The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-10-23
POSTAL SERVICE
HattOn Presents q Good Showing
for This Year,

Washington, D. c., 2l.-The annus
report OF Frank Hatton, Assistant Pos
master General, has been laid before tn
Postmaster General. The report say
the average amount of work performed
in each division of the Office exceeded
that OF any previous year, and the bureau
bas, 30 far IS the appropriation woul,
permit, endeavored to meet the necessi'
ties OF the increasing population. 1t j
believed that in no preceding year fewer
complaints have been made coneernin,
incompetency or dishonesty Of post
masters or delay or confusion in the de
livery and dispatch Of matter in diffsren
postofices. Total increase of 1853.
offices during the year. OF this
number the States snd Territories
west and norhvest, have 5St
and the Pacific tslope IS; increase q
money order Offices 42l; movsls and
suspensions during the year 3I6 les than
for the yesr before, an indie stjon IN
doubleday OF improvement in the char
scter and habits Of persor row serving
tie public as Dosimssters; 1000 was
collected fron' publiehtrs of secJnd-clsas
matter for violation Of the law IN en-
closing third Class % stter in second else.
plblcauons. Newspapers are specially
Interested in sustaining the department 10
LIS effor's through the division of post
laws and regulations, to exclude from the
% and rate q publications designed foI
advertising pu poses. or for free ciicu O.
lion, or Tor circulation at nominal rates
The enforcement of that law will enable
iegtiE1 Ate pub.icstions favored by ths
sta ute ss On instrument Of popular edu-
cation, TO sustsin themselves ~ securing
such !. ca advertising support sc would
/ naturally come t. them. The sdjustm emit
of tia salaries Of presidential postmss-
ters is now far enough sdvancsd TO war
rant the statement thst tie result will
be satisfactory. and for the fret time
n the history OF the department
tle salaries Of presidential posim asters
will be equalized and placed upon the
basis of the gross receipts Of their offices.
In order to meet the urgant demands of
the service fer clerks in the psetoffics and
at tie same ime keep within the limit
of the appropriation, 1t was necessary to
create fund BY making reductions tn
the salaries OF those clerks in 1856 offices
One quarter OF the fund so created W 8
used to give relief ct points whsre add
tienal clerks wers absolutely needed I,
work off the accumulated and DELAYED
mails and prevent fnrther complios iona
This expedient was somewhat in ths na.
ture O. Heroic treatment - and il i,
hoped the oecasion will not again occur
Congress should make ample provision
for the service. As rule the CLERKS are
underpsid, especially at separating Offices.
Postmasters at separating Offices, where
mails are separated for other Offices, are
IN many cases compelled TO emplcy
clerks at their own expense, which 10 a
wrong that should be remsdied. Il Is the
duty Of government to furnish roouy
and well-srranged cfiees for the tran
saetion Of postal business. Such
q policy will increase the rsv.
enues Of the departing nt and citizens
Of the communities directly ben Hted viii
take pride in furihsriue the interest of /
the service, with favorable surrc undinss.
such ss may be expected. The adjust.
nent OF the salaries Of Presidential post !
masters for The f.eal year ending June
oh, 1888. will involve in round NUM-.
bers not less than 4, Geo. 600. Beyond the |
benefts OF the free delivery service, as ii
present restricted, lie class Of towns in
1easely populsted portions Of the country
which it is believed could be served BY
carriers with benefit to the people and
to the department. These are
owns within short distances of each
,ther which have not sinely required the
qualifications o. population or groes rev.
anne. The law should be amended so ss
% authorize the department to extend |
he system 10 such places by estabhshirQ
to principal or central offices ofthe gronp
md disseminating other Offices,
,r substituting for them inexpensive
branches Of the main Office, from which
carriers could serve the surrounding 10.
,alitiea. In view Of the large excess Of
postage on local matter over the cost of
be free delivery service, and taking into
consideration the fact that To-. 81 cores
>ondence is increasing in proportion to
be facilities, it appears that it should be
and liberal appropriation
made to bring it up to the highest prsc.
icable standard in cities where il ia not
low in position to meet the despatch re-
,u;red 10 tie delivery of letters. Under
he present system, letters received after
carriers 60 out upon their trips, vhstsver
heir Importance, must lie over until the
lext morning, and this delay frequently
ails to meet the object Of the eommuni.l
,ation. Out of this want of more
peedy delivery have grown In several
arge cities private enterprises, which
re now conducted in competition With
his service, and are diverting from the
legitimate revenues Of the department
thousands Of dollars yearly. The pat
onage bestowed upon them syinces
he public demand for more speedy
lelivery Of certain class of corr espond.
nee. To meet this want, it is suggested
hat special stamp be provided, which, ,
Vhen affixed to letter, whether mail or
ocal, 10 addition to the ordinary postage
lamp, shall be regarded By the Office sd-
Iressed IS emitting the letter to immedi-
ts delivery up to 10 O'Clock pm. To
'rovide for the delivery, it is suggested
hat boys be employed, snd required to
'rocure receipts from the party addressed
T some authorized person. In view oil
he excess Of receipts Of postage on local
natter alone over tie cost Of it's delivery
f 81, 02S, 1895, it seems the time has ar.
ived when the postage on local letters at
fices where the carrier system is in
peration can be reduced from two cents
o one cent. Such reduction will surelY
esult in 3 very large increase of local
usiness. Reports OF the inspector who
Investigated the unlawful dispatch CON-
anies show the department is losing
thousands Of dollars annually BY their
They offyr no better fscili-