New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-12
Economies Cut Deficit to
$1l,000,000, Says
BurleSOn.
ASKS MORE PAY
FOR RAILROADS
The Postmaster General Urt
Change to Space Basis-Fiits
Dishonest Ads.

Washington, Dec. 11.-Postmnster
General Burleson's annual report,
made public tonight. says that the
European war has cost the American
postal service s21,OOO,OOO. but that
economies Of administration have re-
duced the audited deficit to a little
more than s11,OOO.OOO for the fiscal
year ended last June. Considerations
Of service. the report says, were placed
above all others, and. Notwithstanding
adverse revenue conditions, expansion
and improvement Of postal facilities
continued.
Had it not been for economical re
organization, begun before the war
started and CONTINUED since, the Post
master General asserts that the audit
4 deficit would have been at least
S24,00O,OOO OF the total deficit, how
ever, his analysis Of the departments
finances declares that all but little
more than 100000 was the result Of
increases of postal salaries and add
tional railway mail pay required by
law.
Railways Should Have More Pay.
an justice to the railways" says
the report, "the Postofice Department
and the public, it is a matter of in
creasing necessity that there be enact
ed as soon as practicable the proposed
legislation recommended by the Post
Office Department, authorizing the
change from the weight basis to the
space basis of adjusting compensation
TO the railroads for carrying the mails
and providing liberal and adequate
rates of pay, with which recOmmenda-
tons the conclusions Of the Joint
Committee of Congress, which report
ed August 81, 1914, are substantially
in accord.
The report notes that the fraud or
der statutes are being vigorously en-
forced with good results. THE atti-
tude and activity Of the Postofiice De-
partment is assisting materially IN
purifying the advertising columns Of
magazines and newspapers II con-
tinues. individuals and organizations
in close touch with the department.
This cooperation has resulted in wide
dissemination of information which
tends 10 prevent acceptance by pub
fishers Of advertisements Of q fraud
ulent nature.
During the last year seventy-one
citations TO show cause why a fraud
order should not be issued have been
sent out and fifty-seven fraud orders
have been issued. The number barred
from the mails during the year un-
der these laws an. united TO 1900.
The greatest expansion in the post
Office, the report 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 a billion parcels are
being transported every year. Before
the parcel post was established not
more than one-fourth that number
were handled. The amount Of postage
collected from that source approached
S2,000,000 during the first fifteen days
Of October this year alone.
While the war has crippled the
money order system, 1t has doomed the
postal savings banks. The number Of
depositors and the amount deposited
exceeded any year since the banks were
established. More than a half million
depositors were on the books at the
end Of June, 1915, gain Of 30 per
cent for the year, and the banks had
on deposit nearly S66,0O0, 600. a gain of
more than 80 per cent
The increase Of deposits in New
York was 1873 per cent; Bridgeport,
Conn, 1873 per cent; Brooklyn, 1877 per
cent; Paterson, l62 per cent; Jersey
City, 100 per cent; Detroit, 112 per
cent. Other cities showed gains rang
ing from 80 10 100 per cent. OF all
the depositors more than So per cent
were foreign-born, and they had more
than II per cent Of the total deposits.
The figures are represented as showing
plainly the attraction of the postal
banks 20 the immigrant.