Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-12-01

into the hands ofpersous residing on.
or IN the vicinity or the various routes
TO he let, resulting in most instances in
q vastly more efficient service These
desirable ends, together with the re.
mOval OF some needless restrictions
which now work 70 the disadvantage
OF both the carriers and the govern
ment, will be attained by the passage
OF this bill, which has my unqualified |
approval az being In line with other |
previous reforms in the star service.
The annual average cost OF the star |
service for five years preceding 1884 |
has been Sc, 1914 SOP, with an average |
mileage of 75,960,055 miles, at q little |
over cents per mile.
For the year ended June 80, 1884, the |
cost Of the star service was S5,OS9,9i |
with mileage of 81 l09, 052 miles, at a
cost of about 81 eEts per mile. In
other words, a large increase in the
mileage has been accompanied with
very great reduction in the cost-the
cost per mile being reduced nearly q
per centum.
RAILWAY SERVICE.
would call attention to the differ
ence that has existed In previous years
between the estimates and the appro-
priations for railway transportation.
An examination of the estimates
submitted and the amounts appropri-
ated since 1880 will diaolose wide
divergence between the respective
sums. There has resulted the neces-
sity for a series Of deficiency appro-
priations which delay from nine TO if
teen months the payments for regular
service duly performed. This Is
neither husiness-ltke In the depart
ment nor fair TO the carriers, and can
easily be corrected by annual appro-
! priauons sufficient to cover the cost of
-he whole service.
RAILWAY NAIL SERVICE.
All railway postal clerks are app
pointed for n probationary period OF
six months, during which time their
fitness and capacity for the service are
tested. They are examined monthly
as to their knowledge Of the postal
laws and regulations, as well as the
practical workings of their office. II,
at the expiration OF this probationary
period, they have proven themselves
competent, they are given full APP
pointment at class one. After an APP
pointment in class one, all clerks are
promoted, according TO merit, when
vacancies occur.
1t usually takes a clerk several
years TO work his way up to class five
which is the highest grade. The clerk,
of this class are in charge of an Office
in car which is known as railway
postofiice. and usually have severa
clerks under their direction.
There are at the present time about
four thousand clerks in the railway
mail service, many of them having
been so employed great number o
: years.
/ would recommend that congress
enact law whereby railway posta
, clerks shall be secure in their posi-
, tions, aud be liable to removal only 70
, one of the following causes, viz, inca
pacity for the duties of the office, dis
/ obedience of official instructions, mat
, tention to or neglect Of duty, intem
' perance, or conduct unbecoming
! gentleman,
I During the past year the service o.
the trunk lines has been very mi
3 terially improved.
! The appropriation for special facil
I ties on trunk lines for the presen
\ year is $3.50 600 This amount, in m
a opinion, is being economically an
judiciously expended, and great bent
{ fit accrues 10 the public by the eXpeI
: diture. / therefore recommend cor
: tinuation of the appropriation for Oh
4 coming year, with the increase recon
e mended by the second assistant pos
n master-general, making total of $286
70450. In my opinion the fast ma
l. system should be continued and e,
e tended as rapidly as circumstances wi
: permit.
r FOREIGN MAIL SERVICE.
4 The total weight Of the mails dii
l. patched to postal union countries, e.
n elusive of Canada, during the last fl
i cal year was 2,679, S5l pounds, an IL
crease of l48 S6l pounds over the pr
ceding year The weight of the lett
and postcard mails was 497 $50 pound
-. and OF the printed matter and sampI
Is mails 2,lsl,98l pounds, an increai
!. compared with the preceding year
. 16.4f2 pounds of letters and postcard
y and 1870, 44S pounds of printed matt
and samples. Compared with n
:, weights for the fiscal year 1883 the pc
y centage of increase for letters an
~ postcards is 3 Al per cent; for printe
y matter and sample mails, 6.36 p'
n cent, and for all the mails 5.o p'
, cent.
=. OF the correspondence dispatchC
= 1917 per cent. OF the letters aud pos
- cards and 1892 per cent. of the pTints
matter, samples, etc, were sent
y mails to Great Britain; 28.H per cen
of the letters and postcards and H..
: per cent of the prints, samples, etc
we're sent In malls to Germany; PSI
r per cent. of the letters and postcart
e and 20 05 per cent. of the prints, san
3. pies. ETC., were sent in mails TO 9th
u countries in Europe and Turkey
sr Asia, and SOB per cent OF the lette
and postcards and GLIB per cent. (
4 the prints, samples, etc, were sent |
le mails to postal union countries of TIA
F. Western hemisphere (exceptin
Il Canada, the Pacific ocean, AS
Is (excepting Asiatic Turkey, and An
iralasia.
ID The cost of the ocean transportatio
le of mails to and from foreign ports WI
s. S9S2. 22f. 81, an increase Of sl5 ,69oOs,
: - 81 ~