News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1886-11-25
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Statistics of the Cost of Messenger, Railway
and Star Route Mail Service.

| WASHINGTON, Nov. From the an
nual report of the Second Assistant
| Postmaster General, A. Leo Knott, it
appears that on the Both of June, 1886,
| there were in operation throughout the
| United States %, 100 routes of all classes
on which mail service was performed at
IN annual rate of expenditure at the
close of the last fiscal year of 500, 026,
| 65S. The aggregate length of all these
routes was 387, $50 miles, on which
there was an aggregate annual travel of
258, 788, O65 miles. The report states
that from April I, 1886, to June 80,
1886, the total savings in annual rate
of cost, in this department of the postal
service, effected by orders and oy new
contracts for transportation and mail
equipments were 81, $40, 1856.
Combining the whole railway, star,
steamboat, mail messenger and special
route service there was an average fire.
quency of 6.42 trips per week. The an
nual rate of expenditure In the star ser
vice, which aggregated 10, 245 routes
and 233, 915 miles in length, was 3d.
352, 1871 IN the mail messenger service,
aggregating 5, 300 routes, the annual rate
of expenditure was 1884, $50. In the
steamboat service, aggregating III
routes, the expenditure was $446, 419.
On 1,7O2 railroad routes, aggregating
1913, 933 miles in length, over which
there was an annual travel of 1854, $685.
389 miles, the rate of expenditure was
$15, $50, 1911. In the railway Post Office
car service the rate of expenditure was
S1,816. 321.
The estimates for the next year are
$40, 867, 962, being an increase of only
$272, $50 over the appropriation for the
current year The number OF railway
post office lines is 1858. In the whole
star service there wa an increase of I'll
per cent in the quantity of service and
a decrease in the rate of cost of 9.68
per cent as compared with the preced-
ing five years In the star service the
appropriation for the last fiscal year was
So, 500, 600 and the sum actually eX-
pended was So, 443, 1896 so, leaving an
unexpended balance of $456, 703.11.
The estimates Of the expenses of the
postal service for the next fiscal year ag-
gregate $55, 342, 80, while the appIo-
priations for the current year were $44,-
365, S43, showing an increase IN the es-
tlLlaIeS LOT Lle neAI year VI S9to, SCo.
This increase is made up of the follow
ing items: Compensation of clerks in
pot offices, $500, 600; additional expen-
ses of the free delivery system, $246,
1859; Second Assistant Postmaster Gen
erals office, $4,000; Third Assistant
Post Master Generals office, $247, 500;
foreign mail service, $50, 900. The esti-
mated ordinary revenue for the next
fiscal YEARS. $40, 962, 500 and the revenue
from the money order system $650,0
making a total estimsted revenue of
$50, 612, 500. The estimated deficiency
in ceipts as compared with expendi-
lures during the next year is placed at
81, 729, 554, while it is estimated that
the current fiscal year will show def
cheney of g$7, 443, GA. The estimated
expense of maintaining the Post Office
including clerks salaries,
and contingent expenses,
is 1923, 800, a reduction of 50, $50 from
r biC vaor>c concentrations