The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1891-12-05
A YEARS POSTAL WORK.
Points of Postmaster-GeneraI Wanamakers
Report.


Report.
WASHINGTON, D. c., Dec. 3.-The
Postmaster Generals annual report,
made public to-day, shows that, in spite
of the fact that over 81, 900, 600 worth o!
lottery revenue has been lost during the
past year, the postal deficit of IS 600, 600
is surely disappearing, provided the
same rate of revenue and expenses OBJ
tains on July l, 1898.
OF the extension of the merit syste N
of promotions, Mr.. Wanamaker says:
at reaches down to the lowest grade
clerk, and there is no limitation of the
time when the next promotion may take
place. 1t creates no list of eligibles to
be worn out with waiting, but gives the
place promptly to the person winning it;
and the same people can compete again
for the next vacancy if they like"
POSTAL TELEPHONE AS WELL AS POSTAL
TELEGRAPH.
The Postmaster General recommends
this year the adaptation of the telephone,
as we'll as the telegraph, to the postal
system, showing that it is not only the
constitutional privilege, but the duty OF
Congress, to utilize all the means of
modern science for quickeung the
transmission OF intelligence. He says
upon these two points:
A year from next March The telephone
patent expires, and unless Congress acts
promptly to authorize its adoption for
communication among the people, it re.
quires no stretch of the imagination to
believe that in the next two years one
immense syndicate will unite and control
all the hundreds of telephone plants of
the country as the telegraph is now con
troled, or the two will be united, and
then for the next twenty years the mos
astute attorneys will be legitimately
earning large salaries indignantly oppos-
ing the so called attacks of future Post
masters General upon defenseless vested
rights.
One-cent letter postage, cent tele
phone messages and 10 cent telegraph
messages are all near possibilities under
an enlightened and compact postal sys-
TEN, using the newest telegraph inven-
tions.
A LETTER BOX AT EVERY DOOR,
OF the door letter-box question the
Postmaster General says:
1t is evident that if the problem of ex-
pediting deliveries were the only con-
sideration, boxes could be found readily
enough; for if, as is estimated, the
quarter part of the time OF the carrier is
wasted waiting for persons to come to
doors or windows to receive mail matter,
the number of deliveries in a given town
could be increased by quarter, or surely
by fifth, which would be a considerable
gain. But this is not the whole problem.
Tue Department cannot put the boxes
IN for the householder gratis 1t pro
badly could not properly put the boxes
in if it had money of its own to spend,
and if the householder, on his part, want
ed the Department to do it for him at its
own expense. 1t must be an act perGec-
thy voluntary and personal on the part
of the householder and entirely without
cost to the Department.
RURAL FREE DELIVERY PAYING.
OF the wonderful success of rural free
delivery the report says: Between Feb
ruary 1 and September 3, 1891, the 46
erimentaI offices aggregated $50
tbs of free-delivery service at a total
If carriers of $4320.69, and net
which may be credited to the free.
service of $850.50. An entire
,gregatng 5j2 months for these
s, would have resulted, accord
above proportion, in net
f$3,812.54
GENT LETTER POSTAGE.
to careful estimate. based
p q postage received in 1890,
>e .er General shows that the
.aY litter postage to a uniform
, W would cause the Depart
81 Tot less than $21, 900, 900,
W Vhave heretofore stated
=. 70 will be successfully
coH,STew believe that time
sos rtainly ought not to
rs any deficit appears