Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-11-03
The Post ONCE Department.

Postmaster General Creswell in his address at
the laying Of the corner stone Of the Boston
Post Office, anticipated his next annual report,
aud gave valuable review of the present condi
tion Of the post cfice department Of the United
States. The business done by the department
illustrates not only our rapid growth in numbers,
but our greater growth in the use Of the instru-
mentalities Of communication. No lezs than
10000, 900 Of letters we're passed through The
mails last year, and the other msil matter car
ried by the department was, at lesst, ten times
as great in weight and bulk. The service of the
post-offce employs larger number OF men than
the whole United States army. There are 33l
in the general department Iat Washington, there
are 30,0i5 postmssters through the country,
72s5. contractors, Si39 clerks, l4ly letter car
riers, 1900 route agents and postal clerks, all Of
whom, with other special and local agents, make
up grand total Of 1851 persons engaged in
the post cfice tervice Of the country. Ia The
three years sinee 1868, there has been an in
crease Of 1854 post Offices, in the number Of
miles over which mails were carried from 81
224 ,325 to l07 ,572, 794, of the cost of trans
porting the nsils from $40 ,2G5, 05G to Sll 3d.
1916, Of the revenue of the department from
sic, 292, 600 to S2O,O37 ,Oi5, snd of expen-
ditures from So, 7SO, 592 to S2l. 1890, lO4 while
the balance of expenditures over receipts has de-
creased in the same time from Sc, 437. 99l to
1888 05S. Thus in these three years, the in
crease Of post-ofices is IS per cent. Of receipts
% per cent, of expenditure for trsnsportion Is
per cent, and of total expenditures only $40
PER cent.
The money order business has grown immense
ly in these sane three years, or from total Of
SIC, 1877 ,s5s in 1868, TO S42. lGl,IlS in 1871.
This system Of transferring money from indi-
viioal TO individual through the use Of post-ofce
drafts, is now extended to Europe, snd the de-
par,ment has already arrangements with Swift
1erland, Germany, and Great Britain for the
purpose. The reduction of the postage between
America and Europe is also one Of the marked
features If the recent administration Of the de-
psrtment, Within three years, the letter rate
between Great Britain and the United States has
been reduced from "a to cents, and between
the United States and Germany, from 10 to
cents, or, if sent through England, to cents.
Mr. Creswel well says in this connection I" In
making these new arrangements, the postal de-
psrtments concerned are not responding merely
to the demands Of business they are equally
providing for the scientific, literary, social and
religious brotherhood Of nations" The post
Office department must continue to meet alike
the increase Of our population and the multiple
cation Of its demands 1t must welcome the
new instruments Of civilization and add to the
use Of steam every other means Of facilitating
the intercourse. not only of the citizens Of the
nation, but the people of the world. Mr.. Cree
well gives it as lis opinion that the addition Of
the telegraph to the postal system is but a cues.
ton Of finance and management He regards
tbs experiences Of foreign nations As settling the