The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1881-12-01
OUR PoSTAL SYSTEM.

The annual report of Postmaster General
James is unusually full, covering over fifty
octave pages. It is o thoroughly business docu-
ment, and contains great many suggestions
on which Congress will be asked, and will do
we'll to act. The points in which the public are
generally interested can be noticed much more
briefly. The total expenditures for the last
year were $39, ,251, 736. 46, being an excess of
S2 481, 129.35 over the receipts, or little more
than 6 per cent. of the amount expended. The
estimated deficiency for the year ending June
80, 1883, is 1920, O,077.95. The business OF the
department increases annually. That of p St
age stamps has increased nearly 8 per cent.
Not one of the 379, 862 registered packages, in
cluding stamps and postal cards to the value of
S34, ,0O0, 900, was lost during the year.
The total amount of postage collected dur
ing the year on newspapers and periodicals
mailed to regular subscribers from known
offices of publication, and from news agencies,
at two cents per pound, was 81. 1899. .04s.64, an
increase of $172, 596.O6, or little over IA per
cent. OF the total amount derived from this
source 27.65 per cent. was collected at New
York, 1901 per cent. at Chicago, 595 per cent
at Boston, 500 per cent. ut Philadelphia, 4.65
per cent. 1t Augusta, Me-, 4.61 per cent. at st.
Louis, 3.96 per cent. at Cincinnati, LII per
cent. at San Francisco, 1.53 per cent. o. De-
troit 1.29 per cent. at Louisville. 125 per cent.
at Cleveland, 1.21 per cent. at Milwaukee, 1.02
per cent. at Pittsburg, 1.01 per cent. at Toledo,
and eighty-eight and one-hundreths of l per
cent. at Baltimore. The fifteen offices named
collected 71.75 per cent, or nearly three
fourths of the whole amount realized. T-le
total weight of second-class matter was nearly
So, 600 tons.
The total number of letters mailed during
the year was 1,046, 107 34S. Of these 8. .c23.621,
or one in 315 reached the Dead Letter Office.
They contained money to the amount of S40.-
$3.50, and drafts, ETC., the face value of which
was 81, ,899, 06251.
The total number of letters and parcels re-
gistered during the fiscal year was 8,5jS, 919.
consisting of g. 159 297 domestic letters 645, 213
domestic parcels, 312,5 letters, and II ,759
ters and parcels of official matter for the gov
ernment, by law exempt from the payment of
registry fees. The amount of registry fees
collected was $712, 1872 20, an increase over the
previous year of $117, 1G7.90, or 19. 10 per cent
The increase in the total number of letters and
parcels registered was ], ,342, 405, or 10. &C per
cent.
The registration of third and fourth class
matter, bt san on the LIST of October, 1878, con-
tinues to grow in popular favor. The amount
of fees collected from this source during the
last fiscal year was $65, 20, an increase over
the previous year of s2O, O,OO6.90.
Only thirty-six money orders were alleged to
be improperly paid during the year. Ther ag-
gregate value was S767.07. The excess Of
revenue over expenses on domestic money or
ders was $252, 314. The foreign money order
system has been extended. The number OF
orders sent abroad is greatly in excess of those
paid here. The issues of the former were
1866, $50, of the aggregate value af S109. 759.
695,73 The fees exceeded S1.000,G COO. The
Postmaster General favors the txteneion of the
o~An kov,,c n var 1ftt2 q
under $5, and thus to take the place once
filed by fractional curr,n ncy. New buildings for
the proper CARRYING out of the system ar,
needed at Washington. He also rccpnimends
the establishment of the postal savings deposi-
tories which have proved SO sue essfu. iu Great
Britain.
The following statistics are interesting:
On the 3Oth day of June, 1881, there were
5,156 contractors for the transportation of
mails on inland routes. There were 2,129
special offices, each with mail carrier whose
pay must not exceed the net postal yield OF the
office. there were in operation II, ,592 routes,
of which ], 1874 were railroad routes showing ali
increase of 76 routes of this clas since the last
annual report, aggreea'lng IN length 544, ,o't
miles, and in annual cost $l9, 323, ,o9J adding
the compensation of railway postofiice clerks,
route agents, mail route messengers, local
agents and mail messengers amounting TO s3,
872 142, the total annual cost was $23, 196, ,G3I
The service was divided as follows:
Railroad routes Length, 81, $50 miles an
nual transportation, 103, ,521 223 miles annual
cost Sill 613, 1868 Qncluding 81, ,364 LOT for rail-
way Postofice car service), about II. cents
per mile. Steamboat routes: Length, 81, 1SS
miles, annual transportation, 5,046,507 miles
annual cost, $753, ,167, about IL 81 cents pei
mile. "Star" routes, on which the mails are
required to be conveyed, with CELEBRITY, Ger
tainty and security : LenGt 231 ,z99 miles
annual transportation, 79, So ,295 miles annua
cost, &c, 957 1855, about S.74 cents per mile.
There were 5,014 Offices supplied by mai
messengers, at an annual cost of $7e3.34l.
The railroad routes were increased III Length
6.249 miles, and i'll cost ,1l4 3S2.
The steamboat routes were decreased IL
length q 1s2 miles, and cost S134, 054.
The Star routes were decreased i'll leagti
3,949 miles, aud in cost $36I, LA.
Mr.. James argues, at length, to show tina
the service ought to be made self-suppc rt.ng
and urges that the civil service reform SHOULD
be carried out more vigorously in appoint
ments He shows that tho postal system wa
too rapidly expanded in the past, and that ir
regularities were occasioned by the employ
ment of unqualified persons. The report in
deed embod;cs . lucid historical sketch of pas
mistakes. He thinks Q reduction of letter post
age from three to two cents will be possible with
in three years hopes that cheaper rates can b.
obtained from the railroads, and asks for au
of employees killed by railroad accidents, TO
whom there is now no legal provision. Ther
have been sixty-two accidents during the year
in which seven employees lost their lives ant
others were injured.
rhe department had 61,444 employees las
year, against 60, $50 during the previous year
The payment Of o nominal salary of e. 900 pc
annum and the pro rata compensation OF reg
uIar carriers is recommended for substitute
carri ,rs. There were 461 arrests for violationi
OF the postal laws. The losses of registered
letters were 1886, and of registered packages
387. The transportation Of merchandise by tn
Government is deemed Of doubtful advantage
Many bulky articles are carried at loss, and
the system extends, this loss will be still greater
| An increase of the salaries of postmasters a
| Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and st. Loui
| to $1,000, and of those of Cincinnati, San Fran
cisco, New Orleans, and Baltimore to &C, 900, il