The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1915-07-15
European War Effects Postal
. Business in U. s.

II Governor Dockery, who has
Immediate supervision of postal
l finances, makes the following
istatement:
Undoubtedly there is a def
.Iciency in the postal revenues for
1.-THE fiscal year which ended June
l3O, 1915. What it will amount
Ito, however, cannot be definitely
known until after the accounts
for the quarter ended June Both
are audited.
| ION the 26 Of February last I
addressed a communication to
Congressman Lloyd, which APP
lpeared in the Congressional Rec
ord of that date, in which it was
stated: THAT there will be a de-
lficiency in postal revenues in the
Fiscal year 1915 is no longer
doubted. What the amount of
the deficit will be no one can say
at this time That prophecy has
come true although I thought at
that time, in view of the dis
turbed business situation, that
the deficiency would probably be
more than twenty-five million
dollars. That it will probably be
somewhere between eleven and
fourteen millions, and not exceed
at the maximum estimate four
teen millions, is due to the very
pronounced and admitted bust
ness improvement during the last
few months, and to the practice
OF economy by the Post Office
Department.
That the European war is
solely responsible Tor the decline
in our postal revenues cannot be
denied. The fact is self-evident.
Before the outbreak of the war
postal revenues were in every
way satisfactory. They exceed
ed the expenditures and put the
Post Office Department on self
sustaining basis, enabling Post
General Burleson to an
nounce for the first time in thir-
ty years, an actual bona fide
postal surplus, and to pay into
the general fund of the treasury,
to be used for the general pur-
poses of government, the sum of
81 300, 900, as. the postal surplus
for the fiscal years 1913 and
1914. This accomplishment is
unique in the administration Of
The department finances and is
without precedent in its fiscal
history.
During the month of June,
914, prior to the beginning of
he war across the ocean, bring
ng unparalleled destruction of
ife, resources, trade and COM
1erce, and reducing the ordinary /
evenues of every civilized ma t
ion of the world, our postal re- 1
eipts increased at a rate in ex- |
ess Of seven per cent, over the t
corresponding month of the pre- /
eding year. Even in July last i
he increase was nearly five per e
emf, although there were plain @
: heard the rumblings of the APP
reaching cyclone of war which S
roke upon half the people of the t
'orld during the latter days of a
aly. When, however, the arm "
$ Of Germany invaded Belgium "
nd France, and nation followed
alton in quick succession in the
of hosti4ities; our
ostal revenues, from the domes-
cssEand foreign business, rapidly v
eclined. For the month of Aug
It last the decline was slightly
excess of one per cent, involv-
g revenue loss of practically "
x per cent in single month. :,
he decline continued month by - -
onth and reached it's maximum "
November, when a. loss in rev. !
lues of about six per cent was - a.
own when compared with the T.
me month of the previous year. II =,
aese were troublous days for =
'stal receipts. The stock ex- =,
langes of the world were 9.
osed; all the industries of =,
'aceful trade and commerce 3.
ere idle. The steady revenue -.
cline which began in the lat. ~
: part of last July was, how ~ ~
er, arrested in December. 80
nee this time there has been q ~ y.
adual but continuous improve ~
mt in nearly every industry ~
d this improvement has been