New Britain herald., 1928-12-04
AIR MAIL SHOWS
 BIG IMPROVEMENT
Postmaster General Files Report
 for the Year


 suits of an improvement and expan- sion program in the American postal service. particularly in the air maii, were set out by Postmaster General New in his annual report to Presi- dent Coolidge which noted an oper- ating deficit of s33,363,14s for the year ended June 30.
 The operation of the Jones' White Marine Act, designed to stimulate American shipbuilding with aid from postal revenue. was not re- flected in the report as new con- tracts could not be made to begin during the period. The five cent rate on letters sent by air also was made effective since the date of the report but Mir. New said that the contract air mail service appears to justify his opinion that private en- terprise can perform the work cred itably.
 The postmaster general reco,u mended amendment of the March s act under which contracts were lee during the past year for transport ing the mails by air between New York and Montreal; Key West and San Juan, Porto Rico, and between Key West and the Canal Zone. ask ing authority to make contracts for routes between the island possessions and foreign countries, between such islands possessions, and over routes in foreign countries.
 "The fiscal affairs of the depart ment indicate careful and econom- ical administration of the service" he said. Notwithstanding the de- enues under those of the preceding year, the operating deficit increased at lesser rate per cent"
 Increase In Revenues
 The revenues of the service were placed at s693.633,921, an increase the increase was 353 per cent. The audited expenditures were $725.69?.- 765. The final estimate of the sum needed to run the department was s760.973 .e79 and the amount carried in the appropriation act, $755,33o,- 200.
 The task of ascertaining the rev. enue derived from and the cost of carrying and handling the various classes of mail was continued, Mir. New said, and recomm endations for appropriate legislation will be sub- mitted to congress shortly after it convenes.
 The average per capita expendi- ture for postage was $5.11. A reduc- tion of 8.5 per cent in the number of unbelievable letters was noted. but these dead" messages totalled 23.649.044 pieces. The decrease wa, ascribed to the departments cam- paign to induce mail advertisers to use envelopes bearing return ad- dresses. Money found in dead etters or loose in the mails totalled s9S- G7S and 461,441 parcel post pack ages went unclaimed.
 Surveys of all matter mailed free under the penalty privilege by the several government departments and under the franking privilege accord ed members of congress showed an estimated number of 520,117,717 pieces of mail. Had postage been collected the revenue would have been $17.634,510, it was estimated. The postmaster general asked au- thority to extend the free mail priv ilege to the diplomatic corps and consuls of Pan American countries.
 Mir. New reviewed the revision of postage rates under the act of May 29 of this year. Significant changes made were restoration of the one cent rate for private mailing of post cards. reduction in rates on news papers and periodicals when mailed by the general public and on the ad- vertising portions when mailed by publishers, and merger of the spe- cial delivery and special handling charges on matter other than first class.
 Serious Disadvantage
 American exporters ''are placed at a serious disadvantage with those of competing countries" ho said. by