Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 19, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 January 1898 — FIND FLAWS IN SYSTEM. [ARTICLE]

FIND FLAWS IN SYSTEM.

Senators Believe Changes Are Needed in the Postoflicc Department. During the investigation of the civil service by the Senate committee, Chifcf Clerk Bailey of the chief examiner's office, civil service commission, advised a general reclassification of the Government offices. The present grouping, he declared, was accidental, based on salaries, while he believed it should he based on the kind of work done. The debate over the- letter carriers service continued at some length, Hoar strongly affpealing for additional appropriation to prevent a reduction in deliveries. Allison, chairman of the Appropriation Committee, expressed the opinion that there was a defect in the administration of the freb delivery system, that the appropriation was either not equally divided between cities or that the Postmaster General's estimates to Congress were too small. Wolcott said that he desired to call the Senate’s attention to the real basis of the trouble with the financial affairs of the Postofliee Department. “It is well understood,” said he, “that second class mail in this country absorbs 65 per cent of the expenses of the Postolflce Department and supplies only about 3 per cent of the revenues. This is the serious point of this discussion and if 1 Congress should enact into law a moasflrc relating to second class mail matter which can be laid before Congress a recurrence of the present difficulty will be obviated.” Wolcott then called attention to the' opposition of the publishers of New England to the enactment of the bill restricting second class matter. Allen of Nebraska thought the great point involved in the discussion of the postoffice finances was the.charge that there was an annual leakage of from SB,000,000 to $10,000,000 on account of underweighing ma*. matter.