The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-12-14
POSTAL SURPLUS
FOR FIRST Time,
BURLESON SAYS
tl, ,.,.
Enormous Growth of Parcel
Post and Postal Savings
Divisions. Reported
PURCHASE OF ALL
WIRE LINES URGED
Department is $3,569,545 to the
Department is S3,569,545 to the
Good, For Fiscal Year
of 1914

Eantzation by benjamin FRANKLIN, tAe
postofice department is on a self-sus'
tanning basis, Postmaster-General Bur
Lesson submits TO President Wilson his
annual report. Ii records enormous
growth OF the parcel post and postal
savings bank divisions, and recon-
mends q program of postal Legislation
to Increase the scope or the depart
ment's activities. ~
Mr.. Burleson features his report
with an estimate that surplus OF
S3.5B9,545, the second OF his admins
tration, will be shown for the hscal
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 on selfsustaining basis
at Is safe TO say" the report adds,
that unless unusual conditions
should arise, resulting in abnormal
depression of business, there is no
danger OF recurring deficiencies
The legislative program recon-
mended is as follows as to its most
Important. features:
Early action toward government
Ownership of telegraph and telephone
4 lines, and immediate taking over or
three systems in Hawaii. Alaska and
Porto Rico.
Transfer OF the Alaska cable from
war to postoffice department control.
Substitution OF contract star
route system for salaried rural car
3 rier service to eliminate $4,000, 600
K annual loss on rural delivery.
Postoffice cooperation with state
governments in bodybuilding where
improvements insure better postal
service.
Raising maximum balance accepta-
Bile at postal banks from $500 to ST.
600, interest payments TO be limited
10 81 900. Removal OF monthly de-
post limit restriction.
Aerial mail service, where topog-
raphy warrants. and extension or
motor and automobile service In view
!. Of recent successful experiments.
Passage by senate OF pending bill
providing space basis of compensa,
3 ton for railroads on mail carried in
\ stead OF weight basis
Pending changes in rural delivery
sysfem, computation OF carriers sal
\ aries on basis OF services performed,
dependent on bulk carried, to stimu
+ late business.
Reimbursement OF postmasters' salar-
les on basis of changes In business
handled due to parcel post develop
ment.
Raising of second class rates on
publications other than newspaper.
Issued once a week from one to two
cents pound.
Granting the department legal jur-
fsdiction over selection OF sites and
designs for postal buildings.
or the parcel post during the last
year. the report says: ,<-,
Rapid growth OF the parcel post
\ vastly increased postal business dur
4 ing the year. The departments field
Of service has expanded at a phenom
email rate; Il is still expanding. Not.
understanding the decreases OF parcel
post rates authorized Jan. /. 1914,
economics OF administration have
kept expenses within the revenue"
or the departments financial con-
dition, the report says:
The postal revenues for 1914
amounted to $2S7 1884, 565.67, an in
crease over the preceding year OF
+ slightly less than per cent, as com.
pared with a corresponding increase
OF slightly more than eight per cent
Tor 1913 The audited expenditures
Tor the year amounted to $2s3.543,-
h 1916, and the adjusted losses due to
IRE, burglary ETC., to $14,333.46. The
+ excess OF audited revenues over aud
tied expenses and losses is, therefore.
Y $4,376,463.05.
This audited surplus does not,
however. represent the actual finan-
3 cial results for the year. IL involves
comparison Of amounts that are not
properly comparable. IL does not in
clude obligations which were in
CURED but not paid within the year
while II does include some payments
on account Of obligations incurred In
prior years.
"a 1T Is an interesting fact that.
whereas policies OF government have
bcen advocated and some adopted, the
constitutionality OF which have been
seriously questioned, the principle OF
government ownership and control OF
the telegraph and telephone finds its
X greatest strength in the constitution.
at Is also recommended that the
telegraph and telephone facilities OF
Alaska, Porto Rico and the Hawaiian
Islands be at once taken over and
operated by the postoffice department
This recommendation Is based on an
Exhaustive investigation which dis
. closed that the conditions in these
3 ferritories are generally such as tc
(hvor the change
Defining the general policy he has
pursued, Mr.. Burleson says:
"The service has been administered
for the convenience of the public. no;
Tor profit: 20 promote efficiency by
efandardizing and simplifying proceed.
ure: TO recognize merit and eliminate
partisanship; to extend service wher-
ever present or prospective returns
Justify: 10 reduce rates insofar as
proves consistent with general fiscal
necessity; and to provide all COM
munities and all sections OF the coun-
try. as far as practicable. with uni
form service.
THE fact that the government ex-
ercises monopoly over the receipt,
transmission and delivery OF mail,
cArries an obligation TO perform this
/unction for all its citizens; hence
he postal service may not be operat-
. - wholly on the lines Of private en-.
1Hrrrise.
'The maximum OF service at the
nlnimum OF expense IL the proper
IoIe 10 govern public business"
The report declares newspapers and
rF1odicals handled I'm 1914 under the
1m<nrpound- Observation-Disclosures, totaled
W 100000 pounds. an increase OF
a per cent over the preceding year.