The Washington times., 1913-05-31
HITCHCOCK SURPLUS
DEN|EDBY COMMIT TEE

Figures Made Deficit Ap-
pear as Surplus.
Continued from First Page)
0itjon to this, the Department should
b able to make a complete statement
OF It's financial status. which should in
ciude the administrative expenses of
the Department the expenses Of the
AUDITORS Office. and fair charge for
the maintenance Of Federal buildings
used exclusively or la part FOR post
Office purposes as items Of cost 1t has
In the balance sheet. Furthermore. due
credit should be given the department
for the service performed IN handling
and carrying franked and penalty mails.
In lire with the policy OF unwise I'D
Administrator had adopted. vacancies
In the clerical force Of the department
were permitted to ssmain undiled, and
the lapzed salaries Were turned back
S. g the Tressn;s The withholding s,.as ,,s OF
faction among the employees and un-
ocubtedly to some extent lowered their
efficiency and contributed against
kssRins current the work Of the de-
Failure to nh vacancies during lsia
and 1911 was not justified according 70
the committee. which states that IN
stead Of making deserved promotions.
2 constderabie number " transfers
from other departments were made. at
SALARIES In excess of the entrance
grade, of men unframed In the work OF
the Postoffice Department. II e
further declared that IN order to effect
these transfers Mr.. Hitchcock certified
IN each case where the salary was n
excess Of the entrance grade that the
person recommended for transfer was
especially equipped for the work, Al
though many of the certifications were
unjustiAed
Stress Laid On Economy.
Stress Is laid on Mr.. Hitchcock's
play for economy. the committee say
Ing:
Notices to this effect were carried
by the press, delivered personally py
Representatives of the department At
postmasters' conventions and In oni-
cial letters to postrnasters at hrst and
second class postonices. 1T Is assumed
by the committee that the stress lald
upon this matter incuced many poss,
the expense of the service. The result
- undoubtedly justified such COM
plolnte of imperfect and unsatisfaS
tory service as have been received re-
IIOtu NC" Aoi Ne
.purins the early part Of the. Ad-
mfnistration action was deferred on
ali cases involving the ESTABLISHMENT
Of city delivery service IN Which en- mere ece
ton, notwithstanding that the peopIe
were entitled to the service. and that
ite establishment had been recommend
ed by postoffice inspectors; Many such ni
cases were acted upon only after per
si.t~nt reouests of Senators and Rep
fesentatives."
Rural Mail Appointments
m regard to the alleged practice OF
Mr.. Hitchcock In delaying appointments
ana refusing to furnish necessary clerks
To postmasters, the report set forth:
.-The practice of delaying action un-
I'll the pressure for IL became too strong
se even more noticeable by examiuStipl
OF the records of the division y ruiai
mails. During the greater part OF tine
fiscal year ended June 80. 1911, rural
routes were apparently established only
in cases of extreme emergency, exceps
where a net saving to the Government
was involved. Practically no extensions
of existing routes were approved: On
October /. 1910, LISA approved petitions
for rural route establishments were
held in the division Of rural ma is
awaiting final action. These continued
to accumulate, and yet at the cnd OF
May following May, 1911 the record
for the eleven months Of the fiscal year
shows a net increase Of only 21o routes.
I'm the single month of June. 1911, $40
routes were established and eight ais
continued. making a net increase OF .6i
for the one month, or a net tot3i toI
during the fiscal year for this incresse
of 81 routes was thus limited 10 s2io' i3'.
or 51-l00 of per cent of the annual ap-
preparation.
Star Route Economies.
TN October, 1910 the Fourth Assist
ants Bureau apparently faced a deficit
on account of the star-route service
and instructions were issued to reduce
the expenditures for existing service
to such q figure as would avoid de-
ficit. The attention of Congress wai
not called to the condition. and star
route service was discontinued or cur
tailed. and proposed additional service
wns not esta ablished. Protests and de-
msnds for restoration were SO urgent
ana tusistent, however. that in the early
part Of May, 1911, nearly all Of the star
route service previously discontinued OF
curtailed was restored. efiec.ixs June !
ments effected saving or decrease OF
nearly $780, 600 In the expenditures for
etar-route service during 1911.
Coming to the question OF financial
conditions. the report describes the COM
nrehensiye study Of the finances of the
department for the fiscal years 1903 10
lSIa. inclusive. as outlined above, and
Gays specifically:
"instead Of a surplus of S2l9.lls.12 for
that year dsl1), as claimed by your
predecessor, II is clearly demonstrated
that there was In reality q deficit OF
more than three-quartsrs of million
dolisrs. Furthermore, a close analysis
OF the financial statement for the fiscal
wear 1872 dfscioses the fact that the
admitted deficit of $1,1ss,523 10 for thai
year was understated by nearly siOo''
co.,