Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1888-12-06

time about Is per cent OF the total departmental
Dgr,hases are made by contract, and after com
1autiOn as the expenditures of the account ex-
iced an average of 5000 600 annually it is evil
dent that an important improvement in the sys-
lem has been naugurated and substantial re-
t0uomics introduced
POSTAL DEPARTMENT.
3. .5r; IL tli postmaster general shows a
marked iuc.ea c q. business in every branch Of
tb- postal service. The number of postofllces on
Iay 10, 1888, was 1856. an increase of q, 12i in
three sea 5, and Of 229 for the last fiscal year
TuslItte mentioned Increase Is classified as fol
lows. New England states, .; Middle states, 1871;
southern states ana lndiIn Territory, /, i08; the
states aud territories Of the Pacific coast 100; the
tsn states aud territories OF the west and north
vest $50; District Of Columbia, .; total 22l0.
Free delivery offices have increased from $50 in
lie fiscal wear ended June 80 1881, to 35S in the
lar ended June 80, 1888 In the railway mail
-. vice there has been an increase in one year Of
routes, and in the number OF miles Travelled
u.r. unnum an increase Of 15J7l5,9l7 4S. The es-
ON. tel increase OF railroad service for the year
ua- TX thou AM miles, bat tha amount Of new
lH. rIld service actually PUG on was IL, 754 80
The yulgme of business in the money order div
i ln. uclu Ing transactions in postal notes
leac ned the sum of upwards Of St4SoO000O for
th year Dur ng the past year parcel post con
,.gtluus have been concluded with BarOadoes
she b. hama. Brdi.h Honduras aud Mexico and
are now uad r negotiation with all the Central
a.d south Amrrlc 4 states. The increase for
CORE SpuuUeNtt WIEN foreign countries during
.Ae past tuIec ears Is gratifying aud is especial.
y notable and exceptional with ha Central ami
South Ame IAN states. anu with Mexico, as the
reater part of the mail matter exchanged with
these com ries is commercial in its character;
this increase is evidence of this Improved bust
ness r,l'i rs with them. The practical opera
{ GA of ti,i pare ] post invention, SO far as ne
-otIatei has served 10 fulfill the most
favorable predictions as to their ben
Gs In January last general pos.
C invention was negotiated with the Dominion
of Canada which mt lntU operation on March
lst aud which ID acticaily makes one postal ter
ITO II of the L it.d Stltts and Canada Under
j, mer hands parce NAV now be transmitted
through tue mails at tJu tn class rates of pos
Ug- 10 not possible h re, TO touch even the
leading heads Of the great postal establishment,
% Illustrate the enormous and rapid growth Of
.ts business, and the needs for legislative read
] l-uneut # much If its ma 'hinery that IL has
ugrown. For these, and valuable recon-
foundations Of the postmaster general, attention
+ earnestly invited TO his report department
whose revenues have increased from SIS, az, 900
20 lslO T. S52 100 600 in 1888; despite re hue
ujs Il hostage which d I'VE enormously reduced
the rates of revenue, VII greatly increasing
j bust less demands Tn caletal consideration
of Tie congress, rs to al, matters suggested 10y
lhos familiar with ITS operations, aud which
Go al ulated TO II c,ease its efficiency and use
200 d. SIS.
bill proposed by the postmaster-general was
introduced at the last session of the congress, by
which uniform standard in the amount of gross
receipts would fix the right of a community TO
public building TO be erected by the government
for poStofflce purposes. 1t was demonstrated
that aside from the public convenience and the
OF harmony among citizens, invara.
bly, disturbed by change Of leasings and OF site
it was a measure Of the highest economy and of
sound business judgment. 1t was found that the
government was paying in rents at the rate or
IL m seven TO ten per cent per annum on what the
cost of such public buildings would be. very
rrpQt a1VautHUA resulting from such law would
be the prevention of large number of bills con-
SANITY introduced for the erection. Of public
buildings at places, ana involving ex-
sty. l trust that this measure viii
become a law at the present session
Of congress. OF the total number of the post
masters 54,S4 are Of the fourth class These, of
course receive no allowances whatever for ex-
penSes in the service, and their compensation is
fixed by percentages on tho receipts of their re-
Spective offices. This rate OF compensation may
have been, and probably was at some time just.
But the standard has remained unchanged
through the several reductions in the rates of
postage. Such reductions have necessarily cut
down the compensation Of these officials while
il undoubtedly increased the business performed
by them. Simple justice requires attention to
this subject, Is the end that fourth class post
masters may receive at least an equlVaieat %
that which the law itself fixing the rate intended
for them.
Another class OF rost Il employees whose con-
..
clerks in post ffices, and call especial attention
io the repeate recommendations of the posi-
master general for their classification. Proper
l.glsalon OF this character for the relief OF car
nars in the free delivery service has been fire.
quent Provision is made fer their promotion,
tur substitutes for them on vacations, for substi-
t tu.es for Holidays and limiting Their hours OF
labor Seven million dollars have been
for the current year TO
provide for them, though the total
number Of offices where they are employed
e. H.nHH e. n Ii afa
mated increase for the current year, OF but 80,
while the total appropriation for all clerks in tha
lces throughout the United States is S. g5OVOO.
lAe legislation affecting the relation OF the gov
eminent with the railroads Is in need OF revision.
While for the most part the railroad companies
throughout the country have cordially cooper
aled with the postoffice department in rendering
excellent service yet under the law, as it now
stands while the compensation to them for car
Iylng the mail Is limited and regulated, and al
'aaEh the railroads are made post roads by law,
"4Ie is no authority reposed anywhere 10 COM
.-t The owner of a railroad 10 take and carry the
Y .ted States mail The only alternative proyld'
el by act Of congress In case of refusal, IS for
.-e postmaster general to send the mail forward
a} pony express. This is but an Illustration OF
,le Limiting legislation, reasonable ana proper
the time Of its enactment, but long since out
crown, and requiring re-adiustment.
Al is gratifying to note from the carefully pre-
'iei statistics accompanying the postmaster
--aeral report, that Notwithstanding the great
Ab-uson OF the service, the rate of expenditures
nus been lasSened, and efficiency has oeen I'M
.'el IN every branch; that fraud and crime
I. 1879 reused; that losses from the mails have
H fetucea. and that hc number Of complaints
.-. service made 90 rostmasters aud @ the
5i'm2ui are far less tlau ever before.
DEPARTMENT or JCsTIcE.
lhe transactions Of tia department u justice
t' lhe fiscal year ended June 30, 1883, are con-
-.eI ia the report OF The attorney general Us a
H'.r OF valuable recl mmeDdatious, The most
men are repeiiri9ns " those previously made
ought to receive cpusije alton.
81 .r stilei in this rep @ that though judgments
A.'ti Suits amounting O. S5l2 02 o. We're re-
'-'e- lu favor II Ia r0Str uedt during tHe
only the sum If Sl3A94 was collected
.h'n and that though tlues, penalties am p Or
~ were imposed amounting 70 Sifl > %
- cljy.t4S - Of that sum was paid on account
r. There facts may furnish an Illustration
sentiment which extensively prevails That
due The government should cause no incsn-
-ag3 90 the citizens.
q. -.a appears from this report that though
March 1855. there had been but SIX con-
- 10 the territories Of Utan and idaho
tRt Laws # 1862 and 1882 Furnishing p0lyg
ANA uua afgl co habtation, as crime,
pas Teen since that date nearly GO conVic-
ser these laws and statutes OF 1887 ana
ti .n Is expressed that under such fFn
'f-tant execution Of these laws and the aa-
% ideas opposed to the forbidden practice
t+alnv within the United States Is virtually