| Show VOl is 16 NO PARCEL POST ADVOCATED Postmaster General Advocates Advocate's Increase in Weight Limit and Revision to Include Books and Printed Matter I CIVIL SERVICE PENSION PLAN RECOMMENDED S. S Total of 61 Pound Pounds of Mail Carried Free Causes Cause Deficit for 1912 After De Def part Had Shown Prof if WASHINGTON Feb 2 Pos Postmaster Post Post- vv master General Hitchcock's an annual annual an an- nual report made public today tentatively tent tenta- thc suggests reduction of some parcel par par- cel post rates and increasing the limi limit of weight beyond eleven eleen pounds I recommends civil pensions for postal employees an increase in in rates o oa or nI n th vu J 11 V w way for cent 3 letter p postage stage th the consolidation of the third and fourth classes claRes so books and papers may b be forwarded by parcel post and points points' Ol out t that during his administration expense of operating the thc p postal stal serice service service ser ice has been cut down own In course coure of ot a t s statement ement on the con condition of ot p postal postal- finances Mr fr Hitch cock says s 's In his report In rn 1911 for the first time since sines 1883 postal receipts exceeded p postal stal expenditures leaving a a. surplus instead of ot a deficit A heavy loss of ot revenue in 1912 du due to tho the tho extraordinary amount mount of franked matter mailed mailed mailed-in In Int inthe t the he political campaign created a temporary tern tem deficit but since the close of the fiscal year ear the income of r the the thed d de department de- de again has outstripped d cx ex ex r M 1 pens s. s The Thc year ar preceding the prese rd ctr ministration n was was was' marked by tb the largest large larg largest e est t postal deficit on record amounting to 1 During the next two to years ear the deficit was greatly reduced later l. eliminated When Phen compared with the tIne financial showing of or four tour years rears n ago o the reports of oC Income Income and expense for subsequent years cars indicate I an nn aggregate saving of ot about Service Extended J. J The transformation n of ot d d. t d deficit into a surplus has bc been n accomplished not by bJ curtailing the service e. e but by developing de It along profitable lines lines' The establishing of ot postal savings banks banIs at presidential was was' was completed earl early In the fiscal year ended June GO 30 O 1912 the 1912 the year rear covered b by the report Since then the system has been heen extend extended to fourth class as well as to 6 branch of offices ot- ot flees and ancl stations In the larger citie There arc now 1 postal savings banks at which patrons n may l open ac ac ac- counts The Tine number of ot depositors J 1 8 approximately and tho the deposits deposits' aggregate te about not Including including ing withdrawn and arid Invested ested In p postal t l savings sa bonds On the tho basis of the present monthly net increase of ot dc deposits It Is estimated that the gross Income of ot the postal savings sa sy system for tor the fiscal year endIng endIng end end- Ing June 30 SO 1913 will amount to Continued on Pa Pair 2 Column 2 2 I EXTENSIONS FOR I I PARCEl POST ARE I URGED IN REPORT Postmaster General Favors Raising Pound Eleven-Pound Limit Continued from front Page Pago t 1 and tho the Inter t payable to depositors depositors tors tore to The Th Income of ot the system for or tho fiscal year will mAtthe mAt the Interest payments and the total ex expenses ox- ox of ot the central office hut but will wUI willbe be approximately less than limn enough to 10 co cover tho the entire expense of ot the service However tho postmaster generals general's report says 8 It In Is expected that when hen the tho Increased cd to which at the pes present nt rate th they will do fio soon the system will willbe willbo bo be soil solf The Thc report contains no references to subjects which t Im have developed de lt since December 1 and ron consequently the postmaster generals general's eon consideration of ot tho parcel post has hns to do only with the tho preliminary work vork of ot establishing the new I system which wont want Into ef effect of- of I feet teet on January 1 Tentatively l however however how how- I ever ho he recommends not only that the I parcel post rates bo ho reduced hut that I Ithe the tho wel weight ht of packages es be Increased to a point abo above the maximum weight of oC elf eleven pounds On this subject ct the report sa says The restriction that places an nn 11 pound limit on th the weight of parcels mailed should be bf regarded a as mere merely tentative After Atter tho system m Is thoroughly thoroughly thor thor- or organized d on that basis the t scope of ot t the hE service u e in Its u u usefulness u LV LU mo Lue I Q Bun sUII further enlarged b by Increasing the weight limit If prop properly rl developed under ef efficient of- of management the parcel post will provo prove to be bo a a. most Important factor factor iacI fac fac- I tor In reducIng the cost of ot living Perhaps the most Important recommendation contained In tho the report Is that the third and fourth classes of mall mail be con consolidated so that books bools and other printed matter ma may be bt forwarded forward forward- ed b by parcel post At present the post- post ago charges for tor these two classes of ot mall mail bear no fixed ratio to each other r For certain weights and zones the parcel parcel par par- cel post rates arc nrc lower tower than the third class rates while In other cases the they are arc higher One Cent Lc er Tho The report directs attention to tho the approval of ot the commission hea headed ed h by Associate Justice Hughes of or th the United States supreme court of ot the postoffice departments department's recommendation that th the posta postage e rate on second class mall be In increased Increased from 1 cent to 2 cents a 0 pound In iho opinion of or the tho postmaster s ter tor general favorable action b by Congress Cons on the report of the commission would b ij j a a. step towards the proper adjustment adjust adjust- ment mont of ot postal post l charges Thc There rc Is a widespread popular In Interest Interest In- In terest the report says ays J. J s In the plan to lower the tho postage POstas-e charge on letters from 2 cents to 1 cent an ounce The Tue proposed increase In th the second cla class 5 rate would ouM pave e the thc wa way tOt for this change hage han o. o making It possible to reduce the first class rate without departing from Ute the a sup self porting porting- postal service D. D During the fiscal year par 1312 1912 more mora I than pieces 5 of ot mall hallnan having bavins an aggregate weight of about pounds pound we were o carried free tree through h the malls un under tinder er the franks of f congressmen and nd of r various government establish Halt Hail postage c o at the ordinary r rates been paid on this thia matter tho tilO thore i. revenues rev rev- of oC the hc department would have oen increased b by more than Postmaster r General Hitchcock de do- clares that It Is manifestly unfair to Ivo the department no credit In the gO governments government's nt's fiscal accounts accounts ac ac- ac- ac counts for or the expense of or performing this his service The department therefore renews Its recommendation that the I pr practice of oC bo ho dl discontinued and mU that legislative authority be granted grante grant grant- e ed d for the tho use us on official mall mail of special special cial Ial stamps to bo ho furnished hed b by the postoffice post- post office fICe department on tho the r requisition of ot I those hose entitled to them In connection with establishment of ot the lie parcel post poet Mr Hitchcock recommends recommends mends ncnds that legislation bo ho enacted lookIng lookIng look- look Ing Ing- to the tho readjustment of or th the pa pay ments to railroads ds for tor the transportation tion of ot mail mall The Thc report recommends that civil pensions on length of or service should bo lie gran granted tad b by t th th-i th h government overn men t to postal employees when thy they become superannuated ed It Is 13 likely that tho the thoe e expense of such a it system stem would be bemore bemore c more than offset b by gains In effi effi- ci ency |
