The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-11-09
pOstenlce Statistics.

The following facts and figures are taken
from the annual reports of First Assistant
Postmaster-General Hatton, and Colonel
David B, Parker, chief of postoffice inspect
ors:
The number Of posidfices in operation on
June 30y 1882, was 4G,231, an increase of 1,719
during the year; 1851 of these offices are
filled by appointment of the President and
are known as "Presidentiap' Offices ind tho
reI1ainderZH j2S0--afe filled by appoint
inent of the postmaster-general.
During the year 3,1G6 new postoffices were
established and 1 ,447 we're discontinued.
The free delivery system was in operation
during the year in 112 of the principal cities
of the country and EMPLOYED 3,1t5 eartiets;
Tie regular appropriation for this service
was $2, 900, to which was added BY sce:;.,
appropriation S25,0 to meet an anticipated
deficiency, making a total appropriation of
$2,6 900, an incresso df $t2S, over that
of the previous year. The total cost of the
service was $2,623, 1924, leaving an unex-
pended balance of $1,73726. The increase
of this cost of the service over that of the
preceding year was $ig3,35l.20. This was
owing principally to the appointment of ad-
ditional carriers in cities where the .set7ice
was already in operatioD otly three new
cities having been added to the list during
the year, viz, Augusta, Me-; Burlington
Vt, and Concord, n. H,
From the annual report of Colonel Parker
~ appears tnab tne arrests by pOStOf1Ce IN
spectore for violations of the postal laws
during the fiscal yeat ended Jdne 80 num-
befed 496 AL of these were prosecuted in
the courts of the United States and 6fty-hvs
in the courts of The State in which the Of
Tenders We're arrested 1893 resulted in con-
viction and eighteen i'll acquittal. Seven
prisoners escaped; i'll one casb bail was for
feited and IN forty CASTS the proceedings
were dismissed. One hundred and eighty
two Offenders are now awaiting trial. The
number of registered letters reported lost
was 5,0S7, of which 2, ,i3S were domestic and
s,649 foreign, Tho disbursements of money
collected on account of lost and rified regis
tofed letters and packets amounted in 35G
cases to $10,9O5.05. OF the total number of
complaints of depredations upon the regis
tered mail, investigation showed that in
4,076 no loss had occurred; that in 493 actual
loss had resulted. Colonel Parker says /:
There are now undergoing investigation
2,5l3 cases, aud should the proportionate
loss he as great in the outstanding cases
as in those already reported upon, it
would be estimated at 253. Adding this esti-
mate to the actual losses, 493 we have 726,
an unusually small proportion. These losses
were from all causes-iire, burglary, high
way robberies casualties and ordinary thefts.
By comparing this number. 726, with the
total number of letters and packets regis
tered during the year, 9,627 ,922, it is worthy
of remark that the safety of the registered
mail is demonstrated" There were 21,527
ordinary letters reported lost, $3.50 with
valuable. nclosures and 6,347 contents not
specified. Of this number 2,175 were found
to have been delivered. The number of or
dinary packets reported lost was S,342, of
which S59 were found to have been delivered
or satisfactorily accounted for. The dis
bursements of money recovered on account
of lost ordinary letters amounted i'll fifty
seven cases to S363.40. During the year 367
postoflices were reported TO have been entered
by burglars and 11G to have been burned.
Thirty-nine mails were robbed by highway
men. "And it is gratifying to note" says
the chief of inspectors, "that this number is
less than half of those reported in the fiscal
year ending June so, 1881" Ten mails were
burned in postal cars in railway accidents;
fifty were lost by carriers in floods, snow
blockades and from other causes.