The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-12-02
salaries of postmasters pursuant to special aprro
priations therefor.
sc1AL DELIVERY SERVICE.

With view to the introduction of the system
of immediate delivery authorized by the last Con-
gress provision was made in the contract for adj
besive stamps entered into in June for the man
ufacture and supply of the distinctive special de-
livery stamps, and, soon after the contract term
commenced design was adopted and the manu-
facture Of the stamps begun. The 1st of October
was fixed as the date on which the system should
go into operation; and in preparation Tor ~, the
stamps were furnished for sale at about thirteen
thousand offices, circulars Of instruction issued to
postmasters and published for general informa-
ton, and other means taken to commend the sys-
tenn TO ready popular use and favor.
The usefulness of the service seeming to depend
much on the extent to which its facility OF delve-
ry was afforded, it was decided to designate as
special delivery offices all lthose allowed by law
all free delivery offices, and others at ANY ctyi
town OF village containing population OF 1000
or over, according to the Federal census; and
the entire number SO designated is 555.
From reports received from these Offices for the
month of October, it appears that lao, ,820 letters
bearing the special stamp were Immediately de-
liyered at the several designated offices during
that time, of which 98,906 came in the mails
and Al .9l4 were local. OF all these, 129,812
were at earrier-deliyery offices and IL ,00S at the
Otners. Sales OF SpecialdeVery stamps at spec
lal-denyery offices alone aggregated $50, ,4S2. 80
Tor the month. The average compensation to the
messenger for the month was about $3.50, and
the average number of letters delivered on a trip
but small fraction over one. The average time
required for delivery has been seventeen minutes
tits sef-evident that if the privilege of immediate
delivery is desirable to the public at some Offices,
it would be still more useful if afforded at all. AS
well known large cities and prominent towns, con-
suit the list OF designated Offices before he can at
fix the stamp without a risk of wasting 1t; and
this works TO the disadvantage OF the smaller
places among the designated offices, and doubtless
abridgeS the number of special delivery stamps
upon letters mailed to them, since the list must
frequently be not at hand when desired. If the
stamps were effective at all offices, its use would
not only be greater in general, but propOrtionably
Increased at the smaller.
There appears no reason in principle why the
special delivery stamp.should not be as efcacious
to cause immediate delivery of one article which
the mails carry as another; or why the sender OF
one should be denied the privilege given the SEN
der OF another, the same price being paid in both
cases for the same service; The law now only au-
thoriZes letters to be delivered and the scope
of the term as so employed is somewhat uncer-
tain.> Were it so defined or enlarged as to en-
Drace mallable matter, the value OF the system 10
the general public would be enormously enhanc-
ed, and the resulting revenue might be expected
to prove sufficient to justify extending to every
Office in the country.
The compensation allowed to messengers might
except at earrer-delvery offices to be designat-
ed by the Department as required to maintain
regular force of efS-adYantageouSly be
granted to the postmaster, who could be required
to make or procure the special delivery within
mile of his Office, and be authorized to pay any
clerk therefor as well as other messenger.
The advantages to the public of such general
extension of its scope and character as have in
dicated are so obvious and the privileges already
provided apparently satisfactory and desirable.
that / cannot but think the subject one which de-
mands generous and spirited consideration, and
ciouS extension it will sensiblyaugment the use
fulness of the postal service.
The requirement of the present law that special
deliveries shall be made until midnight bears with
unnecessary severity upon many offices where the
latest arrivals of mail are some hours earlier, re-
quiring messengers to be retained upon the chance
that local letters may be deposited before the
hour fixed. | recommend that the law be chang
ed as to fix the hour of nine at carrier-deliVery
offices and seven at other offices, except that
where mails arrive later, and before midnight, de-
livery shall be made of specially letters
so arriving.
The force of the present statute imposes the
duty of delivery upon Sundays and holidays as
well as other days, to the extent at least that
mails are carried on such days; but it has not
been regarded as the purpose of the Congress to
require offices to be served differently on such
days than the regulations previously required.
Accordingly, the special delivery service has not
while postmasters have been authorized to deliver
such specially stamped letters as arrive in the
mails
There are so many good reasons which coincide
with religious teaching in support of the value of
one day in seven for rest from labor, whether de-
recreation, that it may well be affirmed the hurry
ing world might more wisely as well as religiousy
set the day entirely apart from secular pursuits
and absolutely suspend all ordinary business.
But so long as mails are allowed to bring letters
on that day, it operates denial of the obligation
special fee of five times the price of the carriage,
if the specially stamped letter be not delivered
according to law when brought in by the mail.
The report concludes with lengthy defence of
the course of the Postmaster General in relation
to distributing the appropriations made by Con
of the arguments have previously appeared in the
nIIhlir DrpSS and are not new.