Imperial Valley press., 1913-06-02
FORMER ADMINISTRATION
GROSSLY INCOMPETENT

WASHINGTON. Jun" 2.-~p"stmastrr
General BurIr>on has made public the
report Of a special Investigation into
fiscal affairs Of the postal service.
charging that during former Postmaster
General Hitchcock's administration the
service did not become self support
ing. as MAS often asserted, but that
in 1911 there actually was a def
cheney uf more than $50. 900.
The report charges that "an appar-
rnl surplus WAS attained by uniu>tii-
able methods of bookkeeping" and thar
the efficiency and morals of Ihe postal
service Were sacrificed Ia ''ruthIesstN
enforced policy Of false economy. that
a showing of self maintenance might
be made The report attributes 10
that alleged condition complaints
against the service.
N". Hiirhrork during his admins
trati"n and in his reports claimed that
IN tlIr year 1909 j deficiency Of approx
imatrly 81 500. 900 had been elm
naird entirely and that in the fiscal
year 1911 a >urpIu, Of more Than
S20o. 600 WA. attained. The report of
The survey made At thr direction Of
Mr.. Burlrs"n says at no time has thee"
Iheen legitimate surplus in postal
r"vcnnes since 1888. and that The post
office department under Mr.. Hitch
cocks administration in 1911 actually
was under deficit nf more than
st5O.OOO.
lust before President Wilson took
office, The report says. Mr.. Hitchcock
filled lomG standing Vacancies, mad"
postponed promotions ana assumed
commitments tu fixed charges for Iom4
terms in such a way as Ia saddl,.
the new administration with the greatly
increased expense during months. ii
not years 10 come" More than 100
rural mail routes We're authorized in
three days The fiscal statement of
The postal service for 1912 purpurtca
Ia show a deficit Of st.1S5.523. but
that sum The investigators say Wa
understated 10y nearly 100000.
Delay Of promotions and filling Of
Vacancies that lapsed that salaries
might be returned To the treasury. the
report says. caused dissatisfaction
among employees and lowered the
standard Of their efficiency Employn,
We're transferred from other depart
mcnte 10 the postal service. it is
charged, 'at salaries in excess Of the
entrance grade" and many certilica-
lions to the postal service commission
thai positions could not he filled by
promotion Were uniusIined."
Daniel o. Roper, Joseph Stewart,
\. NJ. Dockery. Jones I. Blakeslee ami
tour assistant postmaster generals AMI
Merritt .. Chance, chief clerk Of The
department. made HE survey and
signed the report.
II Is pointed out by The committee
|that the published financial reports OF
thr department stated the revenues and
tie cost of the service on diSsimilar
and therefore incompatible bases. Rev
nnes Of the postal service are almost
entirely collected in cash. and conse-
quently relate properly 10 The fiscal
year for which The report is made.
But, the committee finds. il has been
| The practice to compare these only
with payments actually made during
the fiscal year. regardless of 6bliga-
ii0ns incurred in that year. but not
Ia De paid until succeeding years.
An explanation included among The
papers accompanying the committees
report remarks that "it has been sough'
to Justify His procedure on The ground
that the overlapping payments approx
imaiely compensate for all practical
purposes: but when The reported cx-
pendiiures We're subjected 10 malhc-
matical analysis il was found that the
immense and constantly increasing vol
/ umc Of postal transactions made under
statements Of expenditures possible
when the lesser Transactions Of a pre-
ri9Is year and part Of the Srcaler
transactions Of a given year go over
to succeeding year.
Before selling your hides and peIls
see Green S.--Adv. If