Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-25
WEDNESDAY. JANUARY as, 1888

WEDNESDAY,, JANUARY as, 1883
Posteffice Relief an d Volume of
Business.
Senator Hearst has been earnest
and incessant in his efforts to relieve
the postofiices of this city, Pasadena,
Riverside, San Diego and other
Southern California cities of the diff
culties which have so seriously mill
tated against their efficiency. Whilst
Mr.. Lynch was in Washington the
Senator accompanied him to the
heads of the departments, and the
two gentleman clearly explained
the situation, and received assurances
that all should be done that lay in
their power to remove the complaints.
A great difficulty to contend with in
providing the relief needed is the
lack of funds. The Postal Depart
ment appropriation is a fixed figure
for the year, and the only way in
which the authorities can meet the
case is to scale down the expenses in
Offices that have fallen off in business
and applying the money thus unused
to the offices that show an increase in
the value of work. In the course of a
letter to us from Senator Hearst. he
says:
II have consulted with Postmaster
General Villas, and First Assistant
Postmaster General Stevenson, time
and again, in relation to the condition
of postoffices in Southern California,
and both expressed themselves as be-
ing anxious OF bringing about better
state of affairs at the very earliest
moment. Mr.. Scott, Chief of Division
of Salaries and Allowances, upon be-
ing consulted, expresses himself as
being hardly able to understand why
such a deplorable state Of affairs ex-
lists. The postofices at Los Angeles,
Pasadena, Riverside and San Diego,
ore all receiving higher per centage
than is allowed to any other post
office in the United States, doing
business of q similar volume. All
four offices named have by order of
the Postmaster General received ad-
ditional allowances for expenses to
take effect this month. This may re-
ieve the postmasters in a measure,
but if not sufficient every effort will
be used to secure an increased allow
ance."
The following statistical exhibit
touching the affairs of our postoffice is
interesting in view of the above cor
res! ondence: The allowance made
the office for the year 1888 is $17, ,315.
There are 27 clerks employed and
that is an utterly inadequate force to
handle the business. The average
salary is s645 per annum, Or not
quite $54 per month. We all know
how poor such compensation is
esteemed in this community. The
gross business Of the office is $12O, 900
per annum. The department is
enriched nearly $4,000 per annum
at our expense. The duties imposed
on the force required to do the work
of the Office is enormous. The mail
ing clerks work twelve to eighteen
hours day. The office handles the
mail of some 100000 transient in
habitants annually, which more
than doubles the work. For
1000 lock boxes there are
only two clerks allowed. How busi-
ness is increasing will appear from the |
following showing: In 1885 the total |
came to SAG, ,6O6,42. For 1886 |
they rose to $61, ,331.75. Last year
the Office took in $94, ,342.77, or more
than twice as much as two years be-
fore. 1t is estimated that for 1888 the
receipts will aggregate $l50, 900. From
August 1st to December 3lst, 1887,
there were 16, ,256 forwarding orders" /
left at the office. There were in the /,
same period %, ,52S changes of address !
left. This is $4,000 changes in five |,
times as many as in New i
York city and ten times as many as
in San Francisco. There are twenty |
pne carriers allowed the Office. They |
deliver four times day in the busi-
ness portion Of the city and twice
ln the residence portion. In
December last the deliveries
lletted 295, ,574 pieces, an increase over
he same month in 1885 of 101 ,41S, or
4 the rate Of 1,217,O16 pieces a
vear. The pieces collected in the
month were 209, ,644, an increase Of
|22, ,558 over December, 1886. This
, ct the rate of 1,47O,59 pieces in
Irease for the year. The com bined
Innual increase as thus indicated
vould be 1885,, ,6l2 pieces. the weekly
Iyorage OF letters advertised has been
bout 2, ,177. The number OF letters
1aced in the general deliveries
Ioekly is over $4,000. So that after
U there i only ! in 40 advertised.
BIZ il only two and e half per cent.
he HrRALD on December 10, 1887,
Einted q list of advertised letters
mounting to 1856 names. OF these y