Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-15
RIGHT IN THE SWIM.
The Remarkable Growth of Pitlsburg
During the Past Year,
AS SHOWN BY SALES OF STAMPS.
Only Six Cities in the United States Lead
Us in P. 0. Receipts.
THE MARVELLOUS INCREASE OF A YEAR

1t will crafty the citizens of Pittsburg to
learn that the local postofice receipts for
the last year have been so phenomenally
large that Pittsburg, so far as rating among
the frst-class postoffices of the nation is con-
cerned, has forced her way into the same
rank as Brooklyn, Baltimore, San Francisco
and Washington, and has shivered all pre-
vious records in the history of the postal de-
partment. The increase in gross receipts
during the last year is quite without par
allel.
Where other postofices in the nation have
been averaging per cent increase in reve-
nue. during the year which will end April 1,
Pittsburg has shown an increase of q per
cent, and is now assured OF a rating which
will astonish the country, inasmuch as the
cities she is neck and neck with are far
ahead in actual population. Postofhces of
the first class comprise all those which e1-
coed $40, 900 in revenue. There are 13 classes
in the official rating, the thirteenth being
the highest. The salary of the postmaster is
s., 600 for $40, 600 offices, and S10O is added
to the postmaster's yearly salary for every
$50, 900 increase in the yearly receipts.
NOT DONE IN YEAR.
It took Pittsburg many years to reach
$500, 900, the figure she has been at during
the past year with the postmaster's salary at
$500. The next grade to be reached was
$3.50, 900 receipts, with salary OF S4 900.
But so materially did the receipts increase
since April 1, 1889, that that grade was
passed during the early winter months, and
it was within the limits OF possibility to
reach the 100000 grade, with a salary Of
S., ,000 If the receipts of to-day are as
heavy as usual Pittsburg passes from the
tenth TO the twelfth grade within one year,
an unparalleled achievement in the history
of the Postal Department. The neat little
addition 81, 100 per annum to the salary
of Postmaster Mexican will be appreciated
by that official. The cities in the twelfth
grade are now Pittsburg, San Francisco,
Baltimore. Brooklyn and Washington.
There are but six cities j. the United
States which now lead Pittsburg in postal
receipts, viz: New York, St. Louis. Chica-
go, Boston, Philadelphia and Cincinnati.
Tt is quite possible for Pittsburg to enter
the highest class along with the above cities
within the coming year. Superintendent OF
Mails Collins figures that % per cent of an
increase will bring Pittsburg up to $500, 200
in gross receipts-postmaster' salary Sc, 900
by April 1, 1891. The increase in per-
centage in 1SS9-1S90 has been q, and only
slight increase will be necessary.
NEW YORK is AHEAD.
There is only one higher salary than Sc, 600
paid and that is in New York, where SS, 900
is the figure. There are only the cities of
Chicago, St. Louis and Cincinnati west OF
the Allegheny Mountains which lead Pitts
burg in postal facilities, and big boom is
looked for locally when the office gets into
its new quarters, which are now positively
promised by October 1.
This city has now left far behind the fol-
flowing cities of the nation: Louisville,
Buffalo by an increase in the ratio of two to
one; Cleveland the same; Rochester, De-
troit, Kansas City, st. Paul, Minneapolis,
Denver; indianapolis by ratio of ~ to
1; New Orleans by an increase of over
third, and Richmond and other cities are
not in it at all. 1t is singular fact that
the receipts of st. Paul and Minneapolis
were each S296,0O0, differing in amount
only few dollars.
Piltsburg can exult with reason over the
phenomenal increase which the business in
terests of the city show by the figures above
given, and Postmaster Mexican claims that
the postBl business of city is an index of
its future which is fully as indicative as the
varying figures of the Clearing House.