The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-12-17
TEE MAIL SERVICE.
Ann ual Report of Postmas
ter-General Wanamaker.
The Revenue $5,OoO,ooo Large:
Than Ever Before.

= The annual report Of Postmaster Genera
Wanamaker for the fiscal year ended Jun
3d. 1890, has bsen made public.
: In the administrative methods Of the De
partment some changes have been made. A
new series of smaller stamps, criticised, ane
justly criticised at first so far as the two
cent stamps are concerned, are now, 1t ls be
Geved, quite acceptable to the public.
More than 5000, 600 has bean saved on tha
contract for postal cards, which, though they
were properly criticised at first. were quick
ly brought up to the required standard by
the contractor. -Four hundred thousand dol
lars have been saved on the contract fol
saved on certain contracts for carrying the
mails, and at the same time the mail route.
have been extended over almost twomillior
miles Of railway, steamboat and stagelines.
Mr.. Wanamaker says that the gross rev
enue is nearly $4,000, 900 larger than it ever
was before. Almost 5000 new Postofhcei
more than in any one year before have been
established upon the petitions OF communitie
which have needed them. Over 5000 miles
Of railway Postoffice service have been put
on. The railway postal clerks have reduced
the number of pieces usually sent to the
Dead-Lettsr Office by 1900, 600. ..--.s-.
1t appears from the report that IA, or
Postmasters were removed during the past
same time. The appointments for tn.
past year numbered Il, 46S and the re-
movals 6274. The total number Of Post.
Offices Is 62.40l. The net increase
in the number Of Offices, after taking in &C.
count all of the offices discontinued, was
1906, a considerably larger number than ever
before In the history of the service, the next
largest being Immediately after the close Of
the war 1S66, when the net increase was
327S. -. .
Mr.. Wanamaker favors, wherever prac-
ticable, one-story inexpensive buildings for
PostofHces, and says that to move out Of q
six-hundred-dollar rented ROOM safe and
ample for the postal business into a one
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. building, where the
janitor alone gets more salary than
the whole Of the rent in the former
place, cannot be justified on any business
principles. The Postal Service, he says, does
not need any such expenditures. A one
story structure Is all that is required in
three cases out Of four. OF course, due
regard must be paid to the size Of
the town and the location in which
the building is to erected, as well as to arch
itectural features conformable to the dignity
Of the Government; but to waste money on
numerous stories, with towers and turrets
for dignity alone is not in accord with the
American idea Of utility and taste.
The antt-lottery legislation has entailed
much extra labor upon the inspector force,
but, on the other hand. the temptation to
thieying among employees Of the Department
has been much diminished by the same
Weans. The past year has been made very
dlSagreeable to "green-goods" swindlers
Naoofio fiopc xutth tho GorpooY, authorities
looking to the establishment Of sea post
offices have been successful. A commission
Of postmasters has examined 900 methods,
designs and suggestions for house letter
boxes to find something which, If universally
adopted, would save a quarter part Of the
time of the carrier force of the Department.
A new Postoffice Building for New York
City is recommended. More than two hun.
dred thousand dollars, he says, has been added
to the pay roll Of the clerical force in twenty
months, which is much larger amount than
was ever granted before in a corresponding
period. But, however much the Department
tries, it cannot overcoms f1ed physical con.
ditions. II is useless to expedite trains and
lose the gains at an overcrowded postoftice.
The feet ocean steamers might as well ba
O day late, so far as tbs mails are concerned,
il their immense bulk Of incoming mattsr is
to be piled up In the New York Office until
space can be cleared for it. The Postoface
Building is totally inadequate. The men
cannot be managed either ecclomically OF
with the greatest speed.
The total expenditures for the service dur
Ing the year was s66, 645, 083; the revenue was
$50, ,s5s, 7sS, leaving a deficiency OF s., 1885,;
BOO. Compared with the preceding fiscal
year, there was an increase Of A,7lO, 76S IN
revenue, and an increase Of s4,0s9,6S6 in ex'
penditures.