The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-23
THE PosrMAsTER.GENEaA4
Makes His Annual RepOFt-The Interesting
Features Of II,

| NAshlNuToht " VI NoV' Sz,-Iue re-
port OF the PostmRstsr.G General for thI
fiscal year, ended in June last, was glyer
to the press to-day, Mr., Villas begins Will
a reference to the extent Of the United
States Postal Services, in the course o
which he says that sin immensely apG
extent Of means, Of expenditures, Of per
fomances and results, the postal ma.
chinery Of the United States exceeds-ir
some points far exceeds-that Of any
other nation on the globe, The entire
length Of all railways employed by the
Upited States nearly equals the combined
extent Of those Of all other countries o
the world, while the post routes more
than quadrupls the total OF any single
people besides; and by the latest reports
received the milesga last year OF our mail
transportation exceeded by more than
125,000, 900 miles the service rendered by
any other government. OF postcfllces no
other nation has one.third our number"
At the close Of the focal year the post,
offices OF the United States numbered
6S,0l4, besides 401 branch Offices or sta.
tiops; 2,244 Offices belonged TO the presi-
deptial class, on increase oi II over the
previous year, aud $3.50 to the fourth
class, an increase Of 1851, Ths appoint
msnls of postmasters during the year
numbered '2274Y, Of which 0,ll2 were
made TO I'LL vacancies oCcasioued by Fesig-
nations or expired commissions, 6S7 to va.
candles caused by death, 3 4S2 on the es.
tabllshment OF new Ctiitea and 0. 60B upon
removals, OF the total number Of ap-
pointmentg, 1889 were made by the
President, the vacanCita having occurred
from tho following causes, respectively:
By expiration Of commission, ass; BY
designations, 25S; by death, q; by rs.
moyals or suspensions, 247, and to offices
which ! al been assigned from the fourth
to the third class, AZ,
FOURTH CLARs PosTGAsTRRs,
Upon the subject Of compensation to
fourth class postMasters the Postmaster
General Gays, "The changes Of the Post
mastersduring the eighteen months past
have contributed to disclose the faot that
many violations Of the law have been
praCtiCed, and illegally excessive compen.
Batlon has been retained. The ROOumula.
ting evidences leave little reasoa to doubt
thai the practice oi making false returns
has been pursued by some p1stmastsrs
almost since the enactment Of the statute
Of 1878; that 1t has been q growing and
spreading fault embracing larger numbers
Us years have psssed, aud inducing the
fraud dulent aAle u tSsaulpS to give aspscious
cover, by larger reported sales, TO the
falsely reported cancellations and causing
considerable annual ioas to the depart.
ment. Itis thosght that a noticeable Of.
fact has already been produced upon revs.
nues lr0m salea AZ presidential offices, as
well as upon tue expense item oil Compen.
satlon TO fourth class offices, by the changes
Of postmasteTS during the year aud the &c.
ton Of the department"
delivery service during the year Mr.. Villas
says: "fhe recommend alton ip the last
annual report ipr the eEte1gion Of the
dppretiouary limitations ot this service to
places Of 10000 inhabitants or $4,000 OF
gross annual revenue. The Postmaster
General also recommends that the statute,
which iorbids placing collection boxes In
any but public buildings or railroad eta.
tions, should hO modified go 40 To allow
the placing Of boxes in large buildings OF
such capacity that COLONY Of buaineas
men may occupy one.
SPECIAL DELIVERY,
In q brief review Of the Special Delivery
Service the Postmaster General SAYS that
SO lar as the public has made use Of It the
service has been we'll performed. In the
bog oflices whersit IT was introduced on the
Hrst day Of October last year, there we're
received for special delivery up to the
end Of September this year 1,14s,S20 let.
ters, which brought gross profit to the
government (lesS ises tQ rpeeial Vsffiers)
Of $97, ,0e7. The average time between the
receipt Of the letter ut the Office and the
delivery to the address. was nineteen min.
utes. The past year, however, Mr.. Villas
says, "csn bs properly regarded as only
aRotding . tentstiYe experiment with the
new system, with favorable Indications.
The department will spare no pains to as.
sure the public Of 'promptitude and Ger.
tainty in the delivery OF matter prqpeflY
stamped, and will co.operate With phbllc
criticism to improve the efficiency OF the
system by the investigation Of every com.
plant. The annual cost Of ths trsNapor.
lotion OF the msila iy reported ut $9S, ,955,.
sos. THIS 10 a slight increase oyer the
previous year.
1.-THE lqst thrso yssrV,p Mr.. Villas says,
"haye sustained the effects Of the reduc.
ton Of letter postage from three TO two
cents: Of rates Of Becondclass matter by
one.half, and BY doubling the unit Qt
weight Of hral.GlaBs.