The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-04-06
American Geographical Society.
SKETCH or THE POST OFFICE AND POSTAL CoMMUEI
CATIONS OF THE UNION.

American Geographical Society.
SKETCH or THE POST OFFICE AND POSTAL CoMMUN
CATIONS OF THE UNION.
This association held its weekly meeting last evening
Mr.. PusY MILES read the paper OF the evening the
Post Office and postal communication. After referring
to the antiquity of ths post and giving interesting
facts regarding the post in ancient times, Mr. Miles
passed to the consideration of the United States Post
Office. He said:-It will strike many not only an
important and interesting fact, but quite insxpi
cable ore that from the first organization OF our ma
tionsl government to ths present time correspou
dence and postal Of the Post oce
have increased from nine to sixty times fast either
the population tho government income and pendture
the exports any other branch OF national affairs Our
population between 1890 1850 increased seven fold
exports twelve fod and postal four
hundred and forty fold The actual per ssn,ase of in
Of our letter communication by mail 1890 to
1850, sa3 9t5. The figures that show most Clearly
the far greater activity and larger ncpease Of posta
intercourse beyond the increase OF population wealth.
and national income and expenditure are these During
population OF the country has been "a per the
ports - per cent the expenses OF % per
cent the Post Office 100 per cent, and the
Der Of letters sent by mail 140 per cent This il the
increase curing each OF the six periods Of ten
Thus, while our population has increased in sixty
years seven fold letter correspondence by mail has in
creased 4a0 fold, sixty three times tsst as our
population In the year 1890 there by mall
the United States about $50 letters and during the
year 1854 OVER leo 600 eO0 After ali these sratfying
evidences Of the value and use Of our pogta
system, how win you be prepared for the tact that
curing the last four (snoe 1850 the
OF Great Britain wrote and sent by mail 200 900 0C0
letters than have sent through mails since
the organization Of govern nent-more than sixty
five years ago. Ia this good comparison between
government and that Of Great Britan-bstween our
populs ton where the benefits OF cston extend
ed to all and the population Of the British Isles,
at least one half OF all that marry cannot sign their
names to the marriage register but obliged 10 make
their mark According to the official postal statistics
OF 1851 1852 and 1885, the population OF Great Britain
write and send by mail four letters where people
write oHc. Each thousand persons In Great Britain
thousand OF the population of the United state, write
4,l2l or only about four letters to each man. woman
and child IN the country In London there are forty
York there are but twenty three This Is according TO
the report OF 1852.
the able and efficient First and Third Assistant Post
masters General have prepared table OF estimates OF
ths number OF letters sent through the all since the
year 1853 The estimate cannot vary from the actual
number either way-probaby not more than five TO ten
per cent The 6 number IN i'so sysn as 2oS SaS IN
10 600 600 in s40 600 0o0 and during the last year
In Great Britain, the year before last ths
number Of letters written and BY mail O00
00o During the sixty Ave years from 1870 1885, the
number Of letters sent through the mails in the United
States, according 10 estimate, IA 1893 $50, ,s14
During that time the number OF our Post Offices has in
creased from sevantyfve to "a 000 and the length Of
post roads over which the mail Is carried from s75
miles to 2le 935 niles The postal in 1890
$37 $685. less than FIVE times the presen. salary Of the
Postmaster General and during the year 1884 the in
from letters alone six millions OF dollars
M MILES then proved that Post ONCE facilities
better now than they hundred years ago
New York has just one Post Office London, with
about three times the population, has 493 Post Offices
Manchester, with about half ths population of New
York, has lo7 Liverpool has 30; BRISTOL 90 and Gas-
gov, II.
Mr. MILES argued strongly and forciby favor OF he
delivery OF all letters by carriers giving local circu
lation to letters.
The drop letters In London in 1881 numbered 40 5s5
952 while the number in the United States ,rdng
the Official report Of the year, 7l5I25less
than y firy sixth part of those in London alone The
entire number OF letters mailed in London during 1851
for both local and general circulation IS 46i-
while in the whole United states, during the year.
| there were but %, 100, b2i
The letter carriers and receivers In London with their
wages, follows
Number Sri1ris
Letter carriers .s................1,3s5 ,3s5 sI70 275
| Letter receivers. 4sS ~ 435
Total carriers and receivers. 4 ss3 S6oL7l
The postage London local letters is 81 225 900
This shows clear profit Of 5000 900 London
drop letters Besides the vast convenience tbs pub
lie, than half OF the postage such letters Ia
clear profit 10 the Post Office Department The follow
statement gives the n1mber and salaries Of all the
letter carriers OF Great Britain -
Letter carriers in cities and towns. 3ss SS045l5
Letter carriers In rural and suburban
districts .............,......s,S2o 6ol, 40
Total In the United Kingdom ,72l 81 405, ,s35
Here that the profits the drop letters aons
than OF the salaries OF the 72l
letter carriers Of the United Kingdom.
The following table gives the population the receipts
from posiages, the entire local expensespay OF post
MASTERS clerks, letter carriers and receiver ana
tngs expenses-sn except expenses of
in in lQ VI tha