River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-01
The Postal Service.
GEN. JAMES FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.

GEN. JAMES FIRST ANNUAL REPORT.
Pustmaster-General James has sub
mitted to President Arthur his first an
nual report of the postal department
1t is replete with valuable information
and interesting statistics. There has
been healthy increase of business
ever the preceding year in all of the
branches of the department.
The increase of postage stamps issued
over the preceding year is 2 per cent. /;
of newspaper and periodical stamps,
11.6 per cent: of postal cards, II por
cent; and of newspaper wrappers, 1913
per cent.
SECOND CLASS MATTER.
The total amount of postage collected
during the year on newspapers and pc
riodicals mailed to regular subscribers
from known offices of publication, and
from news agencies, at two cents per
pound, was 81 ,399, 04S.64, an increase
of $172, 596,06, or a little over IA per
cent
OF the total amount derived from this
source, 81 Go per cent. was collected at
New York; 1901 per cent. ct Chicago
5.95 per cent. at Boston; 500 per cent.
at Philadelphia; 4 65 per cent. at Au-
gusta, Me-; 4.6l per cent at st. Louis;
1896 per cent at Cincinnati; LII per
cert. at San Francisco; 1.53 per cent
at Detroit; 1.29 per cent. at Louisville;
] % per cent. at Cleveland; LII per
cent. at Milwaukee; LOO per cent. at
Pittsburg; ] Oh per cent. at Toledo;
and $500 of l per cent. at Baltimore.
The 10 offices named collected 71.75
per cent, or nearly three-fourths, of
the whole amount realized.
REGISTRATION FACTS.
The total number of letters and par
GELS registered during the fiscal year
was S,33S, 919. The increase in the
total number of letters and parcels reg
istered was 1,343 ,405, or 10 &C per cent.
The registration of third and fourth
class matter, begun on the LIST of Octo-
Der, 1873. continues to grow in popular
favor. The amount of fees collected
from this source, during the last fiscal
year, was $65, SOY 20, an increase over
tie previous year of $20,00600 The
revenue derived from the registration
of this class of matter. is some COM
pensation for the loss The department
sustains in handling and transporting
it, but the expense is still largely in ex-
cess of the total receipts. The registry
system is now in most excellent con-
dition, having been almost completely
remodeled during the past four years,
with financial results that we'll attest
the wisdom of the changes made.
The amount of fees collected during
the year ending June 80, 1877, was
1867 ,438.S0, and for the year ending
June 80, 1881, was $712, 1872 90, an in
crease of the latter over the former
year of $345, 443 40. or a little more
than "a per cent.
MONEY ORDER DEPARTMENT.
There were 5,163 money order post
offices at the close of the fiscal year.
The number of domestic money orders
issued during the year was 1868, 232,
amounting to $105, 075, 1895. The fees
paid postmasters on their orders
amounted to 1866, 1925. These fig
ures show an increase OF All per cent.
in the orders issued The gross revenue
from the money order system, or ex-
cess of receipts over expenditures, was
$3.50, 1854
The statistics of the international
money order system show in some
cases much disparity between the
amounts sent abroad ard received
here. Swiss international orders were
issued in the United States during the
year amounting to $145,749.94. The
number paid in this country amounted
to $e09,371.31. Money orders were
sent to Great Britain amounting tie ST.
001, 999 against $3.50, 736 received from
that country; sent to Ger { any 81, 1885,
725 against 1895, 021; sent to Italy $685.
67S against SIS, 54S; sent to France,
$50, 030; received$38, $50.
REDUCTION oE FEES.
Mr. James recommends that the fee
charged for the issue of money orders
for sums not exceeding So be reduced
from 10 to 5 cents, while at the same
time the maximum limit Of the amount
of money order be made 800 in place
of $50, and finally that the compensa-
ton to postmasters for the issue and
paymet of money orders be fixed, at
cents for each transactioe instead of the
present rate of one third of the fees re-
ceived and one-fourth of one per cent.
on the gross amount of orders paid.
The report also submits plan for send
ing orders for amounts less than SIS for
s cents, in such case no duplicate order
being granted in case of loss. The re-
port urges the establishment of postal
savings repositories.
The moot gratifying feature of the
report is the
FINANCIAL STATEMENT