The Washington times., 1915-12-12
In Report ReneWs Recommends
ton Telegraph and TeIe-
phone Systems Be Taken.
FOR REPAIR PLANT HERE
Would Standardize Salaries Of
All Subordinate Officials Of
Various PostoffiCes in U. S.


Proposals for the Standardization OF
salaries Of all subordinate officials of
the various postofflces of the country
for the appointment of postmasters of
the, second, third, and fourth classes by
the Postmaster General instead OF by
the President and for the erection in
Washington, at a cost Of 5000, 900, of
factory building for the mail repair and
equipment shops. are made in the an
nual report of Postmaster General Bur-
Lesson. made public today.
Mr.. Burleson renews his recommends
tons for Government ownership of the
telephone and telegraph lines of the
United States and the Insular possess
sions, and for a space instead of q
weight basis OF railway mail pay. He
points out the benefits of an expert
mental aerial mail service. and sub
mits a score or more bills for consider
alton of Congress.
The report roundly scores the public
building policy embodied in pork barrel"
omnibus building acts, declaring that
many buildings arc erected in cities
where the cost of janitor service alone
greatly exceeds the amount necessary
to obtain satisfactory quarters, lnclud-
ing light and heat, under rental agree
ment,
Other recommendations made by the
Postmaster General are: For the assess
meAt of directory charge of cent ION
each letter or other piece of mail matter
on which the address has to be filled out
by postal employe.
For fine and Imprisonment of those
using the mails to defraud.
For the establishment of a guarantee
fund for bonded officers to relieve them
of the expense of furnishing bonds.
For extension of the system of trans
porting periodicals by fast freight in
stead of in mail cars.
For additional compensation to the
railroads for transporting parcel post
mails.
For a charge Of cent for all letters
returned through the dead letter office.
Individual.
weight limit on first class mail.
War Caused Deficit.
An audited deficit OF &11.333.S oS.97.
caused by the European war. is shown
in the report. The Postmaster General
says the war cost the postal service
$21, 10000.
or the total deficit, Mr.. BurIeson's
analysis shows, all but 5000. 68S.16 re-
suited from the increases of salaries of
postal employees and additional railway
mail pay required by law.
Other important announcements in
clude the following:
Startling growth Of the parcel post.
Notwithstanding the falling off in other
classes Of mail, and the adoption of
more liberal regulations regarding the
limit Of size and the insurance privi-
Maintenance of frequent mail service
to all foreign countries, including the
belligerent countries of Europe, and
important improvements of the facili-
ties of postal exchange between the
South and Central America.
Interesting effects of the war in
moneY-order and postal-savings serv-
ices, including phenomenal growth OF
the latter.
Parcel Post BY Freight.
The Postmaster General says that an
Investigation is being conducted as to
the feasibility Of inaugurating a plan
of transporting by freight throughout
the country, the large quantities of
parcel post matter emanating from the
various departments in Washington. in
stead Of in the mails as at present.
On the construction OF a new factory
building in Washington the Postmas-
ter General has this to say:
THE ten-year lease on the buildings
located at First and X streets north
east, Washington. D. C.. known as the
Postoffice Department annex, will ex-
pire June 30. 1917. The large eight
story building is used at present by the
equipment shops. The rental of $4,000
is extremely high when the unsuitable
ness of the building is taken into con-
stamps and topography were acconmo-
dated II the annex buildings until Sep
TENDER, 1914, when they were moved into
the new city postoffice building.
The building was originally designed
for storage purposes, and consequently
the ceilings arc low, rendering 1t unfit
for factory purposes because OF the
almost total absence Of natural light
While everything possible has been done
to improve the sanitary conditions, the
fact remains that the health of the en-
ployes Is being adversely affected.
Would Erect Building.
lit is for this reason. as we'll as the
unsuitableness OF the building for fac
tory purposes, that II is highly essentia
that steps be taken to provide better
quarters at the expiration of the lease
This department is preparing plans anC
specifications at the suggestion of th,
Treasury Department, and recommen
10 Congress, which, " enacted. will au
thorize the construction OF a suitable
building under the direction of til,
Postoffice Department.
The plans and specifications ar
being carefully prepared. and the es
innate Of $2oO,O00 is deemed ample 10
the construction Of a factory-typ
building designed for the accommoda
tion OF the equipment shops. The con
strGction OF such building under the di
rection of this department has BET
suggested by the Treasury Department
inasmuch as II would ne impractical
for the office Of the supervising archi
tect to prepare rlans and specification
in the regular course before the yea
1874. The enactment Mt this session o
Congress of LEGISLATION along the lin
proposed Is very essential I'm order tina
proper and suitable quarters may h
provided at the expiration of the leas
on the present annex building June q
1917.
Extracts from the more importar
chapter OF the report follow:
1.-THE revenues for the fiscal year 10
amounted to S287, 24S. 1851 a decreas
Of 023 per cent under the precedin
year as compared with an increase {
100 per cent for 1914 over 1918. TheI
was expended during the year, Z,
thu maintenance ~