The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1883-01-27

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wrapped about each package of twenty
flve cards is ready gummed. so that the
three pocket-tenders are able to work
with alacrity, as it is evident that they
must do in order to stack up all the post
al-eards used in the United States. The
packages of twenty-five each are placed
In piles OF ten each. and two of these
piles are packed into strawboard box,
each box thus containing 500 cards The
strawboard boxes are made rapidly on
the spot by an ingenious machine. The
whole machinery for making postal-
cards, after the cardboard is received
from the papermtll. eould be operated
in rooG, thirty feet square This, of
course, would not be sufficient for storing
material and stock
The Government makes contracts for
postal cards to continue in force four
into on pFeiisSa e atR e wss ea oe
worth & Graham, of New York 1t is
understood that the Fort Orange Paper
Company now participates in the con
tract. The Government agency is in
charge of Mr.. Alfred Tanner, of Kings
ton, who has seven clerks and assistants
to do the bookkeeping, shipping and
supervision. These are employed by the
Government under the direction of the
Third Assistant Postmaster General.
The contractors employ in the card fac
tory proper about twenty persons
boys and girls. Managers, employees
and all hands board in the village, which
is little more than mile from the works.
This force produces and packs an
of 1 al le
each working day. The total product
last year was $4,000, 600, and as the
cards are all made at Castleton factory,
the product measures the number of
cards used in the country. If the de-
mand at the factory averages 1850, 900
a day, it follows that only an average of
one and quarter card is used daily by
every fifty people in the country. This
shows less general use of postal cards
than many might estimate without some
thing like definite data. The rate of in
crease in the use of cards during the year
ended June 80, 1879, over previous years
was 1902 per cent. For the year ended
June so, 1880, the increase was % per
cent, and for the last fiscal year it was
about the same. The increase is believed
to be mostly in business quarters, where
they are used for advertising. Fot ,.ri-
vate correspondence the cards do not
seem to be as popular as they were when
they were first authorized in this coun-
try.
The cost of postal-Gards to the Cover.
ment under the present contract, az
compared with the cost under former
contracts is something remarkable, when
it is observed that the size and quality
are either the same or better. The con-
tract price for four years prior 10 July l,
1877 was $780, per |, 200; for the four
years ending June 80, 1881, il was 50 81
cents per 1000, but under the present
contract it is only %. AZ cents per zoe.
Being sold at $40 per 900 to the public,
the Government receives SO. 49, per
LOCO for carrying them broadcast
through the mails. A thousand postal
cards weigh six pounds and quarter,
according to the Government contract
with Messrs. Woolworth & Graham. The
cost of the agency for salary on agent
and assistants was, for the year ending
June 80. 1881, 81, 800.
All orders for cards are sent by local
postmasters to the Post-oflice Depart
ment at Washington. Each days orders
are there made up into a schedule con-
tanning the name of the Post Office, the
name of the Postmaster who makes the
order, the number of the cards wanted
and several other entries of a "red-tape"
nature. One copy of the schedule is
sent to Agent Tanner at Castleton, and
another is kept in the Department The
orders are filled at once. All amounts
under 1000 are sent in mail sacks.
Orders for 1000 or more are sent in
wooden cases under the Post-office
registry systeu,. The packing cases are
graduated in size to contain 1000, 1900
5000, 5000. $4,000. 10000, 10000 and
$4,000 cards in original packages of 500
each.