The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-09-20

p3ss Of IlGures supplied by the offlce
q the fourth assistant postn1aster.gen'
The direct cost Of this transportation,
government officials place at about $751;
500, 900, while the gross postage rev.
enues derived amounted to about s4S,-
". sso, When overhead cost such as
into account the probable expense il
rated at sTo, 600, 900.
On this basis there would appear. to
be q deficit annually Of $4,000, 600, but
since in the handling OF this mail the
rural delivery service Is only one factor,
the railways. urban delivery and other
phases OF the service entering into the
operation, it is obvious that only a small
part OF the gross revenue al be at
tFihuted to this branch,
Hence the conclusion is arrived OF
delivery service could not have been
less than $50, 900. 900.
In order to establish a parity between
income and outgo, 1t Is pointed out BY
Gen, B~lakeslee, either the cost Of OPP
GRAFTON OF the service must be reduced
Or the income must be increased with
out a corresponding increase in ez-
pense.
The vital Importance Of the service
both from the standpoint of material
benefits adruing to farmers and bust
ness men generally, and from the moral
FGiuN IS0hAtiH6 " NHu AldtiOHA III liOS
communication Of ideas, makes any cur
tailment Of the service u~nthinkable.
Keep Down Deficit.
The only course left is to consider
ways and leans Of cutting down the
deficit and after a thorough survey, the
officials Of the department. have come
to the conclusion that a means can be
had to this end, in the improvement and
maintenance Of at least 10000 Q miles
OF the highways Of the United States.
Without going too greatly mt a.
duction In operating costs could be made
in the first, second and third class divi-
sions.
When the fourth class was reached,
however, it was shown that the aver
age number Of parcel post packages de-
Nyered each day per route is but 500
pieces while the average collection is
hMt l,22 pieces, Obviously any increase
Of the collection would amount to very
little increase In expense and in fact
the same Statement may be made Of the
In the last analysis 1t was shewp
that II the amount Of matter trans
ported daily by each route could be In,
creased from about -four pounds to Il
800 pounds, not only would the deficit
OF the service be entirely wiped out,
but in addition the transportation Of
some 800 tons of fo~odstuffs daily In
this fashion would serve to meet the
consumers needs while developing
farm markets in far more adequate
manner than at present.
In each conclusion, however, post
office officials have clearly demon :
strated these facts:
!. AS avenues of communication, in
this case, the highway must be AIDE
quate, not only to take care OF an In
creased traffic, but to DO 1t a65 days
in the year, az inpossibiiity ON all but
one-fourth OF one per cent of the high
ways Of the country today,
2. Adequate avenues of cornnlunica-
tion will serve to (a) increase food
production since they insure a wider
marketing sphere and transportation
at all times Of the year. (b) They will
bring about a definitely lowered cost Of
foodstuffs without affecting the farm
er adversely since a large percentage
of funds "a for excessive costs Of trans
poFtatlon. (c) ANY increase In theii
humber will enhance the profitable
commercial relations between all pa
irons, (d) The Increased market to the
I activity, eel Efficient use of the high
! ways Increases the ability OF railways
and waterways to convey matter pro-
fitably through the elimination Of X
expensive delays n costly congestion al
/ termini.
Finally the taxpayer would be reliev'
ed of a burdensome deficit in postof'
! flee operations and at the same tint
in his private capacity could gain this
t advantages already enumerated to-
I values, sociological factors and othel
! benefits which statistics show, follow
J in the wake of good roads.
In order to bring about this desirable
condition, postoffice officials estimate
= that at least 1000, 900 miles of high
4 ways should be brought to standard
r The saving in postal operations alone
! 1t is pointed out, would pay the cost o
SIS, 900, 900, 900 worth of road improve
ment without taking into account an,
| of the other factors mentioned.
: Frequently in the. discussion of thu
need Of a nationM highway system
the point is overlooked that aside from
I its duty to interstate commerce, tn
4 federal government has a very definite
= obligation to advance the value o
/; properties held in the name of the ma
: ton.
Unclaimed Lands.
A great deal is said in a, general sor
of a way about unclaimed lands. ma
: ttonal forests and the like but 1t is no
n perhaps generally known that the tota
land area, unqualified title to which
5 is vested In the United States, form
: a very appreciable percentage OF tn
total land area and In some states
E notably those Of the Western country
(, this figure runs into AN amount Whicl
leaves private holdings at a ridiculous
s ~ low amount by comparison.
: So intricate is that subject, SO man!
: its ramifications that sven a govern
q n1ent survey made some five years az,
failed to reach exact figures Of gov
O eminent lands, but for the purpose Q
n this article it is enough perhaps to ac
eept the general conclusions reache'
since they will form a reasonably clos
basis and are, in fact, the only basil
for an investigation into extent Of tn
public domain which we have.
Thus it is shown that the total Ian
! held in unqualified title by the natiol
: amounts 10 some asa, 227, 1885 acrNs Q
& 1915 per cent of the nations iand' Y
this 290, 527, 1854 acres Is listed as un
. appropriated and unreserved; 137,ls4,
ia acres are included in national for
ests: 4,364, 6S4- in national parks; 6,S9l,
125 in game preserves, $685. 1858 In Care
Il act Withdrawals; 1891 ,497 in power SIT
reserves; so, 607, 800 in coal land with
II drawals; and the rest in oil, phosphate
v mineral, public water and other with
drawals, reserves or preserves OF on
II kind or another.
n No definite estimate of the value Q
e this acreage can be arrived at put
is safe to say that the potential re
n sources indicated would run into tn
billions of dollars and that all in a
they represent a giant raw material re
e serve which will some day be OF Sn
N mense Importance to the industries c
the nation as well as TO its recrea
AL tional needs.
d But it is not until a further exanlina
ton into the place OF the holdings
q made that a full understanding of thei
possible effect on the development
It certain Of our states IS understood
Thus in Nevada we find an indicate
government ownership Of 9o,6 per cen
e Of all of the land area 81 the STATE
st in Wyoming 7l.9 per cent IN Arlzon
. and in six other Western states hold
II ings which either exceed or rams
But one conclusion ca be reache
Il from this statement when the futur
l. development Of these states . unds
d owner in property rights in acreage 9
ii least, the federal government Will b
" one Of the largest profit holders. An
II since the population is limited and IN
IA area limited. unless the governmer