The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-12-13
bUR[ESON BLAMES
 CONGRESS FOR B|G
 POSTAL SHORTAGE
Postmaster General Says Defi- cit Seventeen Million Dollars. Second Largest In His
 tory of the Nation
By Associated Press


 Washington, December 12-Operation of the United States postal service for the fiscal year 1920 resulted in a deficit of a127o. .4S2-the second largest in the his- tory of the service-Postmaste General Burleson shows in his annual report to- day to the President, ill which expendi- lures of the postoffice department are placed at $454, 2,eos and revenues at s4s7, ,15O,212.
 The Postmaster General charges Con- eress with direct responsibility for the deficit, explaining that the expenditures included approximately $S3, 600 paid as war bonus to postal employees and stating but for this there would have been a surplus of s1s,427,s17. MT. Burle- son says he declined to approve the bo. nus action of the legislative department, adding that he had offered suggestions of another plan for compensating the employees which would have served the purpose without at the same time giving blanket increase in pay to thousands who were already amply compensated"
 For reasons that can be readily un- derstood.'' he continues. ''the legislative department rejected these suggestions mace by the Postmaster General, and hence is directly responsible for the deficit which inevitably followed the in- defensible action. The Postmaster Gen eral feels constrained to point out that If prompt halt IS not called and such policy persisted in, there will be defi- eiency for the next fiscal year of ap- proximately $S6000,Oo0, and the postal establishment will cease to be self-sup- porting, as it should be, and will become constantly increasing burden upon ths general treasury"
 I. c. c. ALSO HELPED
 Reference also is made to the decision of the interstate commerce commission, granting the railways additional pay ag- gregating SS9 for carrying the mails. This served likewise to offset increases in postal receipts, MT. Burelson de- clares. In his discussion of his admin istration of the postal service, the Post master General says:
 The air mall servsce, which has been operated successfully since its inaugura- tion, May IS, 1918. has been extended across the continent and collaterally and further extension by contract service in augurated.
 'The parcel post service, both domestic and international, has been greatly ex- tended and facilities for handling par cells improved, 260 foreign countries and colonies now being reached by this service.
 City delivery service has been ex- tended, the established service in all the larger cities materially improved and the government-owned motor vehicle service, inaugurated in 1s14 has been established in 163 cities.
 The railway mail service has been op- erated with increased efficiency under the space system, facilities for the han ding of mail improved. and the service firmly established upon scientific basis. War conditions have been overcome in the foreign mail service, which has been brought back to normal, and is rap idly improving.
 The money order service and the pos tai savings system have rapidly recov- cred from war conditions and are in most satisfactory operation
 The rural mail service was extended during the fiscal year to more than 600,- GOO additional persons and the facilities of the service systematized and lm- proved.
 There has been still further improve ment in the registry and insured parcel post systems and the methods of han ding dead letters.
 AGITATORS RAPED
 Salaries of employees in all grades have been increased and working conditions and conveniences improved wherever possible"
 Attention is again directed by the Post master General to the growth of organi- { zations among the postal employees. and he urges that sseps be taken to "curb the malicious and pernicious influence of these organizations upon the postal personnel He says they have operated to interfere to considerable extent with the efficient conduct" of the serv ice, adding that ..much of the so-called .demoralized' and dissatisfaction exists only in the minds and imaginations of paid agitators of these organizations who instn and hammer these doctrines into the minds of the employees through the medium of their publications"
 Turning from the general administra- tive work to detailed matters, the mead of the department says that the receipts from postage on mail aggregated $S91 .552,- aO5. a decrease of 176 per cent from last year. Of the total amount, SS.06O ,795 was derived 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 ma tion's population.
 Parcel post revenues, MT. Burleson es- inmates, aggregate approximately $lou.- ,Oe 900, or s10,OOO 600 more than in the pre- yious year. Postage on second class maii- ings produced $25,l07,S4l. an increase of tnnramtapn $9.O0o,Qo0 over 1919.
 srlISxQ nas been an immense increase N. fh8 mount of mail handled free by tae p9fNni service. Mir. BurlesoE declares, 66diME that the free mailings of mem herA 0x Congress and the various estan- V ]iSkF6&h{s of the government under the z {r& &fj5# privileges cost in handling and tf&n3pQfta tiop approximately s9.40O0Oe.
 arr Y{ifh of all the second-clas mail r6aff& <ndled orlsinates in New York S8 8fx mn Mr. Burleson recommends the konaff4f Ion there of three great buld- x < 5ngx4 4 x sIng in the aggregate about s3o,- < 0<X .t<, csether with tunnel connection hefxz&n them to expedite the handling Uf rsk kils He also recommends the con ,itrit< sl9tg of one large building in Chi