St. Paul daily globe., 1885-11-11
HANDLING THE MAILS.
The First Assistant Postmaster General
Furnishes His Annual Report on
Postoffioe Affairs.
Some Important Recommendations
Delivery for Places of 10000
Inhabitants.
President Cleveland is Visited by the
Mohawk Indian Conference
Committee.
More Lights for tho Mississippi
Plans for the Railway Mail
Service.
Postoffice Figures.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 10.-First Assist
ant Postmaster General A. Z. Stevenson
has submitted to the postmaster general his
annual report upon the operations of his
bureau for the fiscal year ended June so.
1885. 1t appears that the number of post
offices established during the year was
2,121. and tile number discontinued $50,
making the whole number of postofficeS at
the end OF the fiscal year 81, 252, net in
crease of 1885 during the year. The num-
Der of offices subject to appointments by
the president was 2, ,233, and the number
subject to appointment by the postmaster
general was 49, 019. The whole number of
appointments during the year was II, 1,203,
made up as follows: On designations and
commissions expired, 6,204; removals and
suspensions, $40; changes of names and
sites, 207; deaths Of poStmaStelS, 412; eS-
tablishmentS of new offices, 2, 221. The
increase in the number of postoffices was
distributed as follows: New England
states, 4S: Middle states and District of
Columbia, III; Southern states and Indian
Territory, 63S; the ten states and six terri
tories of the West and Northwest, 375;
the three states and three territories of the
Pacific slope, 60. The total number of
mouey-order offices was 6,992, an increase
of 749; the number of changes in poStmaS-
terS during the year was less than the pre-
ceding year and the
LARGE DECREASE
in the number of cases acted on during the
year, as compared with the preceding year,
was due. says Gen. Stevenson, to the fact
that very few changes were made in those
offices during the winter months.
Under the head of free-deliVery system
the report states that the number OF free
delivery offices at the close of the year was
IT'S. an increase of 10, and the number of
carriers 4.35S all increase of 46S.
The entire cost of the service was
S., 9S5, 952, leaving an unexpended balance
OS S79.047. The service has now been eX-
tended to nearly all cities having popula-
tion of 20, 000 or returning $50, 900 gross
receipts per annum, and its further extern
sion must, under the law, await the growth
of cities to the requirements above noted.
The assistant postmaster general says that
in view OF the success of this system, its
convenience to the public and other merits,
in his judgment warrants the recommenda-
ton that authority be conferred by legisla-
ton for its extension to places of 10. 600 in
habitants having gross revenue of SO, 900.
The report briefly states
THE ADVANTAGES
that have resulted from the consolidation of
large free-delivery offices and recommends
that the same policy be applied to non-free
delivery offices. so as to give them them
the benefits of free delivery. 1t is believed
that this consolidation would reduce the
labor of examining accounts by cutting
down the number of separate postoffices
and result in greater harmony in the serv-
ice.
Under the head Of salary and allowances
it is stated that the total amount allowed
for clerk hire in postofficeS was 81, 924, $50;
for rent fuel and light of postoffices, $463,-
939: for salaries of pOstmaSters q, 435) ad-
iusted during the year, So, 701, 900; for sal
aries of presidential postmasterS, So, $50, 600.
Since April, 1884, 80, 400 applications for
review of salaries of poStmaSterS under
the act of March 3, 1888, were received and
filed. The number received and readjuSted
was 16, 521 and 900 applications were al
lowed, involving the additional amount for
compensation or back pay OF postmasters
of S37S, 922. AS result of the annual ad-
justment of salaries II offices were added
to the presidential list and 134 offices were
relegated to
THE FOURTH CLASS.
The grand total of gross receipts at presi
dental offices for the four quarters ended
March 81, 1885, amounted to $31, 792, ,220,
and the aggregate salaries of the postmas
ters will absorb 11.42 per cent. of the rev.
enues. At the present time reports show
that the country is entering on an era of
prosperity and plenty, and therefore not
less than 50, 800, 900 will be required to pay
the salaries of the presidential postmaster
during the fiscal year ending June 80, 1887.
The amount of compensation for clerk hire
required during the same period is estimated
at So. $50, 600, making the total estimate
50, 5S7, 900. The first assistant postmaster
general in conclusion calls attention to the
failure of congress to provide for the pay
ment by the government of rent at third.
class poStoffices He reneWs the recon-
mendation that provision be made for the
payment of rent for offices of that class and
for the payment of expenses for fuel, light
stationary and miscellaneous items for these
offices. 1t is also recommended that Jan.
/. 1887. be fixed as limit for the presenta
ton of applications for readjustment of
salaries under the act of March 3, 1888.