Omaha daily bee., 1915-12-14
POSTAL DEFICIT IS
ELEVEN MILLIONS
Postmaster Generals War Losses
and Raise in Salaries More Than
Offset Economies.
PARCELS BUSINESS INCREASES


WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S. - Post
master General Burleson's annual
report, made public today, says the
European war has cost the American
postal service S21, 100000 but that
economies of administration have re-
duced the audited deficit to little
more, than $11, 900, 900 for the fiscal
year which ended last June. Consid-
erations of service, the report says,
were placed above all others, and
notwithstanding adverse revenue con-
ditions, expansion and improvement
of postal facilities continued. Had
ization begun before the war started
and continued since, the postmaster
general says the audited deficit
would have been az least $4,000
600. OF the total deficit, however,
his analysis Of the departments FL
nances declares that all but little
more than 100000 was the result
of increases of postal salaries and
additional railway mail pay required
by law.
Chief among recommendations to con-
gress are a renewal OF previous proposals
for change from the weight to the
space basis of fixing pay to the railroads
for carrying mail; a renewal of recon-
mendations for government ownership OF
telegraph and telephones; removal of the
four-pound limit on first class mail, ard
the adoption Of more liberal limitations
on the weight and insurance OF parcel
post packages.
Expansion of Parcel Post.
Tie greatest expansion in the post
office, the report shows, was in the par
eel post. Statistics gathered from fifty
principal postoffices show 1t to be hali
of all the postal business. and that more
than 1 900. 900 900 parcels are being trans
ported every year. Before the parce
post was established not more than one
fourth that number were handled. The
amount of postage collected from thai
source approached 100000 during the
first fifteen days of october this yeai
alone.
While the war has crippled the money
order system, 1t has doomed the postai
savings banks. The number OF oepositors
and the amount deposited exceeded any
year since the banks were estabhsheo'
More than a half-million depositors were
on the books at the end OF June, 1913, a
gain of 80 per cent for the year, and they
had on deposit nearly $6S.0oo,0Oo. gain
Of more than 30 per cent. The increases
in deposits In some cities was remark
able. They increased in New York. lsS
per cent; bridgeport, Conn.,, 1888 per cent
Brooklyn, 167 per cent; Paterson, 162 pc
cent; Jersey City, 122 per cent; Detroit
liz per cent. other cities showed gains
ranging from 80 to 100 per cent. OF all
the depositors more than IS per cent were
foreign born and they had more thar
II per cent of the total deposits. The
figures are represented as showing plainly
the attraction of the postal banks to th'
immigrant
Fraudulent Concerns Barred.
The activities OF the Postoffice depart
ment in suppressing fraudulent use of the
malls are unabated. The report says tho
department is working in close co-opera
tion with those interested in purifying
advertising columns, and that during thu
year fifty-seven concerns or persons wer
banished from the mails. and 1900 lot
teries were barred out.
The subject Of railway mail pay, which
Is one of spirited controversy between tn
Postoffice department and the railways
the postmaster generals report treats a
length. It describes the situation as acut
and urgent, pressing for immediate ad
justment, but expresses regret that tn
railway mail reorganization bill wa
killed In the last congress.