Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-07
Euprttt1g Gtat

That extra cent of postage is go
Ing to play havoc with a good many
estimates for the expenses of the
new year, especially in public of
iices. and it is not improbable that
good many business houses may
cut down their mail matter owing
to the heavy drafts for stamps.
There are many people who do not
begrudge the extra cent and who
even go so far as to do n bit by using
three-cent stamps on local mail, but
from some of the comments heard in
the post office corridor postage is
getting to be quite an item. The out
lay for stamps in many of the busi-
ness establishments for the new year
will be twice as large as in 1917 as
the result of experience of the last
three months or so. 1t has been
found that not only has the war
brought increased rates in postage,
but that there has been a jump In
the amount of mail matter handled.
In other words that the volume OF
business is greater. In the city and
county offices the items for postage
have been very carefully scanned
and attempts to make them fit new
conditions have been launched.
About the Capitol people say frank
| ly that the situation Is serious.
| When the appropriations were voted
! by the Legislature late in June and
passed upon by the Governor
month later there was no sign OF
three-cent. postage and consequent
| ly the trimming process took no
account of Increased needs in that
line. The same is true in regard to
| clerical help because when the ap-
| preparation measures became laws
there were many things not fore
seen or realized and 1t is going to
take very good housekeeping to
make the funds reach in some of
fees, while in others there Is moth
ing ahead except a deficit
Speaking of postage stamps IL is
believed that the time is coming
when the supply for the state gov
rernment will be handled through
one branch of the accounting de-
partment and that mileage books
and other things. of like necessity
will also be under greater control.
The splendid organization which
handles all of the office supplies
needed on the Hill from surveying
instruments to dried blood for the
flower beds. grew out of a condition
as chaotic as the postage stamp
purchases are to-day In years gone
by each department bought what
1t needed and there are some tall
stories told by old-timers about
some of the items which were
charged to the commonwealth. The
result was that state supplies were
put under the property department.
and the buying is carefully regu-
lated. 1t is nothing unusual for a
department to be turned down on a
requtsition. Eventually, there will be
some system evolved for the buy
ing of the thousands of stamps and
they will be issued according to
needs.
Some idea of the enormous ex-
tent of the mail that is flowing from
the departments of the state govern
ment may be gained from the mere
recital of first of the year business.
The State Highway Department has
sent out 100, 900 automobile license
tags by parcel post, cost ranging
from six to twelve cents, and as
many cards to owners of cars cost
ing probably three cents each; the
State Insurance Fund has sent out
$4,000 letters to policyholders and
VIII mail that many more letters
within a short time; the State In
surance Department is issuing some
thousands of notices and about April
will have thousands more; the
Department of Agriculture has nut
out 5000 oleomargarine licenses
and hundreds of licenses of other
kinds. while the Auditor Generals 6
Department sends blanks for re-
ports to something like $4,000 cor
poratfons and the Health Depart
ment keeps In touch with a thou
sand boroughs, forty cities and p
700 townships.
Union station presents an inter
esting scene to the observer of pos
tai affairs. Twenty times n day, 1t
seems. there is mobilization of
mail matter on the lower platforms
that makes one wonder what It is.
The amount of mail going in and out
of Harrisburg daily is tremendous,
as has been indicated, but this is
also a mail center and the station
gives some idea of what might nap
pen If the mails should go out of
business for twenty-four hours. The
present delays in mails due to the
untangling of the transportation
problem are but trifling compared
to what would happen on a single
days slip of the postal service.
"Billy" Sunday, the evangelist,
dropped into Harrisburg for a shave
on Saturday afternoon. Mr.. Sunday
was on his way to Washington from
the west and seemed to be in fine
fettle. 1t was in sharp contrast to
a visit he paid here a couple of years
ago right after one of his campaigns.
Then he was tired, hollow-eyed, ner-
vous and interested only in fighting
the devil. A few friends of Sunday
recognized him and he was warmly
greeted.
The suggestion of Fuel Admins
traitor Hickok that people burn wood
to relieve the coal situation as much
as possible has resulted in some
pretty brisk demands for wood,
which the coal men say that they
will have trouble to fill. A lot of
people have ben laying in wood for
some time and the condition of
roads is such that it can scarcely be
brought in. In all probability the
railroads will come to the rescue by
selling ties, many of which are now
burned because 1t is cheaper to get
rid of them that way than by load
ing and hauling them.