The Hawaiian gazette., 1916-12-26
REDUCTION IN
LETTER POSTAGE
Postmaster General Says Ser
vice Not Revenue Producer;
One Cent Rate Coming

partment lays especial emphasis upon
the fact that it is no longer q tax on
The general revenue, having produced
SURPRISES for three out of four years
of the present administration; however,
that its policy has been, and shall con
tinue to be, not to permit the postal
service to become q revenue producer
for the Government, but that all sur
plus postal revenues should be used
| for the enlargement of the service, TO
increase postal efficiency, and, when
justified, 70 reduce the rates of postage.
SURPRISES of $3,S00,0 900 for the year
1913, $4,000 900 for the year 1914, and
$500 900 for the year 1916 were paid
into the general fund of the Treasury,
aaking total during the past four
years of $l2 800 900.
But for the business depression oc
asioned by the European war, il is
| pointed out, the department would
nave undoubtedly secured q surplus of
not less than $lS,00O,000 during the
iour years ended June 30, 1915. This
- in marked contrast, the report says,
with the deficits for eight years of
the two preceding administrations
which drained the Treasury of $48,-
39,630.34 and 24,927 ,657.40. respec-
lively.
Among the more important recon
mendations for legislation may be men
IonPd the following:
Classification of the position of
postmaster at offices of the first, sec
md and third classes To permit trans
| sers of postOffice clerks TO railway
mail service at salaries not exceeding
| salaries received in postoffice service.
"TO more adequately protect the
government and afford relief to the
| officers and employees of the postal
service, it is recommended that the de-
paytnent be authorized to bond it's
own employees through the establish
ment and maintenance of guaranty
| fund derived from assessments levied
against and collected from such en-
ployes in lieu of the present plan of
securing bonds from commercial bond
ing companies.
"To equaEze pay of rural carriers
by fixing salaries on basis Of number
of pieces and weight of mail trans,
ported, length of routes, and time re-
| ITired to serve them instead of solely
| on basis of length Of routes, as At
present.
"To acquire telegraph and telephone
| utilities Of Alaska, Porto Rico anG liza
wall, for which an appropriation Of
| 5000, 900 will be asked. For expert
nentutions in aerial mail service an
| appropriation of 100000 is recon
| nPndPd.
"To enable the department to or
canize post offices on a businesslike
oasis and standardize salaries of SD
| oervisory employees in an equitable
manner. To create a division of stats
| ties and postal information in the Post
Jttce Department to secure data on
he operations of the postal service for
the guidance of the department and of
Congress.
Equitable distribution of postal ia
.ilities throughout the nation at rea.
sonable cost is the keynote of the de-
! Oartment's policy. Important extern
| lions have been made in every branch
| IF the service.
"The postal savings system has
gown from 10000 drpOsitOrs, with
| $50, 026, 1925 on March l, 1913, to 603,
100 depOsitors, with $S6,0l9,S85, on
June 80, 1862 the report continues
During the fiscal year just closed
rhere was a gain Of 1888 in the mum
DER of depositors and $50 1885, III in de
| posts. Salaries of post Office clerks,
'ity and rural carriers, and railway
mail clerks have been increased to the
aggregate extent of $l5OOO,000. Since
durrh, 1913, 1000 new steel mail cars
| luve been placed in the service, afford
| ing greater protection to postal clerks,
haQ faH tn
ailway mail clerks injured while on
| iuty and to their relatives or legal
| representatives.
"Greater efficiency and economy in
postal equipment and the purchase of
| supplies has been secured. Effort will
| DC made to revise postage rates looking
to reduction of postage on first class
mail; but in any event the department
recommends that, as early as practic
able, the One-cent postage rate be
adopted.
"For many years." the report says,
the pOstOfiee department has brought
o the attention of congress the neces-
sity for a change in the basis Of com
pensating railroads for carrying the
nails, asserting that the then existing
Iasis of pay according to weight was
negotiable and unjust, resulting in
use, OF both ororpaymcnt and under
,aymcnt to certain railroads, and which
IL the aggregate resulted in the pay
! Gcnt by the government of an exccs
ave sum for this service.
"The department will on January J.,
| leXt, file with the Interstate Commerce
Commission its comprehensive plan Of
service, which will embody n recon
incubation looking to Il reduction of the
rates but at the same time assure to
the railroads a just and adequate com
peusation for the service performed,
"I.iberal changes in the regulations,
such as reductions in rates of postage
and the cost of insurance, increases in
the size and weight limits, Inaugural
tiQn of the collect ON delivery feature,
and the payment of indemnity for par
tial damage as well as loss, have
brought about material growth in
the parcel post, as Indicated in the
very satisfactory results for the fiscal
yeur Just closed. "
Ben Gallagher, the well known horse
trainer, and Miss Emma b. Danish
German, were married last night by
al iakn