiscal year the income of the de-
pnrtment again has outstripped eX.
| peuses
The year preceding the present adj
! ministration was marked by the larg-
! est postal deficit on record amount
ing To sl7.500.OO0 During the next
two years the deficit was greatly re-
duced and later eliminated. When
compared with the financial showing
Of four years ago the reports Of in
come aud expense for subsequent
years Indicate an aggI egate saving OF
about tt5,OOO.O00.
The transformation Of a deficit in
90 surplus has been accomplished
not by curtailiug the service. but hy
developing u along profitable lines.
! while postal facilities have been
greatly enlarged, extensions have no,
been made in huphnzard manner.
but only when shown on Investigation
10 be justified by conditions"
| The establishing Of postal savings
banks az presidential posroflices was
completed early In the fiscal year.
ended June 30. i9l2--the year cover
ed by the report Since then ihe sys-
tenn has been extended 10 .OOt fourth
class pOstoffices. as Well as 10 Gt5
branch offices aud stations Ia the
larger cities Then" are nuW 1881.
postal SAVINGS banks a. when patrons
may open accounts. The number of
depositors IN approximately 500. Oo0
and the deposits aggregate about f2S,-
O0O 900. not including N.3ti,tiI
Withdrawn and invested IN postal saw.
,ngs bonds.
ON the basis Of the present monthly
net increase OF deposits n IN estimated
that the grosN Income OF the posta
savings system for the fiscal year end
ing June SO. 1919. viii amount 1,
S1O0. 900 and the Interest payable Il
depositors 90 100000 The income
uf the system tor the fiscal year vii
meet the interest payments ana M
total expenses of the central office
but vnl be- approximately S275.o0'
less than enough 90 cover the entir'
expense vt the service.
However. the postmaster general
report says. "a Is expected that whci
the deposits have Increased 20 $50.
100000. which at the present rat
they will do soon the system viii HI
selr-suslaining
The report contains no reference
So subjects which have developed
since December !. ana. consequently
the postmaster generals considerable
Of the parcel post has 90 do nnlE wit
the preliminary work of rstabiishin
the prW system. which went iuto IT
B trct On January g. Tentatively. hos
! ever. he recommends not 0uly that th
+ parcel post rates hr reduced but tina
4 an" weight ct packages be increase,
= Co point above the maximum weigh
. OF eleven pounds ON this subject Ia
. report says
, while the postage rates FOR th
ID new parcel post system range Consid
"rahly lower than corresponding eN
70 press charges ~ is believed that eN
4 | perlence will show them 10 be hi CHE
p i'm some instances than IN necessary
/. | in order 10 maintain the service a
= cost Likewise, the rosgicti0n tina
! places an li-pound limit on tn
weight ~ parcels mailed should b
regarded as merely tentative, Ate
the system h. thoroughly organized o
that basis the scope Of the service q
It's usefulness 20 the public should d
. stin further developed by increasIn
: the weight limit n properly develop
I'd under efficient management. IN
parcel post will prove 10 be mot
important factor In reducing the coi
lot living"
WOULD INCREASE GAL TWO
Perhaps the most important re
onmendation contained in the r,
, port IN that the third and fourt
= classes Of mail be- consolidated
4 that books ana other printed matt,
may be- forwarded by parcel post 4
. present the postage charges for ihcs
: two classes Of mail bear NO fixed ri
!, Ito 60 each other. For certai
e weights ana zones the parcel poi
y rates are tower than the thlrd-clai
q rates. while in other canes they al
higher
= This condition" n is pointed oi
4 In the report. lis likely to result
, much confusion and should not 81
ist, PackageN containing books {