Telegram-herald., 1890-11-30
A YEARS WORK.
What Has Been Accomplished "
the Post-0t6os Department
NJ. w1narnskerAs Annual Sepors--fss
Recommends . Rsoactiea ef
Letter Postage


wAsHIHeroS. New - TIE Post
master General In his annual report re-
views tie legislation of Congress fer
tie Improvement Of ths postsl service
ana dwells al some leAgth up0n the
changes Tor the better saring the last
year IN the administrative methods Of
the department In connection with
the last named subject be saws.
over So 90 has oseh saved 60 the coEtrset
for postal c4f1s. wbick though they we're prep-
sfly criticised 81 frsi were qulekiy brought up
10 ths required staadAFc by tks esEtrseteE;
tsoo.oo0 las been saved On lie contrast
fer stamped envelopes; sc 0O ca Eere
has been ssys4 ca certain lettings %
eoatrse1s Ter carry ms the mails. AA1 "a TIE
sane tiLns the mail routes have beea eK-
tended over slEnsst 2ooo 90 hiies 81 railway
sBd steamboat and stage hEss The same
number OF inspectors have tre1tec S,s% eases
during TIE year, against o. Ss4 treated iEstyenr,
O. az average OF l,sl3 per nan this year.
against SIS last year. 1ks total number of
eases on haad July ], 1850. vas i6sf. sgainst
sSef0 on hana July /. lass. T'ais means al
increase ~ - per cent In eases treated
aud decrease oi ~ per cent IN cases
o. hand.
The gross revenue Is nearly So00oo larger
than IL ever WAS before. Almost 400 new post
!
been establishes upon tie petitions of com
mun.ties which have needed thsm &c
creased limit for TIE extension o. the free
delivery has permitted ths employment %
letter-oarrisrs IN over nfty towns Three
times many tuo-siations and
stamp agencies which soon pay for themselves
were established IS durinE The previous year
over 5000 miles Of railway post-orace service.
so called where travelling post-orlees distriD-
ute the mails for instant dispatch. have
been put The 600 transportation
schedules have been examined and al
lusted OF extended where II has been
possible. Thirty-six per cent. more OF city
mails have been distributed on the trains for
instant dispatch than during the previous year.
The star-route mileage has Increased over
10000 miles and the mileage over II, ,OOo 600
The railway postal clerks have reduced the
number OF pieces usually sent 70 the dead let
ter once bv 20o0b01.
The sgiftest mail is act fast enough IN these
days for al the needs Of commerce ana social
correspondence. The conviction steadily grows
upon me that the post-oface should DO
more than enploy fast mails and stage
coaches and that the electric wires should
carry letters; that the people who pay in
postage rates the cost Of tbs postal
system have right 10 the use OF the postal
plants as a means OF reducing the cost Of tel
egraphic correspondence and for the instant
transmission OF postal noney-orders. We
strain every muscle and nerve trying 70 gain
an hour or two on this collection or that dsliy-
cry. We worry the railroads with importuni
ties for new trains or faster ones that sh all
save perhaps three feur hours. All The
while the quickest service. by which e;eo-
trc letters might be transmitted and whole
days or whole nights be gained and saved. Is
kept out o, the reach cf the country's postal
service. The postal service has proved itself
able 10 manage successfully the telegraph bust
and as part Of H. In form
or another the public imperatively de-
mands cheaper telegraphy and the Post
ONCE Department can supply il at less cost
than any corporation unless The latter has rent,
light and fuel free, and carriers and clerks
without pay.
With regard to the antilottery law the report
says that the lottery companies can not but see
that there is 70 be no trin.ng evssions in
dealing with them. The press has aided the
department by its general approval, and the
public at large have seconded It's Efforts to
make the law effective.
Regarding reduced letter postage the report
says: IF the postal revenue arising from let.
ter postage could be set aside for It's proper
uses the millions Of lstter-writers Of this coun.
try might quickly bo permitted 10 enjoy a
reduced taxation on letterwTiting. In point
OF fact there Is clear gain OF nearly
tS0.0oo, 600 from letter postsses. This large
profit with tho annual deficit (Which
last year amounted 10 s5. 800, appropriated
cat Of the general Treasury, is all swallowed
up oy the losses on other classes Of mail matter
carried at less than the coat Of distribution
and handling. There need BE no conjecture as
to the principal item OF cost in trying TO drop
10 one-cent rate. The amount received
from letter postage last year was some
thing over s3s,o00,09-. This sum would
be cut exactly in half and we would there.
fore hut fhc IA.
ficiency for the current year Is likely 70 be
sL53O00o. which would make the total de-
fcienoy s13, 5oo, 600 and more This large de-
nciency under one-cent rate would be re-
duced: first, by the natural increase OF bust.
ness; second, by the stimulus Of o low rate
OF postage; and third by the completion
OF the pending legislation TO collect proper
postage for sample copies Of so-eallee news
papers and from psperooversd books. II is es-
timated that by the sample book business over
g. 600 900 is annually lost to the revenue and "a
tho transportation OF paper covered books con-
si6erably more than 81 900 900 is kept out Of the
postal income for the benefit Of certain book
publishers.
IL appears from the report that I1o72 post.
masters were removed during the last two
years and e ESQ appointed In the same time.
The appointments for the last year numbered
i44ss and the removals e.2I< The number Of
post oracss al the close Of the nsesl year. Juns
30 1890 was ea toi. The number Of new pest
ofnces established 70 1920 was 4e3s. .'he num
Der Of ofnecs enlarged TO free delivery onnces
in 1900 was sfty-three.
The revenue Of the department for the ises
year the report shows. was SO. SIS 7S3. The er
penditures sad liabilities were scs sss .os3 Tbs
deficiency for the year ives therefore G7S.aoo
GRAND RAurps. Wis, Nov. at 4.
estimated that the yield Of crsnbersie'
in this district will aggregate 81. 80
barrels, sold at an average Of SC 50 pei
barrel, making a total Of ssss, isA