The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1913-02-03
INCREASE WEIGHT LIMIT
BEYOND ELEVEN POUNDS
Also Recommends Civil Pensions For
Postal Employees; Increase in Rates
of Second Class Matter to Pave Way
For 1-cent Letter Postage.
(By Associated Press,


General Hitchcocks annual report.
made public today tentatively sug-
gests reduction of some parcel post
rates and increasing the limit OF
weight hey yond eleven pounds; rec
ommends civil pensions for postal en-
ployes; an increase in rates on sec
ond class mail which may pave the
way for 1-cent letter postage; the con-
solidation of the third and fourth
classes SO books and papers may be
forwarded by parcel post and points
out that during his administration,
expense of operating the postal serv-
ice has been cut down As million dol
lars.
In course of a statement on the con-
dition of postal finances, Mr.. Hitch
cock says in his report:
I'm 1911, for the first time since
1888, postal receipts exceeded postal
expenditures, leaving surplus in
stead of deficit. heavy loss Of
revenue in 1912, due to the extraordi-
nary amount of franked matter mailed
in the political campaign, created
temporary deficit; but since the close
of the fiscal year the income of the
department again has outstripped ex-
penses.
THE year preceding the present ad-
ministration was marked by the larg-
est postal deficit on record, amount
ing to II 1-2 million dollars. During
the next two years the deficit was
greatly reduced and later eliminated.
When compared with the financial
showing Of four years ago the reports
of income and expense for subsequent
years indicate an aggregate saving
. of about As million dollars
THE transformation of a deficit in
to a surplus has been accomplished
not by curtailing the service, but by
developing it along profitable lines.
While postal facilities have been
greatly enlarged, extensions have not
been made in a haphazard manner,
but only when shown on investiga-
tion to be justified by conditions"
Postal Savings Banks.
p The establishing of postal savings
b banks at presidential postoffices was
, completed early in the fiscal year.
ended June 80, 1912-the year COW
cred by the report. Since then the
system has been extended to 1904
fourth class postoffices, as well as to
: Gas branch offices and stations in the
larger cities. There are now 12,S12
postal savings banks at which pa
irons may open accounts. The num-
r Der Of depositors is approximately
l 100000 and the deposits aggregate
about 2S million dollars. not includ-
ing $1.S14,14O withdrawn and invested
in postal savings bonds.
:, On the basis of the present monthly
net increase Of deposits it is estimated
B. that the gross income of the postal
, SdN lllSb ~ NSAcu lOI me llStdA y car ellu-
g ing June 80, 1912, will amount to
} 100000 and the interest payable to
d deposltors to S300,OOO The income
# of the system for the fiscal year will
n meet the interest payments and the
g total expenses of the central office
d but will be approximately $275,O00 less
than enough to cover the entire ex
pense of the slrYee
However. thS master Generals
= report says, sit - that wher
= the deposits baye incfe~1 IS mil
. lion dollars. Ihich at the prs at
. they will do soon, the system Wns<
= self-sustaining"
= The report contains no reference
= to subjects which have develope
= since December !, and, consequently
= the Postmaster Generals considers
= ton of the parcel post has to do onl
= with the preliminary work Of estal
= fishing the new system. which wen
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