Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-06-04
HITCHCOCK PAYS
RESPECTS TO HIS
DEMOC Ratio
DEIRACTORS
Former Postmaster General at
silver City Alleges Critics
Of Administration Are Tnefs
fioient Amateurs.
DEPENDS RECORD OF
POSTAL MANAGEMENT


fny Tensed wire to Evenlne herald.
silver city. \. ~. dune t.--on ar
irving AZ SilVef city yesterday from
the Moapron npuninins. whefe Re has
been epending some weeks, fernlel
Postmaster General Frank H. Hitch
cock. was shown for the hrst time the
statement issued q few days aso ~
Postmaster General nurieson attack
Ing ass administration ~ the postot-
Nee department After reading the
charges. Mr.. Hitchcock Issued the fol-
lowing statement:
"A committed, composed In the
main 81 neeiy appointed assistants.
having less than ten months expert
enco IN postofiice business attempts in
a report TO the pfeaent head Of the
department 30 dlscredit the financial
showing made BY the postal service
under President rafts administration
After reporting alleged discrepancies
that are insignificant when compared
with the great sums known to havh
been saved ny their predecessors. this
committee % novitiates proceeds IN
lls published statement 10 enllghten
the American people az 10 the char
acler % ihe postal service they have
been receiving.
Their statement Il al inaccurate az
h n sratuitous for the public wcii
knows that never was the postal ser-
vice conducted more efficiently. or
mall handled with greater precision
and despatch. than In the closing
yesrs Of the Taft administration. In
thvt administration. nearly 5000 new
postoflces were established. delivery
letter carriers were provided In about
800 additional cities and over 5000
new rural routes. aggregatlng about
$4,000 miles were authorized.
Notwithstanding these great ex-
tensions Of service and the heavy in
crease in expenditures they required.
the postolIice department was placed
on a self-suataining basis, and tina;
was its condition when. on the fourth
Of March II passed into the hands OF
newly appointed ofiicers. who seem
thus far 90 have been exercising their
time and their energy IN their vain at
tempt 10 detract from the record
made hy the devoted public servants
they succeeded.
The postal committee OF a Demo
lcratie house Of congress endeavored
last year ~ n similpr manner to attnck
the audited accounts Of the pOsta
service. but after Investigation that
committee WAS fair enough 20 admit
that the department had become sub
4 stantially seif-snstaining. The returns
A. 20 surplus or deficit are made 40
not by the pOstoiiice department. but
by the treasury department. where all
postal incomes are received and all
postal accounts finally audited.
THE secretary Of the treasury re-
ported the wiping out ~ tho postal
deficit and ths record thus certified "a
la hls iiacal report IL likely 10 stand
In history. n the postoftlce depart
ment could have received a proper al
lowance for the cost of carrying on
ranked mail. the postal surplus would
have been much larger than that rec
orded. and this ~ the truth after de-
Quoting the expense occurred on ac-
count OF IA postal service by the treas
ury department for the free quarter
Ing OF certain p0atoflces IN fedora
building. an expense that u less thar
half the cost OF tho Thanking priv
ilege. In the fiscal year 1919. more
than 500 geo. 900 pieces Of mail. hav.
ing an abhlNkAte WflkHt u "b'hi W.
0G0, 600 pounds. were carried free o
charge under the franks 81 congress
men and Of the various government
establishments II postage al tbs
usual rates had been paid ON this mat
ter. Il Is estimated that the postal rev.
enues would have been Increased b.
more than $50. 600. 900.
In the last administration we ap
peaped IN vain To q Democratic hous'
for legislation abolishing the franklin
abuse. II Is subject that the pres
ent postal management might wei
, consider for Il affords an opportunity
10 save the department millions Of dol
hrs year. But Judging from tn
committees report, as published Ia IA,
press. the gentleman now In charge o
postal destinies seem more interesting