Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-11-05
POSTOFFlCE BUSINESS.
Synopsis of the Annual Report of
Second Assistant Postmaster Gen.
eral Lnott.
In the Star Service az Increase of ga
Routes-Imp0rtant Recommended
lions.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-The estimates
of the expenses of the postal service for
the next fiscal year aggregates S56,342,-
$50, while the appropriations for the
current year was S54 1905. 1858, showing an
increase in the estimates for the next
year of S976,2S6. This increase is made
up of the following items: Compensa-
ton of clerks in postoffice, 100000; ad
ditional expenses of the free delivery
system, S246, 469; Second Assistant Post
master Generals Office, $4,000; Third
Assistant Postmaster Generals office,
S247 500; foreign mail service, $4,000.
The estimated ordinary revenue for the
next fiscal year is SIS, 1862, $50, and the
revenue from the money-order system
| S650,0OO, making a total estimated
revenue of S50,612,5 9S. the estimated
deficiency in receipts as compared with
expenditures during the next year is
| placed at S3,729, 594, while it is estimated
that the current fiscal year will show
deficiency of $6,543, 914.
/ REPORT OF THE SECOND ASSISTANT.
| From the annual report of the Second
/ Assistant Postmaster General A. Leo
/ Knott, it appears that on the 30th of
| June, 1856, there were in operation
/ throughout the United States 22,799
routes of all classes on which mail service
was performed, at an annual rate of ex-
penditure at the close of the last fiscal
| year of S20,026,65S. The aggregate
length of all these routes was 387 $50
miles, on which there was an aggregate
annual travel of 258, 7S6, 065 miles. The
report states that from April l, 1886, to
/ June 30, 1886, the total savings in annual
rate of cost in this department of the
postal service effected by orders and by
new contracts for transportation and
mail equipments were Sl,840,7S6. In the
| star service there was an increase of S74
routes and of ! ,693 miles in length, and
decrease of So, 625 in annual rate of
expenditure. In the mail messenger ser
vice there was an increase of 20 routes
and decrease of S44, 357 in the annual
rate of expenditure. In the steamboat
service, there was an increase of one
route and decrease of 1,1S5 miles, and
of S116,5S3 in annual rate of cost, the
steamboat service thus dispensed with
being supplanted by railway and star
service. In the railroad service there
was an increase of eighty one routes, of
2,9Ol miles in length, and of S76l, 1896 in
annual rate of cost. In the railway pos
tai car service there was decrease of
| Soo,loc, OF -Jf per cent, III tne annual
rate of cost. The annual rate of expen-
diture for railroad trans poratlon on June
30, 1885, was S12.520, 191, as against $14.-
| 1853, 495 on June 80, 1885.
The estimates for the next year are
$25, S67 1862, being an increase of only
1922, $50 over the appropriations for the
current year. Ia the Star service there
was an increase of 7.l2 per cent. in the
quantity of service and a decrease in the
rate of cost of 9.6S per cent as compared
with the preceding five years.
The report closes with recommends
ton for change in the method of com
pensating railway mail service. Under the
present law railways are paid according
to the average daily weight carried both
ways. On account of the many 1ncon-
gruities under this method of adjusting
the compensation of a change is recon-
mended by the substitution of a space
basis instead of a weight basis as pay.
1t is believed that this method will, with
out seriously affecting the present
service, make a saving of about $780,
600 per year, i'll the annual expendi-
! lures