Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-12-13
BURLESON REPORTS
BIG P. 0. DEFICIT
Warns of Bigger Shortage if Legs
lative Antagonism to Depart
ment is Continued.
BY Associated Press to Every Evening.


Washington. Dec. 13.-Operatlon OF
the United States postal service for the
fiscal year 1920 resulted IN dehcit oi
S17, ,27O, ,492 the second largest in the
history of the service Postmaster-Gen-
eral Burleson shows in his annual report
TODAY TO the President, in which expendi-
lures of the Postoffice Department are
placed at ss54 ,322 600 and revenues at
S437, ,15O,2l2. The postmaster-g general
charges Congress with direct responsibility
for the deficit, explaining that the ex-
penditures included approximately s53,-
2O2, 900 paid IA n war bonus to postal
employees and stating that but for thus
there would have been a surplus OF sis,-
427. .q17. MIR Burleson says he declined To
approve the bonus action OF the Legislative
department, adding that he had offered
suggestions Of another plan for compensa-
ting the employees which would have serv-
cd the purpose without at the same time
giving a blanket increase IN pay tn thou-
sands who were already amply componsat-
ed ;"
"For reasons that can be readily under
stood. he continues, "the legislative de
Dartment rejected these suggestions made
nv the postmaster-g general and hence ls
directly responsible for the deficit which
inevitably followed the indefcnsihie nc
ton
The postmaster general feels con-
strained to point out that II n prompt halt
is not called and such policy is persisted
In, there will be deficiency for the next
fiscal year Of approximately S36,n0,'Wo
and the postal establishment Will cease to
be aelf-supportng, rs il should be, and
will become a constantly increasing burden
upon the general treasury
Reference also is made To the decislon
Of the Interstate Commerce Commission,
granting the railways additional pay AZ
gregnting SIS, 103, $50 for carrying the
mails This served likewise to offset m
oreases in postal receipts, Mr. Burleson
declares
Turning from the general admnistra-
tive work 70 detailed matters, the head of
the department says that the receipts
frnm postage on mail aggregated s3el :
| 652. pos. a decrease Of l76 per cent from
Inst wear. OF the total amount S3S,
06O -p5 was derived from malings on
/ which the postage was paid IN money
He points ont that the total postage bull
was equivalent 70 81 60 per capita for
the nations population
| Parcel post revenues, Mr. Burleson estl-
| mates. aggregate approximately Sl50.0o0.-
| 200. or $1,000 600 more than m the pre-
/ vious wear Postage on second-class
mailings produced s25.I07,SfI, an IN
crease Of more than 10000 900 over 1912
There has been an immense increase
! in the amount Of mail handled free by the
| postal service, Mr. Burlcson declares, add
ing that the fire maibng of members q
4 Congress and the various establishments o.
| the government under the franking priv
! leges, cost in handling and tTansporta
ton approximately 50, 100000.
The volume Of mail Of all kinds ike
wise has increased, the report shows. anc
Mr. Burleson urgently recommends III
establishment Of greater plants, especial
" in New York and Chicago, where tn
situations are represented As PARTICULAR,
acute. One-ffth Of all of the secont
class mail matter handled originates Il
New York City and Mr.. Burleson recon
mends the construction there oi thre
great buildings. costing IN the aggre
gate about s300OO,000 together with
tunnel connection between them to expe
dite the handling Of mails. He also recon-
mends the construction Of one large build
ing In Chicago