Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-05
CAN YOUR TAXES BE CUT?
A Series of Articles on the Cost of Government;
Where the Money Goes, and Why. 4 .
- BY JOHN r. SINCLAIR,
Author OF "Can Europe Hold Togethsr?'

During the fiscal year 1923 there
ing 36.s3s families to the service.
Other routes were excluded SO for
the year we find improved postal SER
vice IN the country districts was
given to s2.e25 families. or 426.o7s
A total Of s51s. 900 was appropriated
BY Congress in June, 1922. for carry
ing mail In New York city through
pneumatic asana, h.s tubes slss The Postmaster
running from September. 1922. to
June. 1882, for such service with the
New York Pneumatic Service Com.
pany for q miles Of double lines OF
main post office OF New YORK and "a
OF the larger postal stations.
Tubes Antedate Moor Truck.
At this time for the 26.S3 miles of
double s-inch lines in operation the
Post Office Department is paying the
contractor $4s6.425 a year. This is a
| very doubtful expenditure, The tubes
| were hrst installed before the days Of
the motor car. when mail delivery
| was slow. Today no such condition
| exists. The motor mail car Is speedy
and efficient. The S-lnch tubes are
! relatively small. I oe1ieve . big saw
! ing can be effected by the abolition of
| this, $50 called tube service.
Mention should be made Of the pos
| tai savings department. For the
year ,nding June. 1923. the deposits
| totaleJ &lS4.465,I los. IN all there are
$500 postal savings repositories. OF
! these approximately 1000 are using
| finger impressions 90 an AID to iden-
| tification of jepbsltors. This method
| is unique in America and has grown
| in great favor during the year. his
department. IS very important one.
| Gut deposits have been going down
| during the last few years. To meet
| this situation Postmaster General
I New. in his report for 1923, declares
| for a. higher interest rate for postal
savings Sd rs to approximate the
standard rates now paid to savings
depositors ~ commercial and other
banks. Such a policy will bring out
many Thousands of dollars now in
| hiding and return this vast fund Of
idle money to the active chambers
Of trade"
During the 1893 fi.cal year 54,1s1
post offices Issued .73.000.os0 money
| ord srs. valued at $1,asS.00o.oeo.
Now for The Expense SIDE.
The Postmaster General o. the
Unit I'd Ssltes is the directing head OF
! this vast enterprise. He receives
! Sl2. 600 a year. This Is the usual pay
| FOR all cabinet positions. He has four
| assistants. They receive $1,000 year
| each. These salari es are eat.rely too
| low-certainly fore the assistants. The
! Postmaster General is situated diff
| Jerently. He is usually the political
| merager for the administration in
power. He Yields vast influence by
his appointive power. The President
relies largely on .he Judgment OF the
Postmaster General Al this time
there are 1921 postmasters of the
first. second and third classes APP
pointed by the President. These APP
pointments are in all cases suggested
| to the Presiden. by the Postmaster
General.
Bigger Force than Army ana Navy.
There were on June 80 last, 2s5, 1922
employees in the postal service of the
United States. OF these. 3.425 live in
Washington. The rest are scattered
in every city and village in the ma
! ton. 1t is a larger force than that
of the Army and Navy combined.
The department cost the people of
| the United States for the fiscal year
1923 approximately s32.S00,00O net
That Is. the department spent that
| amount more than 1t raised in post
office revenue. That sum must be
paid by the people of the United
! States out Of the public Treasury. "
But II is a small sum. For every
500 We raised in 1928 for all federal
purposes. the Post once Department
received only SO cents. 1t is less than
/ per cent. 1t is less than was given
to the Veterans Bureau every twenty
! eight days. 1t Is LESS than we gave
| to the Army every month in the year
The department has Just added 5000
! new men to do the work. The bust
! ness is growing. Cheap service is the
| fi:st consid Grafton in the Post Office
| Department. Yet the net loss esti-
mated for 1924 is 80 per cent less than
| for 1928. The Post Office Department
| has distinctly made good. 1t gives
| the greatest service for the cheapest
| fee Of any public utility in the United
I States.
| The bureau o: efficiency has re-
! Gently suggested the change of the
name Of the Post Office Department
| to Department Of Communications. 1t
! is a good suggestion. It's business Is
| based on social service and not on
| private profit. That Is its greatest
| strength for the future.
Surely II Is not here where taxes
| can be materially cut.
| Copyright. 1924 in q. 8. and Great Britain
\ BIZ North American Newspaper Alliance.
| ALI rights reserved)
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