Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1885-11-19
POSTAL POINTS.
Extracts From the Reports of Dfvision
Chiefs In the Post-Ofice Departments
Mail Transportation and Money-Order
RuxineSa.

Extracts From the Reports OF Division
Chiefs In the Post-Ofice Department.
Mail Transportation and Money-Ordor
Business.
WASHINGTON, D. c., November d.
The report of Second Assistant Post
master-General Knott shows that the
cost OF mail transportation for the fiscal
year ended June 30th, 1885. was: For
l2,27l star routes, aggregat.ng 232, 222
miles in length, s5,4l4,sot; for mail
messenger service, supplying $3.50 Of
fees, $S79,2l7; for I16 steamboat
routes, aggregating 1897 miles In
length, S563. o02; for 1921 railroad
routes, aggregating 2I,032 miles in
length, as adjusted to September 30th,
1885, 1853. 1915; for railroad post-office
car service, 81 1863, 488, making a total
of S23, 4s5.oo6 AS compared with the
cost for the year ended June 30th, 1888,
there is shown to be an increase for star
route service of 6l2 routes, SAB miles
In length, and 1924, 1858 in cost; for mail
messenger service, an increase of forty
offices and $l5,940 in the annual cost;
for steamboat service, a decrease of one
route. and of 1894 miles in length and
S33, 57l in the annual cost; for railroad
service, an increase of forty eight routes,
of 1872 miles in length and of $l,6l5,-
$50 in theiannual cost. Mr.. Knott's esti-
mates to carry on this branch OF the
postal service for the next fiscal year call
for S27, 647,432
The subject of railway transportation
Is referred to, in his report. He says he
is now engaged in an Investigation of the
matter with view to determining some
satisfactory method of fixing compensa.
ton for railroad transportation of mails.
so that the ratio of increase in cost to
the weight of mail matter carried shall
be decreased. The reduction made
in the star and steamboat service
are vindicated on ground of the want
of necessity for the service when
viewed from the light of postal necessi.
ties, and also takes the ground that the
expenditures of the Post-office appro-
priation should be limited exclusively to
the provision of adequate and efficient
postal facilities, and not as an aid to the
establishment or maintenance of COM
mercial intercourse except in so far as
full and an efficient mail service is of
itself an instrument of commerce. Mr..
Knott also recommends an appropria-
ton for the continuance of the present
special facilities on trunk railroads.
Superintendent Mcdonald of the money
order service has submitted his annual
report to the Postmaster General. The
Both of last June closed the twentieth full
var since the money order system was
put in operation. The first year 1866,
there were 766 money order Offices, and
the issue of orders that year and the
pavmen' amounted to little less than
100000 Now there are 1856 money
order offices, and for the last
fiscal year the number of money
orders issued was 1925, 1893, amounting
to $117, ,92I. The number oil
postal notes issued were &5,058,2S7,
amounting to s9,996,274. The receipts
of the money order system were $685.
1875; the expenditures-S6S ,150. The
receipts of the postal note business
were SI52,o1s, expenditures $91,275.
The revenue on 44s,92I International
money orders amounted to S1O4, 237.
Altogether the net profits from the
money order and postal note business,
after deducting 1886, 389 appropriated by
Congress to carry on the business, was
SI23,543. DR.. McDonald's report shows
a decrease during the past fiscal year of
about three and a Ealf per cent, in the
amount of domestic orders, and eleven
per cent on the amount of international
orders compared with the business of
the previous fiscal year, and, IN this con-
nection, remarks: 'Perhaps one of the
best indications of the stringency and
general business depression of the times
is the decrease in the amount of money
transmitted by means of money-orders
during the past fiscal year. The decrease
in the amount of international money.
orders issued, points to the conclusion
thSt the foreign-born workman, who
RENTS a portion of his sur
plus earnings to needy relatives in his
nat We country, has found it more difficult
of late to accumulate small savings.