The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1890-11-29
POSTAL BUSINESS.
The Annual Report of the POST
ter-General.
THE NUMBER OF DECAPITATIoNs
For Two Years was Fourteen Thousand and
SeVenty-twO-POstal Telegraph and
Postal Savings Banks.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 2S.-The postmaster
general, IN his annual report, shows that
the past year over two hundred Thousand
dollars was saved on postal card contracts.
Inc cards, though inferior at first, were
quickly brought up to the required stand
ard. -Four hundred thousand dollars was
saved In stamped envelope contracts. and
Two hundred thousand dollars On certain
mail carrying. At the same time mail
routes have been extended over almost two
million miles of railway, steamboat and
stage lines. The gross revenue was nearly
hve million dollars larger than ever before.
Almost tlVe thousand new postoffices, more
tnan In any one year before, have been es-
taohshed upon petitions of communities.
Suo-station and stamp agencies service
railway postotfice service. free deliverv
ana other matters have been greatly ex-
tended during the year. The star route
mileage was increased over five million
miles, and railroad mileage over eleven
millions. The work of the dead letter
Office has been greatly reduced during the
year.
Ioucning on the postal telegraphs scheme.
the postmaster-gene says the swiftest
mall Is not fast enough in these DAYS for
all tne needs OF commerce and special cor
respondence. In one form or another. the
public imperatiyely demands cheaper tel
egraphy and the postof1ice department can
supply 1t at less cost than any corporation
unless the latter has rent, light fneI
carriers and clerks free. Tie plan pro,
posed Tor postal telegraph involves no
outlay OF money. no appointment of clerks.
no financial liability. 1t is surely entitled
to fair consideration.
Under the head, "a New Plan for Postal
Savings Banks" the report recon-
mends that the postoffice department
Dc authorized to establish postal saw
1ngs banks under regulations forrnu-
lated by the postmaster general.
there to be located in states having no laws
regulating savings banks: in any other
state upon the petition Of any considerable
mum Der OF residents in any one locality
and not more uumerously than one post.
office for every ten miles of area, the in
terest to be fixed by the secretary of the
treasury at the beginning of each wear. and
to be one-half OF per cent. less than the
average rate paid depositors by private
bankers, all postal savings received within
| state to be placed on deposit with the
national banks OF that state, on application.
in such amounts and at such interest as
the secretary of the trersury NAV pre-
scribe, such deposits to be declared pre-
ferred claims.
!. Touching the anti-lottery act, the report
says: THE press has aided the depart
ment by very general approval and the pub
lie at large has seconded its efforts to make
the new law effective"
The report shows that IA, or postmasters
were removed during the past two years
%, $50 appointed during the same time.
The postmaster general hopes the way
-1l1-
departments and Senate and House with
the Washington postoffices by the pneu-
matte system, and that it may be then ex-
tended 10 the Sub-Stations and postoffices
of large cities. He would especially like to
see the pneumatic system working per-
fecty In Chicago when the Worlds
fair is in progress, so the postal ex-
hibit there would really show this high
development of the service. He favors.
wherever practicable, one story, inexpen-
sive buildings for Dostoffices. He saws that
to move out of 5000 rented room, safe and
ample for postal business, into 100000
building, where the postmaster alone gets
more salaray than the rent of the former
place, cannot be justified on any business
principle.
Regarding reduced postage, the post.
master-general says, in part: I'm point of
fact there is clear gain of nearly thirty
millions of dollars from letter postage.
This large profit with the annual de-
tclt (Which last year amounted to
50, 1S6, 800 is all swallowed I'D by
losses on other classes of mail matter car
ried at less than cost of distribution and
handling. The amount received from
letter postage last year was about thirty
eight millions. The reduction to the one
cent rate would bring this down to nineteen
millions. The deficiency for the current
year is about is four and one half millions.
which would make total deficiency of
500, 800, 900. This deficiency would be re-
duced by the natural increase of business
due to the stimulus Of low rate and by
the com letion of pending legislation to
collect proper postage from sample copies
of so-called newspapers aud from paper
covered books. By the the sample copy
business alone over one million
dollars is annually lost to the
revenue and ia the transportation of
paper covered books considerable more
than one million dollars 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 devices from
time to time, which would save time and
money. The most formidable item, how
ever, is 100000 worth of work performed
annually without pay for the executive de-
partments. If they had to pay postage
revenue that would be IS, 900. 0O0 more an
nually than now. The resources of the
department for the fiscal year were $780,
SSS, 1888; expenditures and liabilities, $685.
645,0S3. The deficiency for the year,
therefore, is S., 7S6, 3O0."
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