Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1891-12-16
OPERATION OF THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Marked Efficiency of All Departments
Rooom1no nd

In the report of the postmaster general some
very gratifying results are exhibited and many
betterments of the service suggested. A perusal
of the report gives abundant evidence that the
supervision and direction of the postal system
have been characterized by an intelligent and
conscientious desire to improve the service.
The revenues of the department show an In
crease of over S5,0000 600, while the estimate for
the year 1898 shows surplus of receipts over
expenditures
ocean mail post offices have been established
upon the steamers Of the North German Lloyd
and Hamburg lines, saving, by the distribution
on shipboard, trom.two TO fourteen hours time
in the delivery of mail at the port of entry and
often much more than this in the delivery at
interior places. So thoroughly has this system,
initiated by Germany and the United states,
evidenced its usefulness that ii cannot be long
before it is installed upon all the great ocean
mail carrying steamships.
Eight thousand miles of new postal service
has been esta blished upon the railroads, the car
distribution osub- stations III the great cities
has been increased about II per cent, while the
percentage of errors in distribution has, during
the past year, been reduced over One-nalf. An
appropriation was given by the last Congress
for the purpose of making some experiments in
free delivery in the smaller cities and towns
The results of these experiments have
been so satisfactory that the postmaster
general recommends, and concur in the rec
ommendation, that the free delivery system be
at once extended to towns of 5000 population.
His discussion of the inadequate facilities
tended under our present system TO rural com
munltles, ana his Suggestions with view to
give these communities a fuller participation
In the benefits of the postal service worthy
Of your careful consideration. 1t is not just
that the farmer, who receives his mail at
neigh boIing town, should not only be compelled
to send to the post-otfice for it, but 10 pay
considerable rent for a box III which to place 1t,
10 wait his turn at general delivery win
dow, while the city resident has his mail
brought to his door 1t is stated that over 3d.
600 neighDorhoods are, under the present syS-
TEN, receiving mail at post-o Offices where money
orders and postal notes are not issued. The
extension of this system to these communities
is especially desirable, as the patrons of such
Offices not possessed of the other facilities
offered in more populous communities for the
transmission of small sums of money.
l have, in a message to the preceding Con-
gress, expressed my views as to modified use
of the telegraph in connection with the postal
service.
In pursuance of the ocean mail law OF March
5, 1891, and after q most careful study of the
whole subject and frequent conferences with
ehip-owners, boards OF trade, and Others adj
vertisements were issued by the postmaster
general for fifty three lines of ocean mail seTy
ice-ten to Great Britain and the Continent,
twenty seven to South America. three to China
and Japan, four to Australia and the Pacific
islands, seven to the West Indies, and two to
Mexico. 1t is not. of course, expected that
bids for all these lines would be received, or
that service upon them all would be contracted
tor. 1t was intended, in furtherance OF the act,
TO secure as mauv new Eues as possible, While
including III the list most or all of the foreign
lines now occupied by American ships. 1t was
hoped that a line to England, and perhaps one
to the Continent, woulG be secured; but tue out
Lay required 10 equip such lines wholly With