The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1875-11-23
THE EIMAns,


uWAsHrNoroS, Nov. z, 1919.
Mr.. 4. II. Barber, Third Assistant
Postmaster General, has completed his
annual report. 1t contains many facts
of interest. The number of official let
ters received in that bureau in the last
fiscal year was 5000. These were
opened, classified, indexed, and distrib-
uted by four clerks The figures show
that the postal cards are very popular.
During the year there were issued 107, :
GIG, 900, of the value Of 81, ,076, l60. In
the month of October last there were
issued Of the new cards 20, 1873, 900.
which is one-fifth of the entire amount
sold during the fiscal year. The esti-
mate OF the number necessary for the
next fiscal year is 154, ,967, 900. The
number of public or ordinary postal
stamps issued TO postmasters during
the fiscal year was 782, ,3i2, 40. of a
value OF Sl8,27i, ,479. The value of
postage and periodical stamps was
SSl5,S02. The number of official
stamps issued to the executive depart
msnts was l8, 495, 900, OF value OF
1884, $40. The total number of stamps
Of all kinds issued was 973, ,275, ,022, Of
a value of s25,477,511. The increase
in the number of ordinary stamps is
about ten per cent. The increase. in
cluding official stamps, is about seven
per cent. The postage stamps sent
through the mails by registered pouch-
es TO postmasters numbered 359, 49,
OF this entire amount there were lost
but ten packages, of an aggregate value
of $3.50. The statistics OF the dead let
ter service are of quite romantic in
terest. The number of dead letters
handled during the year was about A.
500, 900. OF these 3,799 contained
money, aggregating s6l, 900; 14,255
letters contained drafts. notes aud bill
of exchange, Of value of S2,9S7 ,847;
1876, ,027 letters contained samples Of
merchandise, postage stamps and mis-
cellaneous articles; 7,340, 900 contain
cd nothing of value. There were mail
ed to foreign countries from the Unit
ed States IL, 500 letters; of these, 1861
200 were returned undelivered. The
number of letters received from foreign
countries was 1880, 900, of which
219,lO we're returned undelivered.
These figures show the advantage
which this country will derive from the
new postal law treaty OF Berne. The
treaty provides that each country shall
retain the postage on all letters mailed
count shall be kept between the coun-
tries. The excess Of letters mailed
from this country over the number re-
ceived from foreign countries is nearly
100000. The net gain to the United
States from the treaty, therefore, pre-
suming all letters TO be only single
weight, is five cents on 1000, 900 letters.
The net gain to the United States is
$4,000. The result of the operations
of the new law, which requires the pre-
payment OF newspaper postage presents
a curious paradox. While the aggre-
gate receipts from this source have not
been as large rs they were under the
old system, the net gain to the govern
ment is greater. The Postoffice De-
partment estimated that the new law
wonld yield 81 500. 900 annually. The
estimate was based upon the returns
from So leading Offices for a uniform
period. But the postmasters either err
red or did not make truthful returns,
for the receipts from this source are
lcss IMAM Sl,VvO,OOb. lht BONtfuulcut
makes q gain, however, from the fact
that this sum is manly collected in
advance at few offices, where no COM
mission is allowed upon the sums col
lected. The amount received under
this new system is about $500, 600
about the sum received under the old
system in 1873. OF the entire amount
collected, commissions we're paid up
on only about 100000 Newspaper
prepayment stamps have been supplied
to 3, 400 offices-the total number OF
places in the United States where daily
newspapers are published. The in.
crease in the number of registered
pouches during the year was 10 per
cent. The system of registered through
pouches works satisfactorily. They
have been used upon all the principal
routes. Postmasters generally certify
20 their usefulness.