The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-04-25
evening State suarnal.
TUESDAY EvENG, APRIL 25, 1871.
Postal Affairs One Hundred Years
Ago,

In the Office of Mr.. McGrew, chief
clerk of the auditors Office, Postofiicee De-
partment, is carefully preserved letter
written by BENJAMIN Franklin, at London,
ON the 22d Of April, III, to his friend
Humphrey Marshall, Esq, Of Chester
county, Pennsylvania. This communities
ton forwarded "per Captain Osborne,
with brown paper parcel,') contained
some excellent advice to the people of the
colonies respecting uon-importatlon ana
home manufactures.
franklin was appointed general deputy
postmaster in 1853, with salary between
him and his confederates of 5000, If they
could get it," This appointment brought
the frugal philosopher in debt some e9OO,
aud it is reasonable inference, therefore,
that he and his confederates did not "get
it," So great was his zeal in postal mat
tiers, however, that, in spite of the loss
which the office brought to his private
fortune, IA result quite unknown in our
day.) Franklin succeeded in establishing
an increased mail service between Penn
sylvania and New England "all the year
round, whereby answers might be obtained
to letters between Philadelphia and Boston
in three weeks, which used TO require six
weeks"
Benjamin was subsequently removed
from his position by the British ministry,
but in 1875 the Congress of the Confeder-
alton restored him under the title of Post
master General at a salary of 1000 per
annum. The sum was increased in April,
1910, to $4,000, and in December of the
same year to $4,000 per annum.
An inspector of dead letters was also APP
pointed at 500 per annum, and although
this office was not quite so lucrative as that
of his chief, yet the appointee was re-
quired to be a discreet man, eDjoined I'M
der the oath "to take no copies of letters
and not to divulge their contents to any
but Congress, or to those appointed by
Congress for that purpose"
During these slow coach times of the
colonies the department consisted OF thu
deputy postmaster, who kept bis owr
books in pounds, shllings, and pence
There were less than fifty postoffices and
but few hundred miles of post routes
throughout the country.
One hundred years later finds this estab
lishment grown, with the growth of thu
nation, to enormous proportions. 1t now
embraces nine distinct bureaus, each de-
voted to special branch Of the posta
service, and employing three hundred
clerks, and directs the conduct of posta
service covering more than $4,000 mai
routes, 224 900 miles in extent.
The accounts of 1900 mail contractor
and 30 900 postmasters are inspected ant
settled by an auditor of the Treasury, will
nine chiefs of division and one hundred
and fifty clerks, and so great and constan
is the demand for additional mail service
that the force employed and the building
itself will soon be totally inadequate 70
the purpose.
If the venerable founder of this grea
and popular Department could now visi
its busy rooms and corridors, he would NJ
doubt express considerable qualification a
the extension and improved condition o
our postal affairs in the brief period sine
his retirement from the civil service.