Morning journal and courier., 1883-10-22
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. THB POSTAL SERVICE. A Call For Lower Local
 Postage. ARRIVAL OF HENRY IRVING. A Cordial Welcome to New
 York; BROUGHT OUT TRANCE. A Lady Saved From an Ayv-
 faaR Fate.
ARRIVAL OF HENRY IRVING.
BROUGHT OUT OFA TRANCE.
THE NATIoNAL OAPIrAL.

THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
 The PostOmee Dspartmenf-Facts G lean
 ed From Assistant Hatt0n's RepOrt-A | Accommodation for Cheaper Leca1 1 Postage.
 1 WASHINGTON, Oct. 21.-The report of First 1 Assistant Postmaster General Hatton of the
 bureau under his charge for the year ended Juae 30, 1883, has been submitted to the Postmaster General. The report is very
 voluminous, covering 1lO pages of foolscap,
 Mr. Hatton states st the outset that in no preceding year have fewer complaints been
 made concerning the ineompetency of post.
 masters or delay and confusion in the dsliv-
 cry and despatch Of mail matter. During 1 the year 3 ,253 postofices were established,
 an increase of87 and S,621 were discontinued; l Az S63 postofices were in operation June 30,
 an increase of ], 332 over the previous year 1 2, 143 of theso offices being filled by ths Pres 1 ident and 45, ,720 by the Postmaster General l Appointments were made during the ear as l follows: On resignations and commissions
 expired, 7, ,734; on removals and suspensions, l 7o5; on change of names and sites, SAP; on | deaths of 2ostmaters, 46s; on establishment
 
 offices established by sections was as folio ws
 h the six New England States, 36 the five middle States, 223; the fourteen southern States and Indian Territory, 725 the ten western States and six territories, 580; the three Pacific States and three territories, 6s. Pennsylvania has the largest number of post offices of any State, the number being 3, 416 l New York is second with 3,O82, Ohio third l with 2,62o. The largest increase in post offices was in Dakota where 172 were established. Pennsylvania was 95. The smallest was in Rhode Island where 1 but one new office was established Massa chusetts was stationary and in Connecticut there was decrease of one office. Lancaster county, Pa., had the largest number of post offices of any county, the number being 15S. Chester county, Pa., is second with 13S. The largest increase in presidential offices was in Illinois, it having been sixteen. The num- ber of money order offices at the close of the year was 5, 737, an increase of 421 over the previous year. Of SIP. GOO appropriated for ! furnishing supplies to the Postofice depart ! ment, $111, ,927. 16 was expended, leaving an ' unexpended balance of $72.81. The annual ! salaries of the 2, ,195 presidential postmas-
 ters amount to $3,750,oOO, forty-four new offices having been added to the list during the last quarter of the fiscal year. It is esti- mated that ninety additional officers will be assigned to this grade during the present year. The opinion is expressed that the ad- ! justment of salaries of Presidential postmast-
 CTS for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885, will call for not less than $4, ,O00, ,O00. The effect of the reduction of the letter postage to two cents, so far as the revenne of the de- pertinent is concerned, is considered as yet uncertain.
 The free delivery system is now in operation in one hundred and fifty of | the principal cities in the country. In l this service are employed 3,680 men. This service cost $3, 173, ,336, leaving an unexpend- i ed balance of $26, ,6S3. The increase cost of \ the service over the previous year was $5,- 1 55O, ,073. The postage on local matter at the several delivery offices was $4, 195, 22O, an ln- ! crease of $378, ,654 over the preceding year l and also over the total cost of the service of I $1, ,O21 1894. The percentage of increase was 1 g. -92 per cent. while the percentage of in l 29 69 per cent. The average cost | per carrier was $959.95. It IS suggested ] that the law be so amended as to allow the | Postmaster General to establish free delivery l in group of towns which singly would not l be entitled to it., but which in the aggregate ! have over 20, 900 population or $20,0o0 gross receipts The report dwells upon the i'm portance of more speedy delivery of letters i in large cities and mentions the fact that private concerns are now conducted 1n seV- eral cities in competition with the free dellv- cry service. The fact that these enterprises ,~n xal hxT T1F1hl in
 is regarded as evidence that the public demand more frequent and l prompt delivery of the mails in large cities.
 To meet this demand it is suggested that 8 special stamp for special delivery be pro- I vided which when affixed to letter In ad-
 dition to the ordinary stamp shall entitle the
 letter to immediate delivery up to 10 p. m. To provide for instant delivery the employ ment of boys is suggested who will be requir- ed to procure receipt from the person ad-
 dressed the same as is now required by tele- graph messengers. On the subject of reduc-
 ing postage on local letters Mir. Hatton says ::
 sIn view of the large excess of
 postage on local matter alone over the entire cost of the service ($1, ,031. S941 it seems to
 me the time has come when postage on local
 letters at offices where the carrier system IS
 in operation can be reduced from two cents
 to one cent. Such a reduction feel cer- tain will result in very large increase of
 local business. Reports made by inspectors Of the department in their investigation of the unlawful dispatch companies which have
 been doing business in New York for years
 show that tine department is losing thousands
 of dollars annually by the competition
 of these companies
 The only thing that can be gained by patrons of the private
 companies is the saving of money, the com
 panies charging but one cent while the gov
 ernment charges two cents local postage l
 am very fully convinced that reduction of
 local postage would result in great increase
 of business ss we'll as meet the demands of
 the cities now served by the carriers In
 closing his report Mir. Hatton pays graceful
 compliment to his subordinate officers, who,
 he says, have opinions of their own and free
 Iy express them. From the subordinates he
 says he has secured much valuable assistance
 and cheerful aequiescence when he assumed
 the responsibility of final decision which the