The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-07-15
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
Some Matters of Interest FrOr
Washington.
Important Changes in tie Postofice
Department,

With the new fiscal year beginning July
the new legislation contained in the postof-
fee appropriation bill has gone into effect In
the o:Ilce OF tho first assistant postmaster
general twelve additional clerks ara provided
for, most Of them being specially designated
for service in the salary and allowance
division.
Provision was also made for the establish
mant of system of special delivery Of letters
Immediately upon their receipt at postoftices,
but the postmaster-gene raj has not yet given
the matter his personal consideration 1t is
possible that tho system will be tested in one
or more of the large cities next autumn, and
its extension will depend upon the result OF
the experiment.
In tho oiIica Of the second assistant post
master general the appropriation for star
route service has been increased S.DO, 600; for
railroad service, SllO, ,U0O, and for railway pos
tai clerks, SIS, 800, thus allowing for whole.
salc expansion of tho transportation service.
A clause III tho new bill provides that the
post nasttr-general may extend domestic
steamship service to foreign ports within two
hundred miles of the nearest domestic port.
The steamship service between New York
and Havana and between San Francisco and
Victoria, B. c., may be affected by this Pro-
vision.
Letters weighing one ounce or less may
now be sent through the mails for two cents,
and the rate on newspapers mailed by pub
fishers have been reduced from two cents to
one cent per pound. The deficit for the year
just ex pired is roughly estimated at 4OO0,0OO,
and the estimate for the new fiscal year con-
tenplated deficit Of S4,S2G.0JO.
'"Ihere is q terrible amount of misunder-
,;e;,> ffo ha
ges III the postal law that have gone into oper-
ation." remarked postotiice department off.
cial, "and there will be a great deal Of mail
matter that will 60 into the dead letter office
in consequence of it. The only change. in
which tho public are directly interested is
that hereafter q letter weighing one ounce
or under will 20 Tor two CENTS. 1t does
not mean that ordinary half ounce letters will
20 for one cent. The ordinary letter will cost
two cents tho same as heretofore, but letter
that has cost four cents in the past can now
be sent for two cents. There are certain
changes about printed matter, but that inter-
ests publishers only. Others will have to pay
as much for mailing newspapers or magazines
as they do now. There has been no reduction
in the postage Of merchandise"
BUREAU OF ENGRAVING AND PRINTING.
A reduction Of 119 persons in the force Of
the bureau Of engraving and printing has
taken place. The saving In salaries thus ef-
fected amounts to sa77 day. An order first
given requires the strict enforcement Of the
oight-hour law throughout the bureau. The
new order will bring the entire force on duty
ut eight o'clock and keep them at work
until 1 o'clock each day. MIR. E. O. Graves,
chief of the bureau, to whom, acting under
the authority Of the secretary Of the treas.
ury, the ret. lotions and changes to be effect
ed are due, has been carefully examining
the working methods of the bureau
since ho was appointed to its control.
A small reduction in the amount Of
work to bs required Of the bureau during the
next fiscal year has been taken into consider
alton, but the reductions in chief part have
been made possible by the adoption OF i'm.
proved and more systematic methods OF
work
REMOVALS IN THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT.
A number of transfers and removals have
taken place in the treasury department., and
it is expected .thas more will be male.
Twenty clerks in the classified service were
dropped from the rolls, and the force in the
offices of the commissioner Of internal revenue
and of tho regi,ter were re luced by transfers
to other offices
Mr.. William Somerville, Of Illinois, chief
clerk Of the internal revenue bureau, has
rendered his resignation, and Frank NJ
Thorn, Of Erie county, n. Y, has been So
lected as his successor.
1t is understood that the vacancy in the
Office Of chief of the customs division, caused
by the resignation Of Mr.. H. B. James, will
be filled by the promotion of Captain j. B.
HcGregor, assistant chief, who has been In
Charge of the Office for over month past.
SITTING BULL AND CUSTER.