St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-12-02
OUR POSTAL AFFAIRS.
Complete Report on the Operations Of the
Postohice Department for the
Past Fiscal Year.
Usage of Two-Oent Postage and Improve
ment of Mail Facilities Cause
Deficit of Over 100000.
Estimates for the Coming Year and
Enumeration of the Improve
ments to be Desired.

Enumeration of the Improve
ments to be Desired.
Why the Department Did Not Divide
the 100000 Steamship SUBJ
sidy--Legislation Needed.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 1.-The annual
report of the postofice department
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1885.
has been made public. 1t comprises
the lessons suggested by experience. the
pending operations, the estimates for the
coming year and such discussion of special
topics and recommendations of legislation
as look toward the improvement of the
service. The financial summary shows a
considerable increase in the deficiency OF
ing from the change to the two
increase of the mails to be carried. How
from stamp sales is constantly growing and
will soon counterfeit the effect of the de-
creased rate of postage The revenue from
the money-order business has also been less,
owing to the depressed condition of bust
ness. In the expenditures there has been
an increase, but not i'll the same proportion
as in preceding years, owing to the smaller
compensation of postmasters. The total
cost of the service for the past year was
$50. 942. 415.24 and the appropriation was
$50, lat, 400. The deficiency, partly esti-
mated, is So, 3S1, 571.41, or deducting the
amount credited to the Pacific Railway
company for transportation, 81, 041, 344. So.
THE GENERAL RESULT
to the public treasury is thus shown to have
changed in the last two years from cash
surplus gain of nearly two millions to an
outlay of over seven millions, this differ
ence being due to the decrease in revenues
of So, 947, s4S.7S and the increase in ex-
penditures of Sc, 1855. 955. 80.
Two thousand and twenty-one new Offices
were established during the year and 1856
discontinued. leaving at the close the total
number of 1852, of which 1888 were
presidential and 40, 019 fourth-class offices.
The number of appointments during the
year was 11,203 and the removals 80. The
free-delivery system has been extended to
nineteen additional cities, among them Eau
Claire and La Crosse in Wisconsin, making
the total number 17S. employing 1856 car
riers OF an average compensation OF
$9126O each. The number of pieces
collected and delivered amounted to
1. 744.53 7,413. The expenditures for
transporting the mails were nearly equal to
those of all the other offices, the total pay
for the railroad service alone being $14, 75S,
495 for transportation over 121, 032 miles of
road. The railway mail service maintained
the usual high standard of efficiency and
but two clerks were killed and thirty-tive
seriously injured In the foreign mail serv-
ice mail matter to the amount of 2.705, 37S
pounds was carried, at total cost of 50,
401, 1S1. so, the revenue being So, 2S7, 169. Is.
The Universal Postal union has been eX-
tended to embrace 81, 100000 square miles
and more than $50, 900, 900 people. compre-
hending most of the civilized world. In
this connection the postmaster general rec
ommends the adoption of the parcel-post
system, both domestic and foreign.
THE DEAD-LETTER OFFICE.
In the dead. letter Office 4,794 $40 pieces
were handled and the work was brought
nearly up to date as compared with nearly
100000 pieces on hand at the close of the
preceding year. The revenue Of the Office
comprises So, 141.74 taken from dead letters
that could not be restored to the owners,
and 81. 250.S7 from the sale of merchandise.
Letters containing money to the amount of
$22, 453.43 were delivered to the owners.
In the money-order branch LOGS Offices
were established and sixteen discontinued,
leaving Z, $50 in operation. Nearly 7,726,
900 orders, averaging S15.26, were pur-
chased, the fees amounting to nearly 1924,
600. Postal notes, 5000, 900 in number
and amounting to $4,000, 900, were also
drawn. Nearly 449, 900 foreign orders were
drawn, amounting to $3.50, 600. There
was decrease in the money-order bust
ness, denoting the effects of the de-
preston in business. The total business
amounted to $134, sos, 554. II, and but fifty
erroneous payments were made. The net
proceeds Of this branch were nearly half a
million dollars. The chief inspector re-
ports that his department made $50 arrests
and secured 203 convictions, 459 offices were
robbed and 256 burned, and the mails were
captured by highwaymen in thirty-th rec in
stances.
THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR
must be so affected by the increase of the
unit of weight on first-class matter, the re-
duction of the rate on newspapers and the
introduction of the special-delivery system
that an estimate is difficult to make. The
estimated loss of revenue by increasing the
limit of weight from one-half to an ounce
will cause loss of $500, 900 for the year.
1t is thought that the expenditures for the
coming year will not exceed $50, 900, 900,
and that the revenue will reach $44, 600. O00
leaving an estimated deficiency of $4,000
900, In reference to the special
delivery system the postmaster gen.
eral says that experience does
not warrant any generalization, but that
the public seem to accept it with favor, and
that it affords privilege both convenient
and valuable. He thinks the system is
capable of becoming vastly more useful,
and recommends its extension to all offices
in the United States, and also to other mail
able matter besides letters. He also sug-
gests that the law requiring letters to be de-
livered up to midnight be changed in car
rier offices to o'clock, and in non-carrier
Offices to o'clock, except where regular
mails arrive later.
THE STEAMSHIP SUBSIDY.
In reference to the $500, 900 mail subsidy,
the postmaster general explained that the
law required that the mails be let to the
lowest bidder, after competition, and that
the awarding of the subsidy in the manner
proposed, viz. in the fairest manner posi-
Bile between the different companies. would
have been direct evasion of the law. In
this difficulty it seemed best to wait for con-
gress to consider the matter, and in the
meantime American vessels were paid a
compensation more than three time as
great as most of them have received for
similar service during the past seven years.
The action of certain steamship lines in
refusing to carry the mails is then adverted
to, and the injustice!of their action demon
strated. 1t is also shown that other ar
rangements were made whereby but little
inconvenience was caused by the action of
the companies. Early action by congress
to relieve this inconvenience Is suggested.
1t should also be conclusively determined
whether steamships enjoying the protec-
tinn of the government should be allowed