South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-12-05
Postmaster General BurIeson Submits
annual PoStofice Report Which Shoes
Big Surplus - Tells Of Air Service

torted into n reflection upon the ef-
fciency and loyalty OF the postal
employees whose devotion 10 public
duty under the trying test Of war
was conspicuOusly demonstrated.
But the principle is one which can
not be prudently disregarded."
Reaffirming after detailed discus
sion his previous stand as 10 zone
rates on publications. Mr. Burleson
said: The postmaster general has
always believed that a low. fat rate
OF postage should apply 10 reading
matter for the reason that its pri-
mary purpose is the dissemination
OF news and is educational. but he
Is also firm in the belief that this
low rate Of postage should not apply
I 10 that portion OF the publication
devoted 20 advertising or commercial
uses. The law which fixes a zone
rate for advertising matter is emin-
emily fair. a. the rate Of postage is
/ increased in the proportion that the
/ publication is commercialized and
according % the distance il is trans
ported; and the publisher. therefore,
20 certain extent fixes for himself
I the rate Of postage on his publica-
ton. The postmaster general earn
T estly recommends that action be
/ taken by congress to increase the
! rate Of postage on the portion of
publications devoted 10 advertising.
sufficiently to pay the cost Of trans
I portation and hauling same"
Civil Service.
! With reference TO the application
OF civil service requirements to post
{ masters. the report said: "In order
that the spirit and letter OF civil
/ service might be cOnscientiOusly car
RED out as far as practicable, and
= PENDING enactment by the congress
! of legislation which. though repeat
eddy urged by the postmaster gen
/ eral, failed Of passage, several eXecu-
! tive orders have been issued by the
president extending in effect the
classified civil service to postmaster
ships of all classes and requiring
that those who were blanketed into
. civil service by executive orders un-
\ der previous administrations with
/ out having been subjected to any
! civil-service or merit test whatever
shall be required TO pass a civil-serv-
ice examination This is believed to
be a long step in the direction Of
higher standards in the government
service and q more businesslike ad-
I ministration of postal affairs
Mr.. Burleson devotes considerable
space to development OF the air
mail service, concluding with this
+ statement:
THE air mail service of the United
States is the only practical CONNER
! cial aeroplaHe service in the world.
! No service in foreign countries com
pares with fl in magnitude in con-
tinuOus dependability and in bene-
: fits To commerce. It's record Of per
: Torrance during the fiscal year OF
( 1919 was $685. per cent. and this
record was obtained with more than
| 80 percent of the trips made in rain.
fog. mists or other conditions of poor
visibility The operation Of the serv-
ice by months for the fiscal year end
ing June so. 1919, is given in the
accompanying table"
Other Systems.
The report also discussed at length
the operation OF the telephone and
Telegraph systems under the depart
ment during the war period. Mr.
Burleson reasserting his opinion that
these communication facilities should
be government owned. OF the gov
eminent control period he said:
There is quite a difference between
government ownership OF the wire
systems as part of the postal es-
ia blishment and government control
for a limited and very uncertain pc
Rod The recent temporary control
affords no more a test of the virtues
of government ownership than could
be had through temporary receiv-
erShip I'm a court proceeding
THAT the contention of the post
master general for a complete uni
fication OF the various wire systems
is both wise from an economic stand
point and supported by sound bust
ness principles has been confirmed
by the ablest experts on electrical
] transmission Of America That II
should be brought about the post
master general still believes. through
government ownership and operation
as "a part OF the postal ablishmeEt.
and to that end renews the recon
mendations in previous annual re-
ports, that the telephone and tele-
graph systems OF the United States
be incorporated into the postal es-
. ] a