The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-12-14
Interesting Statements in
Report of Postmaster
General BurlesOn
PARCEL POST CAUSES
ENORMOUS GROWTH
The Legislative Program Recommended
Includes Government Ownership of
Telephone and Telegraph Lines, Be
ginning in Dependencies.

WASHINGTON, Dec. II. = Assert
ing that for the first time since its or
ganization by Benjamin Franklin, the
postofice department is on selfsus-
ta7ning basis, Postmaster General
Burleson submitted to President Will
son yesterday his annual report. 1t
records enormous growth In the de-
partment's business because of the
parcels post and postal savings bank
divisions and recommends program
of postal legislation to increase the
scope of the department activities.
Mr.. Burleson features his report with
an estimate that a surplus of 1861
545, the second of his administration,
will be shown for the fiscal year OF
1914 when all claims and charges have
been met On that showing he bases
his declaration that the department
has been securely placed upon a self
sustaining basis.
cit is safe to say the report adds,
''that unless unusual conditions should
arise, resulting in abnormal depression
of business, there is no danger of re-
curing deficiencies. -,
The legislative program recommended
is as follows as TO its most important
features:
Early action toward government
ownership of telegraph and telephone
lines and immediate taking over OF
| these systems in Hawaii, Alaska and
! Porto Rico. Transfer of the Alaska
cable from war to postoffice depart
ment control.
Substitution of contract "sta1
route" system for salaried rural ear
rier service to eliminate $4,000, 900
annual loss on rural delivery.
PostOfice cooperation with STATE
| governments in road building where
! improvements insure better postal ser
| vice.
Raising maximum balance acceptable
at postal banks from $500 to 81, 1000, in
terest payments to be limited to ST.,
000 Removal of monthly deposit imi
restriction.
Aerial mail service, where topo
graphy warrants, and extension o
motor truck and automobile service il
/ view of recent successful experiments
i Passage by Senate of pending bill
providing space basis of compensation
for railroads on mail carried instead o
weight basis.
Pending change in rural deliver
system, computation of carriers sal
Z aries on basis of services performed
dependent on bulk of mail carried, t
stimulate business.
. REIMBURSEMENT of postmaster s sa
aries on basis of changes in bushes
: handled due to parcel post develop
ment.
Raising of second class rates on pull
!. locations other than newspapers issue
, once a week from one TO two cents
pound.
Granting the department legal iuri
diction over selection of sites and d,
signs for postal buildings.
| OF the parcel post during the Las
year the report says:
"tRapid growth of the parcel pos
vastly increased postal business du
ing the year. The department s fiel
of service has expanded at a phenom
| nal rate; it is still expanding. No
| withstanding the decreases of parce
| post rates authorized Jan. l, 1911
| economics of administration have keI
i expense within the revenues
/ Of the department $ financial eond
/ ton the report says:
''The postal revenues for 1911
:. amounted to $287 1874 ,565.67, an il
crease over the preceding year
slightly less than eight per cent. ;
II compared with a corresponding increa.
of slightly more than eight per eel
/ for 1913. The audited expenditures f,
II the year amounted to 1898 ,543, 769. /
and the adjusted losses due to fir
II burglary, etc, to $l4,33346 The e
cess Of audited revenues over auditt
expenses and losses is, therefore S.
376,463.05.
"This audited surplus does nc
however. represent the actual fnanci
4 results for the year. 1t involves eor
parison of amounts that are not pro
erly comparable. 1t does not inclu,
q obligations which We're incurred b
not paid within the year, while it do
J include some payments on account
i OBLIGATIONS incnrrnd in rrinr wears ,