Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-12-13
POSTAL DEPARTMENT FOR FISCAL
YEAR 1920 SHOWS A DEFICIT OF
S17,270,482, BURLES0N REPORTS
Postmaster General PASSES the Buck" to Con-
gress, Charging That Body With Direct Re-
sponsibility for the Shortage; Claims Service
Has Been Improved.
Try THE ASSOCIATED pnnssl


Washington. Dec Evaporation
Ii, Of the United States postal service
70 for the fiscal year 1870 resulted in
Ill deficit of $17,270, 4S2--the second
to largest in the history of the serv'
Ii, ice-Postmaste General Burleson
TO shows in his annual report to the
of president, in which expenditures OF
W the postoffice department are
placed at S454,322 COS and reVe-
ii, nues at $437,150,2l2 The post
III master general charges congress
81 with direct responsibility for the
a deficit, explaining that the eXpen-
In diture included approximately $685.
al zoe 600 paid as n war bonus to pos
TRIAL employees and stating that but
bi for this there would have been
fl surplus of $lS,42T917. Mr.. Burie-
son says he declined to approve the
vi bonus action of the legislative de-
n partment, adding that he had Of
pf fered suggestions Cf another plan
&C for compensatiBg the employees
w which would have served the pur-
NJ pose without at the same time Civ
tn ing a blanket increase in pay to
NJ thousands who were already am
ye ply compensated
20 For reasons that can be readily
understood" he continues, 1.-THE
htlegislative department suggested
tn these suggestions made by the post
tn master general and hence it is di-
la rectIy responsible for the deficit
which inevitably followed the indie
n feasible action.
Urges Calling u Halt.
1.-The postmaster general feels
constrained to point out that if a
prompt halt is not called and such
a policy is persisted in. there will
be a deficiency for the next fiscal
wear of approximately 100000
m and the postal establishment will
pt cease TO be self-supporting, as 1t
.so' should be, and will become con-
be stantly Increasing burden upon the
W general treasury"
I'll Reference is also made to the
re decision of the Interstate Commerce
II commission, granting the railways
w additional pay aggregating $S,1O3,-
$50 for carrying the mails. This
sc served likewise TO offset increases
te in postal receipts, Mr.. Burleson
declares.
M III his discussion of his admins
III tration of the postal service, the
la postmaster general says:
II 1.-THE present postal administration
a. has been one Of continuous and per-
ol manent progress and improvement.
Sc Nothing has been left undone that
cl was within the authority of the post
II master general to do to effect re-
b. adjustments in the interests of the
N people as a whole and not in that
n of any special class.
q Air Mail Service.
o .grhe air mail service which has
:, been successfully operated since its
y Inauguration. May 15I 1913, has
!, been extended across the continent
y and ,collatcrally and further extern
i sion by contract service lhauGu-
NJ rafcd. 80.
~ domestic and International, mas
>, been greatly extended and facili-
: ties for handling parcels improved,
! 2s0 foreign countries and colonies
q now being reached by this service.
u CITY delivery service has been
Z extended, the established service IN
4 all the larger cities materially I'M
q proved, and the government owned
. motor-VehiCle service, inaugufateo
in 1914, has been establish in lGa
"The railway mail service has
been operated with increased
efficiency under the S p c
system, facilities for the handing
of mail improved, and the service
firmly established upon scientific
basis.
t War Conditions Overcome.
4 "War conditions have been over
:, come in the foreign mail service
y which has been brought back tc
:. normal and is rapidly improving
~, "The money order service and
The postal savings system have rap
i idly recovered from war conditions
~ and are in most satisfactory opera
n ton,
"The rural mail service was eX-
!, tended during tho fiscal year to
y more than 5000 additional per
:, sons and the facilities of the ser
vice systematizcd and improved.
=, There has been still further inn
~ provement in the registry and IN
sured parcel post systems and the
10 methods of handling dead letters
u "a large number of important
!, improvements have been made in
II the mail-equipment shop, facilitat-