The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-11-24
1919 per cent. The registry system is
now in most excellent condition.
MONEY ORDERS.

now in most excellent condition.
MONEY ORDERS.
The money order system is growing
under the impulse of prosperous trade
and the influence of immigration, with
the rapid development of the newer
states and territories, and the demand
for additional inter-communicatiOn and
exchange. The whole number of mon
ey order offices now in operation is :, 400.
The number of money orders issued Is
Z ,663. 232, valued At $f0J,OI5. IG9:35
The value of payments is $lO4, 924 ,S53.-
81. This shows an increase of All per
cent. the average of the orders issued
was $13.7I, and The fee 10 62-1OO cents:
There are seveniy-seye cases of alleged
lost remittances.
The conventions fur the exchange OF
money orders between the United States,
on the one hand, and Switzerland, Great
Britain and Ireland, the German En-
pire, Canada aud Newfoundland, and
France and Algeria, on the other, have
remained in force, without alteration,
since the close of the fiscal year ended
June 80, 1880. A convention has re-
Gently been concluded for the establish
ment of a like system of exchange be-
tween the United St1tes and the island
of Jamaica, TO go into operation on the
list of January next and negotiations for
q similar purpose are now in progress
between the United States and the Brit
ish Australasian colonies of Victoria,
New South Wales, Tasmania, and New
Zealand.
The postmaster general urges new
building for the money order system in
Washington. He speaks of the growth
of the department, of its increase in the
west and of the establishment of the
southern mail service at the close of the
war There is also mention of the pc
riod when straw bidding prevailed and
of the scandals that had attended the
postoffice department during the past
quarter of g century.
SELF SUSTAINING.
The country has reached that stage IN
the progress of its material development
where, it seems, an effort ought TO be
made to bring the debt and credit sides
of the departments balance sheet nearer
together. All or nearly all the long and
expensive star routes have been super
seeded by railroad service. The cost of
the star service ought therefore Ia rapid
ly decrease in the Western states and ter
ritories.
RAILWAY SERVICE.
The actual payment for the railway
mail service during the fiscal year, 1881 {,
Was SI1t1AI,A~O AhO CO,i AOA AoS
current fiscal year will be l2,006 ,601,
and the estimates for 1888 are $I3, lS1 =
COL. The enormous growth of railroads
in 1880 and 1881, and their anticipated
increase of mileage in the near future,
will account for a great proportion oil
the augmented cost of the service. But
there is another cause which must also
be taken into consideration. The IN
crease in the weight of the mail trans
ported by the trunk limos has been IN
paralleled and the maximum does not
appear 10 have been reached.
1t is undoubtedly true that while some
railroads may not be fully paid for the
service they render, the great majority
are overpaid. There is and always has
been a disposition on the part OF rail-
road corporations in dealing with the de-
partment to exact their own terms. The
subject is a complex one, and while II
demands immediate attention it should
have a most careful consideration.
REDUCING SALARIES.
Some saving has already been effected
in the matter of allowance of pOstmas-
tiers, and still more may be practicable.
The salaries of pOstmasterS in towns OF
10000 inhabitants and less are greater
than the compensation for equally Oner-
Gus and responsible duties paid by banks
anu CApICSS N saving
this direction can be made without in
| injustice to the of1iceholders or detri-
ment to the postal service.
If these suggestions are deemed
worthy of consideration, and congress
carries them out, the
REDUCTION OF LETTER POSTAGE
from three to two cents will be possible
within three years l believe this re
duction could be accomplished without
| the proportionate diminution of re-
ceipts which followed the adoption of
| three-cent postage in 1851. The people
have shown their appreciation of cheap
| card, instead of diminishing the re
ceipts, has on the whole largely in
creased them. TwO-cent postage would
l believe, after one or two years trial
produce the same result. 1t is my de
liberate judgment that two-cent postage
| is feasible in the near future. l would
favor it even if the rates of postage or
third and fourth class matter had TO bC
increased. The great mass of the peo
pie are interested in cheap letter postage
FOREIGN MAILS.
Postmaster James next discusses the
reorganization of the mail service anC
subsidies connected Herewith. HI
speaks of foreign mails and the cost o
l
and colonies have since the last repor
declared their adhesion to the posta
union. He suggests an improvement o
the mail communication with Mexico.
There are GO, $50 employees in the post
Office department of the government
OF this number 43,012 are postmasters
The free delivery system was extend
ed during the year to Leadville, Colora
do; Mansfield, Ohio; Meriden. Connect
cut; Richmond, Indiana; and GAINESVILLE
| Ohio.
During the past year there have beer
46I arrests OF post officials; AZ of this
number were postmasters and IL assist
| ant postmasters.
The laws governing permissible writ
ing on mail matter of the fourth class
and explosive and other dangerous AZ
ticles-in the mails are referred to. The
| postmaster general advises new edition
of the Postal Laws and Regulations
SALARIES OF LARGE OFFICES.
| BONDS. SALARY