Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-10-22
THE AMERICAN P0STOFFICE.


~ master~GenefaIC resweIf.
Upon the occasion of the laying Of the
cornerstone Of the new. postofices building
ut Boston, Postmaster-G General Creswell
made an address, giving some interesting
facts and figures. He said: - II
In this country the relations of the peo-
pie with the postoffice are more Intimate
than with any other branch of the govern
ment. They pay directly for its services,
come personally In contact with its officers,
and claim an Immediate interest in its op-
eratiens. The great extent Of our sparsely
populated territory, and the neglect OF edu-
cation in some portions Of the country, par
ticularly in the South and Southwest, have
impeded the improvement and cheapening
of postal intercourse. rtsar
Having conceded, when first intrusted
with the administration of the P0stoffice
Department, that the people should be sat
isfied with nothing less than the best and
cheapest service, l deem the present fit
opportunity to make known what has been
accomplished during the last three years.
The number of letters transported and
delivered during the year ending 30th Of
June last exceeds 640,O00,000, and it is es-
timated that the newspaper and miscella-
neous mails disposed of were ten times
greater in both weight and bulk than the
letter mails.
THE FORCE EMPLOYED.
In the discharge Of these arduous labors
there were in the postal service, at the end
of the last fiscal year, 1884 persons, scat
tered over every part of the national domain,
from Sitka TO Key West, and from San
Diego to the St. Johns. OF these there
Washington, 33l, and in the local service
as follows: Postmastsrs 30,045, contractors
1926, clerks in postoffices 8, 439, letter car
riers 1,4ie, together with route agents,
clerks, ETC., bringing the grand total up to
1884, or 1893 more than the whole army
of the United States, officers and enlisted
men. -.--...-.--.
OF 30,045 postoffices in operation, 2,076
were money-order offices, LIZ were filled
by appointment of the President, and 2S,673
by appointment of the Postmaster-General.
FOREIGN POSTAL RELATIONS.
Within three years past letter postage be
tween all points in the United States and
all points in the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland has been reduced from
"a to cents, and equal reductions have
been effected within the same period in
postage rates between the United States
and Germany, the single rate for letters ex
changed via England having been reduced
from 80 to cents, and for letters sent by
direct steamers from 10 to cents-thus
making practicable proportionable reduc-
ton to all countries to which Great Britain
and Germany respectively serve as inter-
mediaries. ....
Our experience with Switzerland having
demonstrated the feasibility and utility of
transmitting money between the citizens of
different countries by the Intervention of
their respective post departments, conven-
tons have recently been concluded by which
money orders may be transmitted between
our people and residents of Great Britain
and Germany with celebrity and absolute
security.
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The question of the appropriation of the
electric telegraph, and its dedication to pub
lie use, has been definitely settled by the
recent successes of foreign nations. 1t is
now simply problem of finance.