Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1915-12-12
bUR[ESON GIVES
REPORT OF WORK
To THE CONGRESS

WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. IL
Postmaster General Burlesons an
nnal report made public tonight says
the European war has cost the Ameri-
can postal service $21, 100000 but that
economies of administration have re-
duced the audited deficits to little
more than $11,000,000 for the fiscal
year which ended last June. Consid-
erations of service, the report says,
were placed above all others and not
| withstanding adverse revenue condi-
tons, expansion and improvement Of
postal facilities continued. Had it not
been for economical reorganization be-
gun before the war started and con-
| tinued since, the Postmaster General
says the audited deficit would have
/ been at elast $24,00O,000 OF the total
deficit, however, his analysis of the de-
partment's finances declares that all
but little more than 100000 was the
result of increases of postal salaries
and additional railway mail pay re-
uuired by law
| Chief among recommendations to
| Congress are a renewal of previous
proposals for a change in the weight
to the space basis of fixing pay to the
railroads for carrying mail; renewal
of recommendations for government
ownership of telegraphs and tele-
phone; removal of the four pound linn
it on first class mail; and the adoption
of more liberal limitations ON the
weight and insurance of parcels post
packages.
The greatest expansion in the post
Office, the reports shows, was in the
parcel post Statistics gathered from
fifty principal postoffices show it to be
half of all the postal business, and
that more than billion parcels are
| being transported every year. Before
| the parcel post was established not
| wal ,nNaY
we're handled. The amount of postage
collected from that source approache
$3,0O0,000 during the first fifteen days
of October this year alone.
While the war has crippled the
money order system it has doomed the
postal savings banks. The number CT
depositors and the amount deposited
exceeded any year since the banks
were established. More than half
million depositors were on the books
al the end of June, 1915, a gain of 35
per cent for the year and they had on
deposit nearly $66,OO0,OOo, a gain Of
more than SO per cent. The increase il
deposits in some cities was remarkable
They increased in Mex York, 1879 per
cent; Jersey City, 122 per cent; De-
troit, 112 per cent Other cities show
ed gains ranging from so TO 100 per
cent. Of all the depositors more than
| 5S per cent were foreign born and
they had more than II per cent of the
total deposits. The figures are repre-
sented as showing plainly the attrac-
ton of the postal banks to the immi-
grant.
The activities of the Postoffice De-
partment in suppressing fraudulent use
of the mails are undated. The report
says the department is working in
close cooperation with those inter
ested in purifying advertising columns
and that during the year 81 concerns
or persons were banished from the
mails and 1000 lotteries were barred
out.
The subject of railway mail pay,
which is one of spirited controversy
between the Postoffice Department and
the railways the Postmaster Generals
report treats at length. 1t describes
the situation as acute and urgen,,
pressing for immediate adjustment, but
expresses regret that the railway mail
reorganization bill was killed in the
Vast Congress.