Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1890-11-29
THE POSTAL SERVICE.

Postmaster General Wannamakerss
Annual Report-Over Six Hundred
Thousand Dollars Saved by the
Department During the Past Year
what mr. Wannamaker Says I'm
Advocacy of . Postal Telegraph.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. 2S.-The post
master general in his annual report says
that over 5000, 900 has been saved on the
contract for postal cands which, though
they were properly criticised at first, were
quickly brought up to the required stand
ard by the contractor Four hundred
thousand dollars has been saved ON the
contract for stamped envelopes and $780,
600 or more on certain lettings of con-
tracts for carrying the mails, while at the
same time the mail routes have been ex-
tended over almost 2, 600, 900 miles of rail-
way and steamboat and stage lines. The
gross revenue of the department is nearly
5000, 600 larger than it ever was before.
Almost 5000 new pestofices more than in
any one year before have been established
upon the petitions of communities which
have needed them. Three times as many
sub-stations and stamp agencies, which
soon pay for themselves, were established
as during the previous year. The star
route mileage has increased over 5000, 600
miles and the railroad mileage over H.
00O, 600 The railway postal clerks have
reduced the number of pieces usually sent
to the dead letter Office by 10000
In advocating postal telegraph the
postmaster general says: The postal SER
vice, with all it's long distance and unprof-
| table service, burdened with the cost
of doing without charge the mail
Is III L.
of the government, loaded down with the
newspaper and book mail, which it car
ries at about one-sixth of the actual cost,
is, nevertheless, nearly self supporting. It
has, therefore, proved itself able to manage
successfully the telegraph business in con-
nection with the postal system and as a
part of it. In one form or another the pub
lie imperatively demands cheaper tele-
graphy, and the postoffice department can
supply it at less cost than ady
corporation until the latter has
rent, light and fuel free and carriers and
| clerks without pay. An object urged
business by the government is that the
| telegraph would be in the hands of the
party in power and liable to corrupt use in
times of political excitement This is
more specious than sound. The postal
| service is in the hands of the party in
power and liable to the same abuse
| Stringent laws and penalties hedge around
| the postal system, Jealous eyes watch it
and it is ever open to public observation
| the hands of private individuals is not SO
hedged about and is much moro likely to
be used for corrupt purposes.
Of the law excluding lottery business
from the mails the report says: The two
months that it has been in operation are
too short time to produce results, but
there is satisfactory progress.
Considerable space is given to an expla-
nation for the act for the exclusion of in
decent publications from the mails, and
| the postmaster general says: It does not
matter whether or not given publication
presented for mailing appears by complaint
| or otherwise to a postmaster to be lob
scene, lewd or lascivious" if it does
appear to be Indecent" He is obliged
in order not to become 1aw-breaker, to
| refer the questionable point to the proper
| department official. 1t does not matter
| when the referee considers the question
whether the given publication is merely
"obscene, lewd or lascivious." If it is
simply indecent he must exclude it or
break the law. It appears from the report
that 1 ,407 postmasters were removed dur
| ing the past two years and 26, $50 appoint
ed in the same time. The appointments
for the past year numbered IA, 46S and the
removals 6,274. In this connection the
postmaster general says: As the condition
| of affairs now is the postmaster gen
eral or the first assistant happens
to stumble across the cases which require
action. The department neither asks for
resignation nor authorizes any person OF
persons to ask for them, for when it is
clear that a change ought to be made, the
president or the postmaster general has the
power to make the required removal with
out indirection. am able to recall per-
haps ten cases, however, in the sixteen
months of my incumbency where post
masters whose habits have become such al
to. disgrace the service, and Whose
friends interfered to prevent removals
have been notified in order thai
the publication of these disagrseablt
facts might be avoided; that they might
resign if they preferred to do So
The postmaster-general hopes that the
way may be soon opened to connect the ex
ecutive departments and the senate and
house with the Washington city postoffct
by the pneumatic system and that it may
then be extended to the sub-stations ant
postoffices of large cities. He would espe
cially like to see a pneumatic system work
ing perfectly in Chicago by the time tn,
worlds fair is in progress, so that the pos
tai exhibit there would really show this
high development of the service. H,
favors, wherever practicable, one stor,
inexpensive buildings for postoffices
|, and says that to move out of $60t
, rented room safe and ample for the posta
business into 500, 900 building, wher
the jainitor alone gets more salary thai
the whole of the rent in the former place
cannot be justified on any business princi
Piles. The postal service does not need an
, such expenditures. A one-story structur
is all required in three cases of four. o
course due regard must be paid to the siz
+: of the town and the location in which tn
building is to be erectad, as well as to tn
architectural features conformable to ID
! dignity of the government, but to vast
, money on numerous stories is not in az
cord with the American idea of utility an
r taste