Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-12-04
. -77---l7l-7-7 N
POsE ugEGuE DEPARTMENT.
General Hatton's Report OF IN
Past Years Operations.

Past Years Operations.
Tbs annual report OF the Postmaster
General shows that the total expenditures
Of the department last year were &46,-
4G4 $50 IS the revenue was $43 1888,
l2T.0S, making the excess OF expendi-
lures 90. csc, 1888 81. The estimate for
the ensuiug year makes the revenue
S51, 272 $40 "a, expenditures $56, 4 &c.
1880, leaving g deficiency OF "a, 1885,
$40 rs to be eupplied from the general
treasury. Th4 Estimated expenditures
include amounts credited under existing
laws to Pacific railroAd companies. The
decrease in the years. revenue from that
Of the previous year was 81, 170,565 So,
and IL attributed to the reduction OF
letter postage from three to two cents,
which went into effect October lst, 1883.
Regarding the free delivery system the
Postmaster General urges that the law be
so changed as to permit the aggregation
OF population and the postal revenue OF
adjacent tow1s, sud the service should be
extended TO them when they meet the
requirements Of the law. This wOlld be
for the benefit Of towns which separately
have not the required qualification of
10000 population OF $4,000 postal
| revenue. He recommends also the re.
duotioD OF postage on local letters to ore
cent. "The reasons for such reduction, !"
says MIR. Hatton, .'seems TO me stronger
than thoae presented to the reduction Of
| postage on mail letters 10 two cents.
Letters which are strictly local In
character involve but comparatively
little expense TO the department in
their handling, and therefore the
impression very generally prevails il
oities where the free delivery serviot
ia in operation that the present loos
rats of postage (two cents) 10 excessive
at least that IL Is immoderste in compari
son with the transmission by mail ant
delivery by carrier OF letter from New
York to San Francisco for the sam
amount Of postage" He renews tn
recommendation Of last years report /
provide special stamp for local letters
which it is desired shall BIZ quickly de
liVered. This stamp should be of tn
denomination OF ten cents, aud, whs
, affixed 10 q letter, in addition to th
, proper postage charge, should insure fC
it as speedy delivery as possible ate
] its reception al any letter carrier ofic
( This outsids distribution could be effscte
by employing messenger boys at = anna
/ salary.
+ Mr.. Hstton renews the recommend
I tion Of his predecessor that the unit
3 weight in rating letters and sealed pacl
| ages (irst class natter) be changed fro
one half ounce to one ounce. Less Thu
o = per cent OF all the letters conveyed
= the mails exceed half an ouuoe in weigh
/ 1t ia evident, therefore, that an irorea
9 of the unit Of weight to one ounce won
diminish the revenues but very litti
8 and there Ia reason TO bslteve this din
. milton would bs more than compeasat
y By the increased postage on small rae
10 ages, which, heretofore sent IS third
e 70, nth Class matter, would, in the eve
h OF the proposed change, be sealed al
Ia sent as iirst-oiass matter.
, After recommending the passage Of
l. Law to remedy snndry defects in the 81
Il service the report points ont that t
n average annual cost of the Star ssrv
10 for five years preceding 1884 has be
IL IL 1874 S02, with an average mileage
IL IS $50, 055 miles--at little over Gig
II cents psr mile For the year ended in
81 Both, 1854. this cost OF the star b
0. vice was $5,069 941, VITA s nilsFgs
IN 81, 100 052 miles lat cost OF about
ID cents per mile, Ia other Eords, lal
CO ipoIsas- in the miIssge hRs been acco
Or panisd with : very great reduction in
re- oost-ths coat per mile being Iedut
p, n arly "a per osutum.
is The tlLsi aumhes OF letters seut
of foreign countries during the yesr
i'd approximately estimated at 80, 1928,
wv and the unmber received is sstim stsd
is Is, 404 G35. There we're 81 ,009,'
To- newspapers ard other printed mat
VS. sent aud 20 ,267 345 received. The tc
,ct postage and registration fees collected
no ogeign service aggregated u, l9S.0
The adjnuraed meeting of the congress-
the universal postal union, origins
hzei to be held at LIB
9T Portugal, in May last, stterw
~ postponed uGtil October let
~ and subsequently further postponed
~ consequence Of the prevalence OF chNl
- IL purti0pa Of Europe, will meet in
~ aity named OH Ehs Sd o. February ne
~ for tire pufpose Of improving ths sys
% OF the uhion in the light Of the exp
~ enoo Of its PRACTICAL woTkings during
~ last nine yesfs, Many important IN
~ iications Of the Paris convention
" regulations are proposed for oopsideTat
,so aud decision by the congress, and
se, United Stairs hss spscial interest in u
~ of 'hem
s.t TIE report contains statistics show
~ ~ the successiul operation Of the pc
ity sT 49,, ~ - 800 iam a. 10 to.,,
zen ta.,i,sn a., - -, -,
I'm sa,;.S.,as td,ntaaI p9 ~ ~
the 80 - .t;.,is,a, ras.oti"n :,
or - u. ~ - ~ y.
all tSo, ~ o ~ 81 ~ ~ aassa,l
Dia 80 - ~ U''4'' ~ ..-'eo 'o '''OA.t''' -
.ms R.oxvn,s Wronc%Ia, rrocnes
WI coughs and C los: 81 rhink them tire best
are most conyenieut re ief extant."-Rev.