The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1913-02-03
sy AssocIATEp rRpss.

- 42krC(e9t(41 ELL L-fREfC -
Washington, Feb. 2.--Postn1aster-
General Hitchcocks annual report.
made pubic todax, tentatigeiy' sug-
geste reduction OF some parcel post
ystss and increasing the limit of
weight Beyond eleven pounds recon-
mends ciyil pensions for postal en-
ployes; an increase IN ra tes on second
class mail which may pave the way
for one cent letter postage; the con%
solidation of the third and fourth
classes 80 books and papers. may be
forwarded by. parcel post; and points
out that during. bis administration,
expense of. operating the postal SER
vice has been cut down S4S, ,e08;0a0
In course Of q statement on the
condition Of postal finances. Mr..
Hitchcock says in his report:
In 1911, for the FIRST time since
1888, postal receipts exceeded postal
expenditures. leaving surplus in
revenue. in 1912 due to the. extra
ordinary amount. of franSed matter
mailed in the political "a mpai isn; crel
the elcee Of tie si1Scaf y6ar the income
e the department agsin has out
.aThe wear preceding the present ad.
TninistrAtion was marker hy- the
largest postal sefcite on record
amounting TO $t7, 100000. During the
next two years the dedcit greatly re.
duced and later eliminated. When
compared with the financial showing
Of four. years ago. the reports Of, In
come and expense for subsequent
years indicate an aggregate saving Of
about s45,O0o;0oo. ~ e"e.s..
q DEVELOPING THE SERVICE.
The transformation Of a deficit
into. surplus has been accornpi npiished
not by curtailings the servjces but ! by
developing 1t along profitable lines.
While postal facilities have been
greatly enlarged extensions have not
! been made In haphazard manner,
but only when shown on Investigation
| tc be. justified by conditions"
The establishing of postal savings
banks at presidential postofhces wax
completed early in the fiscal year
| ended June 80, .1912-the year covered
| by the report. Since then the system
| has been extended to 1904 fourth class
| postoffices, AZ well as to i645 branch
| Offices and stations in the larger cities
There are now 12,sie postal savings
banks at which patrons may open &C.
counts. The number of depositors ii
approximately 300. 900 and the de.
posits aggregate about. s23.o00. 200, 40
| including s1,814,1lo withdrawn anG
i invested in postal savings bonds.
/ On the basis of the present month";,
/ net increase of deposits 1t IS esti
j mated that the gross income Of the
postal savings system, for the dsca
/ year ending June So,s 1919, viii amour
to $700; 900 and the interest payable
| to depositors to 100000. The ineom,
or the system for the fiscal year vii
rneet the interest psyments and th'
total expenses of the central ONCE, bu
/ win be approximately $37S.ooo les
than enough To cover the entire ex
pense of the sefvice.
| However, the postmaster generapi
report says, 1T Is expected that whei
the deposits have increased to sos,
00e, 600, which at the present rate the.
will do soon, the system viii be self
sustaining"
i. INCREASE THE WEIGHT.
i The report contains no references t
subjects which have developed sine
December 1, and. consequently, tn
postmaster generals consideration 0
the parcel post has to do only wit
the preliminary work Of establishin
the new system, which went into ef
feet on January 1. Tentatively, how
ever, he recommends not only that, tn
parcel post rates be reduced, but tina
the weight Of packages be- increase
to D. int above the n1aximun weigh
OF eleven pounds. On this subiect th
report says: -
while the postage rates for til
new parcel post system range con
Sfderably lower than corresponding ez
press charges. 1t is believed that ex
) perience viii show them TO be highe
, In some instances than is neceesar
in order to maintain the sesvice q
cost Likewise, the restriction tha
! places . tl1-pound, limit on the weigh
) of parcels mailed should be regarde
as merely tentative. After the sys
tenn is thoroughly organized on ths
basis the scope OF the service II Il
usefulness to the public should be. ssfi
] further enlarged by increasing Ii
Z weight limit. If properly develope
z lunder efacient management, the pan
| esontfnued IN Pare six