Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-11-20
SOME INTERESTING FACTS RELATIVE
TO OUR POSTAL SYSTEM AND ITS
OPERATIONS

The report of the First Assistant Post.
master.General for the fiscal year 1882 8
Ito June 30Lh), is issued under date of No
vember lst. From this we are enabled to
CLEAN several interesting facts. Some of
the suggestions it is probable will be
brought before Congress at its next session.
for it is likely that the more important
matters will be embodied by General Gre
sham in his report
As whole the report shows a material
advance in the postal system of the coun.
try. 1t has greatly extended its service
better class of officials have been put into
service in many States the efficiency of
the Department has been augmented, and
the revenues have largely increased. The
Presidential appointments were 1872 more
than in the preceding year, and the ap.
pointments Of the Postmaster. General
l,440 in excess. The Postoffices of the
country increased 1852 during the year.
The increase on the Pacific coast was 6S.
Pennsylvania has the largest number of
Postoffices, and one of her counties-Lan.
caster-has the largest number of offices of
any county in the Union. The second
State as to number is New York, and the
third Ohio. Very likely the popular idea
has been that New York was first in the
rank. Dakota has the largest increase in
Offices, and Pennsylvania comes next. In
Rhode Island the increase was but one in
offices, while in Connecticut there was a
decrease of one.
The money-order offices in the whole
system increased in the year 42l, and their
total number is 5. S57. In 1882 there were
46. 23l POstOfices; in 1888 there are A.
S63. In the BLANK Agency" of the de.
partment the work almost doubled, testi.
flying to the increased correspondence of
the country. 1t is small item, it is true,
but adds to the testimony in favor of the
advance Of the business of the depart
ment TO say that it used 81 per cent. more
OF wrapping Irvine in the last than in the
JNSA busf WIN
economy in small things, the department
used cheaper grade of Irvine, and thus
there was saving of money with the in.
crease OF the supply. The cost of printing
Tor the department was nearly S3l, 900
more the past than in the former year. A
distinction is now made between the offices
which the Government supplies and those
1t does not supply with the necessary
articles for possmarKing, for weighing and
tor canceling stamps upon matter deposited
In the offices. This was necessitated by
the niggsrdiness of Congress, which re-
fused to make the necessary appropriation.
Mr.. Hatton very justly adds that it is the
duty OF the Government to furnish every
office with the facilities for the proper
transaction Of its business, and not compel.
as now, some officers to furnish them at
their own cost. Congress has been asked
over and over again to do this act of jus.
tice, but as often has refused to do il. and
at its last session was only driven, by the
complaints of business men concerning ILL.,
stamped letters, to appropriate small
sum for the needed supplies, which was
expended, as far as it went, with imme.
date and noticeable improvement. But
several thousand offices are yet unsupplied.
1t is interesting to know that the De.
partment managed to collect from pub.
fishers the sum of s2OO6 as penalties fer
violating the law in inclosing third class
matter in second clsss publications. The |