Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-12-05
And the Mail Routes Have Been
Extended Over Two
Million Miles.
Almost 5000 POst0ffices Have Been
Established More Than
Any Other Year.
The Gross Revenue is Marty
S5,OOO,OOO Larger Than
Ever Before.
Interesting Postofice Statistics.


WASHINGTON, Nov. 2.-The postmaster
general in his annual report reviews the
legislation of congress aud dwells at some
length upon the changes for the better dur
ing the year in administrative methods.
Eight hundred thousand dollars have been
saved on contracts, and yet the mail routes
have been extended over 100000 miles.
Inspectors have handled a larger number
of cases than heretofore and have fewer
on hand. The anti-lottery legislation has
caused extra work but it has also removed
one form of temptation to thieving from
the clerks. Negotiations with Germany
for seaport offices have been successful.
The gross revenue is nearly So, 600, 900 lager
than ever before. Almost 5000 more post
offices have been established than in any
n year heretofore; free delivery has been
established in fifty-three towns; star route
mileage 1000, 900; clerks have reduced the
dead letter mail by two million. He says
swifter mail service is necessary and then
proceeds to argue for postal telegraph. 1t
is for the same method as he has hereto
fore explained. He says the new
lottery act accords with his former
recommendations and the press and the
people have helped the department by
their general approval. He fayors ocean
mail service, for which a bill is now pend
ing in the house. There were 14,468 post.
masters appointed during the year and
6.24 removed. The number of new offices
established during the year 1890 was 1926,
making a total of 62,401. He says the way
may soon be clear to connect the executive
departments and the senate and house
with the Washington city postofice by the
pneumatic system and that it may then be
OF the large cities. He would especially
like to see the pneumatic system working
perfectly in Chicago by the time the
Worlds Far is in progress. He favOrs,
wherever practicable, One-story inexpen-
sive buildings for postofices, and says that
to move out of $500 rented ted
postal rss ; S"t b%usine n i intg a for s1oo! tsS
building, where the %janitor alone gets a
salary equal to more than the rent in the
former place, cannot he justified
on any business principles. The New York
postoffice building he considers totally in
adequate for the work of the office. If the
Po'Co' AOSGuuC dliolilS HUH lCttCI pOSUuSG
could be set aside for its proper uses, mil
lions OF the letter writer's of this country
might quickly be permitted to enjoy re-
duced taxation on letter writing. In point
of fact, there is a clear gain of nearly $780,
100000 from letter postage This large
profit, with the annual deficit (Which last
year amounted to $5,76S ,300), appropriated
out OF the general treasury is all swal-
lowed up by the losses on other classes of
mail matter carried at less than the cost of
distribution and handling. There need be
no conjecture as to the principal item of
the cost in trying to drop to a one.cent
rate. The amount received from letter
postage last year was something over $685.
00O,OoO. This sum would be cut exactly
in half, and we would, therefore,
get but little over $J9,000,00O. The defci-'
cheney for the current year is likely to be
$4,53O,OO0 which would make a total defici-
ency of $2S, 500 900 and more. This large
deficiency under the one cent rate would
be reduced, first, by natural increase of
business; second, by the stimulus OF the
low rate of postage; and third, by compile
ton of the pending legislation to collect
the proper hostages from the sample copies
OF so called newspapers, and from paper
covered books. 1t is estimated that by the
sample copy business over 81, 100000 is an
nually lost to the revenue and in the trans
portation of paper covered books consider
ably more than 81, 100000 is kept out of the
postal income, for the benefit of certain
book publishers. The deficiency under the
one cent rate might be still further reduced
by kthe adoption of Improved devices
from time to time. which would save
time and money. The most formidable
item at present for consideration is So, OOO,
900 worth of postal work performed annu-
ally without pay for the executive depart
ments. If each Of the departments had
paid its postage, the revenue Of this de-
partment would nave been So, 1000, 1000 more
annually than now The report touches
upon the question of civil service as ap-
piled to the p~ostofice department, favor
ing ~stricter examinations and certain pro-
motions for merit. TIE revenue of the de-
partment for the fiscal year, the report
shows. was $685. 1888. The expenditures
and liabilities were 1856, 1916 ,089. The def.
cheney for the year was, therefore, SIS, 1885,
300. The report closes with a tribute to
Clarkson and other chiefs in the depart
ment.