The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-11-08
RAIL WAY MAIL SERVICE.
Interesting Statistics from Superintend.
ent Thompson's Report.
Operations Of the Free Delivery Letter.
Carrier System.

Supt. Thompson, OF the Railway Mail Ser
Postmaster General Gresham. The number
OF railway post office lines in lss3 was aa3 an
increase of twenty-four over lssa; the num-
Der of miles of route for which the railroads
were paid was lna,ssi, an increase of a.26i
over lSss. Tho number Of miles OF railroads
travelled by clerks was 81. lso, t3n. an increase
OF ~. t3s.Me The number of pieces OF mail
matter handled was 3..isl .5Ss,as0 an increase
OF l,4sa.aa2 over the preceding year. The
Superintendent asks an increase of S3ls.ao0
In the appropriation for the railway postal
clerks, and Ssu,oa0 increase Tor the postal
cars.
He recommends that the Postmaster Gem
cral be authorized To pay the widow or guard
ian of minor children of railway postal clerks
killed III the service u sum equal la one year
salary Of the grade held at the time Of death,
ana 10 grant leave of absence, with pay. 10
clerks injared in railroad accidents until
their recovery. not exceeding one year.
In conclusion, the report says, as tho
Northern Pacific railroad is now completed
some change may he made in the system or
forwarding the Pacific coast mails
The estimated amount of postal revenues
for the fiscal year beginning July l next, in
Guiding Si50,uoo estimated receipts from tho
mJncy order business. is Sls,loi.O,s. The es-
tlinNtpu IuF tue SdtEe illtle uto
$50, ,O6.s. lSa, leaving u deficiency in the rcve-
pnc OF S2.a6s,lll. Tho estimate Tor the COM
pcnsation Of rostmastcrs next year is Sl...ao-
nun, an increase OF SS,0ao,0o0. for clerks in
the postoffces. $4,000 an increase Of Sl.5,-
600; for free-dciivcry service. S3o0.uoo; rail-
road mail transportation. $la..5o,uoo, an in
crease OF Sl,0Sn,uuns steamboat routes. Sa.5-
OuO, an increase Of S.a.oO0: star routes, So
100000. an increase Of S3.louU00: railway
postal service. Sl,G.5,0ua, an increase Of S5o,-
900; and for railway rostal clerks, S4,.a5, $50,
an increase OF S3ls l6a.
The annual report of the Superintendent OF
the free delivery lcttcr-carricr system shows
that loi Offices. employing 3,6s0 carriers, were
in operation at the close OF the fiscal year
ended June 81, lss3. During the year
/ ,3:I ,62.,.ul pieces ot mail matter were de-
liycrcd and collected, an increase OF nearly
l6 per cent. over the number of pieces
handled the preceding year. The cost OF
the service FOR the year was
S3.l.3, ,336, an increase of more than g
per cent. over the cost for lss.. The average
cost Per piece for the matter handled was
4-l0 mills. an increase of lilo Of mill per
piece over the cost the previous year. The
excess of postage on local matter over the
total cost of the service was Sl,Oai,sM. There
were collected and delivered during the year
.al,65s.6 500 letters, 26i.sls,9a. postal-cards
and 26s,3la.si1 newspapers. The following
table shows the aggregate number OF pieces
of mail matter handled at number OF the
principal cities:
Baltimore 49,. 39,2l2iaa New Orleans. ll,163. SEC
Boston....... .3,5sT,us New York. 25s s.sa. .06.
Brooklyn.... a4,si5,4t7 0maha...... i6s. .G3;
Chicago. 49,. l3i. $50 $50 Philadelphia. Loo 5a. IA
Cincinnati. -. 1a,1ai,aoo Pittsburgh !. lS,iii,S5
Cleveland -. 2Ui50,67s ST. Louis. 46,61a.i5.
Columbus, O.. 662.,63i 81. Paul ..... 9,l33.2u
Dayton, o.. 5,s36.sia San Francisco A,I2i,Isi
Detroit. ls.0l5,aG3 Sandasky, o. 4a2 SO
Indianapolis. l,263.a23 Springfield o 2.l3s, ,Ta
Louisville. ID, $50, aa Toledo. o.. T.olnso
Milwaukee 49, 1925, ,39a Washington ia, ~. CT