The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1922-12-08
POSTAL WORK FOR
1922 IS REVIEWED
Postmaster General Works
Issues Report
REDUCTION IS SHOWN
Deep Cut In Department Deficit
Was Made During
Past Year
ASSOCIATED Press Dispatch. ]

The campaign for government own
ership of postoffice buildings through
out the country was renewed by
Postmaster General Work in his an
nual report to congress Not only
would a policy of public ownership
relieve the government of much OF
its present housing congestion, the
postmaster general said, but it also
would make for financial economy
since rentals of more than $4,000,
900 now being paid over annually
without tangible return could be in
vested instead in property OF per :
manent value.
Government owned BUILDINGS, he
pointed out. are free from taxation,
while the government as lessee
must pay enough rent to enable the
landlord to met his tax bills. In the
same way he asserted that whereas
the government could borrow money
'on practically four per cent basis
to build postoffices, when 1t leases II
pays a rental sufficient to permit
the lessor to borrow money at seven
per cent, and in some cases as much
as ten per cent"
Other legislation recommended by
the postmaster general included pas :
sage OF the bill pending in the house
postal savings deposits from two TO
three per cent and the rate on
postal savings deposits from two 70
three per cent and the rate on postal
savings bonds from two and a half
to three and a half per cent; estab-
Iishment of a system of pensions for
postal employees who have been in
the service more than thirty years /.
Redistribution of departmental en-
ployes; a salary readtustment to
permit full pay for overtime; au-
thoriZation for motor vehicle rural
mail routes up to seventy five miles
in length; maintenance or guaranty
fund. derived from assessments lev
led upon postal officials accountable
for funds and property, to make good
losses from the failure of such otfic-
ials to properly perform their duties,
and TO take the place of the present
bonding system; imposition of ad-
ditional hostage on Improperly or in
sufficiently addressed mail; and the
extension of insurance and collect
on delivery privileges to third class
mail.
The Departments Activity.
Reviewing the departments activ-
tiles during the last fiscal year, Mr..
Work reported that a reduction of
S20,571 1856 in the deficit of the de-
partment had been effected by &C.
onomics in administration.
Notwithstanding the decrease, the
dehcit is still large, the report said,
and unless revenues increase in
greater ratio to expenses there is
little hope of materially reducing it
in view of fixed charges over which
the department has no control.
During the fiscal years that was an
increase of $21.362 266 in postal re-
ceipts, but expenditures were only
s1S0,S35 in excess OF those of last
year. Considering losses of postai
other causes. the deficit for the year
was $50, 400. ~. IT,
The average per capita expenditure
for postage during the fiscal year
was 1892. Mr.. Work reported, making
a total of postage collected through
stamps alone s391,159,41S. Matter
mailed without fixture of stamps ag-
gregated $41.402.601. Total receipts
were SIC per cent over those of the
previous year. The public bought
74.261 .94S,S13 postage stamps, ST.
401 $50 special delivery stamps and
1,111,124,439 postal cards.
Postal savings deposits and out
standing savings stamps at the end
of the year totalled SAC, 30.167. 93,
compared to $155, 007, 543.65 a year
previous. the curve of deposits and
Need Women Detectives e.
Toxic. November 1S.+Correspond-
ence OF The Associated Press. THE
need Of women detectives has been
felt By the Metropolitan board Of po-
lice and the inspector General of the
police. in favor Of the introduction OF
women to the police force, is ORGANIC
ing for the work ---..
Withdrawals following the same
lines as among the country's savings
banks. -.
Appointments of Postmasters.
Appointment of postmasters has
= become current, as nearly as civil
service laws permit, and of the 1892
presidential appointments confirmed
by, the senate. 1,105 were of women
and 933 of former service men of the
world war
The constantly extending rural de-
livery service continued to take the
place of the fourth class post offices.
The rapid reduction in post Offices
in recent years is shown by the fact
that there were in the United
States and its possessions on July
/. 1922. 51.947 post offices, compared
with 1924 on June 30, 1909, a deA
crease of almost one. third in 20
years. Z
During the year city delivery serv-
ices were established in 20 additional
posf offices. affo-ding this adYanta &c
to 1,045,350 additional people. City
delivery is now in operation on o.
229 offices. Neglectto properly ad-
dress letters and parcels cost the
public more than 1923 900 during the
year. Matter sent TO the dead letter
office however, decreased sixteen per
cent. Er
Mails were carried by air over a
distance of l,727,256 miles and 49,
9SS,920 letters were delivered by the
Air Mail Service without a single
fatality or serious accident to fiers.
The one death in the entire service
was that of a pilot "ferrying" an
empty plane between points. A total
of 434 new rural delivery routes were
organized extending delivery to g.
e30 families. There are now 44,lS6
rural routes, supplying more than 29, :
700 900 individuals, over a length o.
1.Js0.44S miles.
Parcels Post packages handled
totaIled 44,051 ,0S3 and the postage
expended on them was $5,737, 299.
Mail carried postage free under the
ranking privilege of the various gov
ernmental agencies reached a..totai
of I35,000,00O pieces, and the. Post.
master General estimated that had
they been paid for at the ordinary
rates they would have nSted an ad :
ditional income Of s10,S97,Ss7.