The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-12-23
P%OSTOFFICE REPORT.
Various Suggestions for Improving
and Cheapening the Postal Service

| Various Suggestions for Improving
and Cheapening the Postal Service
The Postmaster-G Generals annual report,
lust made public at Washington, shows that
N snits of the fact that over $1,000, 600
worth of lottery revenue has been lost dur
inc the year, the postal deficit Of Sc, 600,
md ia rapidly disappearing. he pro.
nounces the merit system, put In operation
in the department lately, en- assured success,
as is the case with the sea postoaicss. A
further Recommendation is made that q post
office tug be employed to facilitate the trans
mission of mails to and from steamers. he
also recommends private indemnity for lost
registered mail, and renews his suggestion
for the division Of the country into postal
districts.
addition of the telephone to the postal sys.
fem. and urges the abolition Of personal
suretyships Of postmasters.
The rural free delivery experiment has
made such q satisfactory showing that
its general adoption is thought advisable by
the Postmaster-G General, who recommends
the passage of e bill emitting towns of
5000 inhabitants and upward to
the free delivery and the abolition
of box rents in such. places. The one
cent postage, he thinks, should not be asked
for as long as a deficit appears in the rev.
enues of the postal service. A. simpli6ca-
ton of postal rates is suggested, and Mr..
Wanamaker goes on to show that news
papers may be transported free from July 1,
1898.
In discussing the problem of Transmission
of mails BY pneumatic tubes, Mr.. Wanna
maker reviews the development Of the sys-
tenn in Berlin, Paris London, Vienna, and
Liverpool. 1.-THE most pressing need OF the
pneumatic system in this country Mr..
Wanamaker says, 'is doubtlessi in New York
and Brooklyn"
testing a system in Philadelphia, and plans
are under consideration for st. Louis and
Chicago. It is recommended that 500, 900
be appropriated, and that experiments be
made In New York and Washington. and in
connection with the Worlds Fair at Chicago.
The Postmaster-G General earnestly urges
the need of a new ~postoflce in New York.
BE saws: ITO turn the present first floor Of
the postofRce into the chief substation to
serve all parts of the town south Of
Canal or Houston streets Is al
that can be done properly with
the old building. A high one.story build,
ing with a gallery, somewhere uptown"
would speed the distribution Of most Of the
mails. "a proposition just received" he
saws, ''offers to connect the New York and
Brooklyn offices with tubes at a cost rang
ing from SS5, 900 to $780, 600.
Mr.. Wanamaker approves the suggestions
of the United States delegates to the Vienna
Postal Union to provide for = limited in
demnity Tor the loss OF registered matter
and to establish q uniform charge for
registered letters.
From postmasters at county seats, who, at
MIR. Wanamaker's request, visited the va.
rious offices in their respective counties, ills
learned that only 1000 offices are unsatisfac-
tory to their patrons, and but 1850 are used
as iounging places. There are 1914 postmas-
ters who do not understand the postal Laws
and regulations.
Mr.. Wanamaker urges at length the union
of the telegraph and telephone with the
postal system, and declares that ''one-cent
letter postage, three cent telephone messages,
and ten-cent telegraph messages are all near
possibilities"
Postmasters' bonds as a rule, the report
saws, are too high, and the Government
should accept only surety companies as
bondsmen, and such bonds should be paid
for by the Government n not by the
postmaster.
A consolidation Of third and fourth-class
matter Is recommended.
The gross revenue for the year ending
June so was S65, 9S1, 7S5, and the total ex-
penditures and liabilities amounted $12,0o9.-
ia, leaving a deficiency Of more than
SO, 900, OOQ. The revenue showed an
increase of more than eight per
cent. over that Of the preceding year,
and the estimated deficiency for the present
fiscal year Is less than 81. 000, 900. The total
number of offices is "a, 500. an increase of
1928. and nearly 5000 miles of additional
railway service AVE been established.