The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-26
THE POST 0EEICE. ,


Anew Programme by Postnluster Bingham.
- The following 1ettef ff6m cP Postmaster bling
ham to the First Assistant POstma master-Gcne
raj will be read with interest by all classes Of
our;citizeuss-zE T-L&niG1 E'tJE +
PosT OFFICE, PHILADELPHIA, oct. D. 1869. +
Sir:--l have the honor to submit that there are
located in the several sections Of the built-up
portions of this city five large SUPPOSE offices
TO wit:-Statons A, b. & ID, K,-at (which there
are employed the following force-df clerks and
carriers, apds in addition, there is yearly eX-
penditHre oftlie following nioneys for the main
tenanee OF said sub-statons:-
50 Carriers. ~. .... Observation-Disclosures.
10 Clerks. Observation-Disclosures. IS f20
Messengers ..ys....s.!. ........t.... 4,+9O
' RENT, .;i,.,s,E ,s.s.J. d.. ,..i it, ]&''l,5Ip
incidental fApenses. yg,-f, .rr,, t..rerv.c gi3O
y.., sst l.. ,sh'2 .efs,5.53O
The five specified stations were located in this
city from eight to thirteen yearSasoaAnd there
fore before the many facilities Of the present
carrier SYSTEM had been given to the public.
n From the data Which y have carefully col
lected, am prepared to state that these stations
tf RS SnSS Bstss s SSsa. maze s &e
carrier system. There are now located through
out the city OF Philadelphia some seyenty-one
authorized agencies for the sale OF postage
stamps at which persons can ascertain all the
information concerning postal affairs and which
agencies sold during the month OF September
,Sl33lO Of postage stampSs Inc Sfrrler lQrc@
nov Sc lsstandps 10 the general pttblitSs receive
letters and papers when they are handed to them
properly stamped, and laak qth collections from
the street lamp J1st Boxes which have been
greatly, increased n,'npmheGs during the past
two years, and (which now number about eight
hundred. ..-.s r.rt srC.E yrr9H nos
In view, therefore, of the submitted condition
| Of the stations as being no longer Of general
public benefit together With tile facilities Of the
carrier system as worked under my instructions.
| would recommend the closing of the five aforel
sal al pDI' nI1 =
ploycd at said stations to the central Office.
| Underline present. system of stations, Il letter
| mailed at one section of the city addressed 10
| another section, IL deposited in street box !
| must first be collected aud handled by the car
| rier on the route, then hapdled by the superin-
tendent OF the station, trlnsmtted TO- the central
| office, handled by the distribution clerk, then
TRANSMITTED tpahesslPcria the station,
| cased by said superintendent. and then delivered
| by carrier. ND-. G-iOf r.t HE
Five distinct parties, therefore, handle one
| letter going from one extreme section of the
| city to anotheF dxtrehek sGcton ltBy conspli-
datiOn of stations with central Office, but three
| men would handle the sane lefter--the carrier
who collects, the caser Who distributes, and the
| carrier who delivers, Therefore, forty per cent
of possible fishonestyand forty per cent of pos
| sible error is saved an immediate correction of
error in easing is secured and the impoSsibiliy
of ever losing the delivery of Al letter ltpon the
next delivery following its karriva iipthe Office
cannot clearly calculates tile amount OF eX-
petition that will be obtaineds by consolidation:
at least, however from tlree-duarters TO one
| hour in each delivery. In addition ID the bene
fits submitted, will have the great body Of the
| carrier force under emX QYp Immediate super
| vision subiectctoS the alsclplhse and watchful-
ness that are common. TO the Central Post Office.
Elfeetingc the clrhige as recommend, the pre-
sent carrier system will lave in a. degree tar
beyond the possibility tinder'its present orgahi-
zation all the clements that go towards The per-
fecting of the carrier seryee--seeuFity, Honesty,
eelerity, an Aabsenee gof error TO- q very great
occur, and thorough discipline. You will be
pleased TO observe that the total expense Of the
five stations have submitted amounts to s15,53O
To carry out the plan proposed, this amount
rate and figures followlng;--6 men viii make
trips, 12 men trips, q men A. trips, - men 8 .