The semi-weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1890-1891, 1890-12-03
The Star Route and Railway Mail
Service Increased Sixteen
Million Miles.
the POSTAL DEPARTMENT INCREASING.
He Argues in Favor Of Postal Tele.
graph and Pneumatic Mail Ser
vice in Large Cities.
He Opposes Large Postoffice Buildings
and Wants the Letter Rate
Dropped to One Cent.

General Wanamaker, in his annuStxe-
port, reviews the legislation of congress
and dwells at some length upon changes
for the better during the year In admin.
istrative methods. Eight hundred thous-
and dollars has been saved on contracts
and vet mail routes have been extended
over 10000 0 miles. The inspectors have
handled a larger number Of cases than
heretofore and have fewer on hand. The
anti-lottery legislation caused extra work,
but also removed one form of temptation
to thieving from the clerks. Negotia'
tions with Germany for seaport offices
have been successful. The gross revenue
is nearly s ,000,o0O larger than ever be-
fore. Almost 3, 700 more postofices have
been established than in any n year
before. Free delivery has been estab-
lished in So towns. Star route mileage
had been increased 100000 miles and
railway mileage 100000. Clerks re-
duced dead letter mail by 100000.
He says swifter mail service is neces-
sary and then proceeds to argue for pos
tai telegraph. 1t is for the same method
as he has heretofore explained. He says
the new lottery act accords with his
former recommendation and the press
and people have helped the department
by general approval. He favors ocean
mail service for which a bill is now pend
ing in the house. There were 14,466
postmasters appointed during the year
and 6,274 removed. The number of
new offices established during 1880
was 4,236, making total
of 62.401. He says the way may soon be
clear to come, the executive depart
ments and the senate and the house
with the Washington City ~postofice by
IA pneumatic system and that 1t may then
be extended to sub-stations and postofices
of large cities. He would especially like
to see the pneumatic system working
perfectly in Chicago by the time the
Worlds fair is in progress. He favors
wherever practicable one story, lnexpen-
siye buildings for postof1ces and says
that to move nj of a 5000 rented room,
safe and ample for postal business, into a
hundred thousand dollar building where
the %janitor alone gets a salary more than
the rent in the former place. cannot be
justified on any business principles. The
New York postoffice building he consid-
ers totally inadequate for the work of the
office. If the postal revenue arising
from letter postage could be set aside for
its proper uses, millions of letter writer's
Of this country. might quickly be permit.
ted to enjoy reduced taxation on letter
writing. In point of fact there is a clear
gain of nearly $30,O0O,00O from letter
postage. This large profit with the an
nual deficit (Which last year amounted to
$5,76S,3OO appropriated out OF
the general treasury is all swallowed
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 cost in trying to dropto
the n cent rate. The amount received
from letter postage last year was some
thing over $4,000, 000. This sum would
be cut exactly in half, and we would,
therefore, get but little over $19, 1000, 600
The deficiency fol the current year is
likely to be $4,53O,O0O, which would
make a fetal deficiency of $28, 0 600 and
more. This large deficiency under the
one cent rate would be reduced, first, by
the natural increase of business; second
by the stimulus of a low rate of postage
and third, by the completion of pending
legislation to collect proper hostages
from sample copies of so-called news
papers and from paper covered books
1t is estimated that by the sample copy
business over 8 ,OOO,0 600 is annually lost
to the revenue, and in the transportation
of paper covered books considerably
more than 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 the adoption of improved de.
vices from time to time which wonld
save time and money. The most formid-
able item present for consideration
is $s,O0O,Q0G worth of postal work
performed annually without pay
for the executive departments. If each
of the departments had paid its postage
the evenue Of this department would
have been $4,000 600 o annually than
now. The report touches upon the ques.
ton of civil service as applied to the
p~ostofice department, favoring ~strictel
examinations and certain promotions fol
merit The wen of the department!
for the fiscal year the report shows was
$6O,S5s.7s3 The expenditures and liza
bilities were 500, 645, Os3. The deficiency
for the year was, therefore. $780, 300
The report closes with a tribute to Clark.
son and to Other chiefs in the depart.
ment.
Ladies Natural Wool Underwear at rs
cents q garment. 1t leads the trade. Joe
Conrad.
We have o fine assortment of popular
shades in Velvet at $3.50 per yard which
cannot be beat IN the country, Joe Con.
rad.
We are offering special inducements ia
buyers OF Dress Goods just now. Joe
Conrad.