Omaha daily bee., 1920-12-13
Deficit
In Postal
Operations
Expenditures Totaled ST.
27O,482 Above Income, Ac-
cording to Annual Re-
port of Burleson.
Burleson Raps Congress

of the United States postal service
for the fiscal year 1920 resulted in
a deficit OF $l7,270,4S2-the second
largest in the history of the service
Postmaster General Burleson
shows in his annual report to the
president, in which expenditures of
the Postoffice department are placed
at $454 $4,000 and revenues at $751;
150,2l2.
The postmaster general charges
congress with direct responsibility
for the deficit, explaining that the
expenditures included Approximately
$33,202 900 paid as a war bonus to
postal employees and stating that but
for this there would have been
surplus of $18,427,9l7. Mr.. Burleson
says he declined to approve the
bonus action of the legislative de-
partment, adding that he had offered
suggestions of another plan for COM
pensating the employees which would
have served the purpose without, at
the same time giving blanket in
crease in pay to thousands who
were already amply compensated"
Reference also is made to the de-
cision of the Interstate Commerce
commission, granting the railways
additional pay aggregating $8,lO3,8So
for carrying the mails. This served
likewise, to offset increases in postal
receipts, Mr.. Burleson declares.
Scores Organizations.
Attention is directed by the posi-
master general to the growth of Or
ganization among the postal en-
ployes and he urges that steps be
taken. to "curb the malicious and
pernicious influence" of these Or
ganizations upon the postal person
mel He says they have operated to
Interfere to a, considerable extent
with the efficient conduct" of the
service, adding that much of the, So
called 'demoralized postal service
and dissatisfaction exists only IN
the minds and imaginations of pad
agitators of these organizations WHO
instill these doctrines into the minds
OF the employees through the medi-
um Of their publications"
The postal service head declares
the use of the strike against the gov
ernment by an %outside' organiza
ton is a menace to the welfare OF
the republic as it not only results in
a divided allegiance, but engenders
dissatisfaction, discomfort and unrest
and lowers efficiency.
Mr.. BuHeson also recounts in his
report, the development of the for
eign mails service of which a fea-
ture is the Transpacific, South Amer
ican and Mexican service. He says
that in the last fiscal year, tine num-
ber of countries and colonies reach
ed by American service was increas-
ed from 45 to 200 and that more
rapid transportation was given be-
cause of rehabilitated merchant ma
rine service.
Service to Mexico Improved.
Mail facilities to Mexico continued
to improve during the year so that
mail service "at present is on the
whole better than at any time since
1914" Mr.. Burleson says. The New
York-Vera Cruz service has beer
operated regularly on a bi-weekly
basis by way of Havana and Pro-
gresso.
Turning from the general admin
istrative work to detailed matters,
the head of the department says that
the receipts from postage on mail
aggregated S391,552,205, a decrease
OF 176 per cent from last year. OF
the total amount, $3S S060,795 was de-
rived from mailings on which the
postage was paid in money. He
points out that the total postage bill
was equivalent to $365 per capita
for the nations population.
Parcel post revenues, Mr.. Bur1e-
son estimates. aggregate approx
mately $150,000,000 or $l0,0e9000
more than in the previous year,
Postage on second class mail pro-
duced $25,107,841. an increase of
more than $9,000,000 over 1919.
The volume of mail of all kinds
likewise has increased, the report
shows, and Mr.. Burleson urgently
recommends the establishment OF
greater plants, especially in New
York and Chicago, where the situa-
tons are represented as particularly
acute. One-hfth of all of the second
class mail matter handled originates
in New York City and Mr.. Burle-
son recommends the construction
there, of three great buildings, cost,
ing in the aggregate about $30.000,-
900, together with a tunnel connec-
ton between them to expedite the
handling of mails. He also recon-
mends the construction of one large
building in Chicago.