The Wichita daily eagle., 1891-10-23
POSTAL FACILITIES.
Increase Of Them Brings Added Business
to the Postofice.


Almost from the beginning of his tern
as postmaster general, Mr. Wanamakel
has felt that with the liberal additions tc
the postal facilities to cities the extension
of the service into the country was per-
haps being neglected He early con
ceived the idea, therefore, of furnishing
the free delivery service to Villages and
farming districts, in way not only tc
supply the inhabitants of these commun'
titles with the best postal service, but tC
cause little or no expense to the depart
ment in the end. He secured from the
last congress an appropriation of $4,000
with which to try this free delivery ex-
pertinent. This money was to be spent
as in the case of the money appropriated
for the regular carrier service of cities
and towns; but the postmaster general
was allowed great freedom in the selec-
ton of the communities to he served and
in the methods to be pursued.
He promptly began the selection of
villages and farming districts upon the
Vi Jllc liiIdOiltuto vi tnCSC
communities The nature of the service
was not generally known, and it was not
until after members o. congress had
been requested to name certain mmu-
mites which they desired to have receive
the benefits of the experiment that the
total of $4,000 was finally diSbursed.
The sum used in each community was
something over 5000 1t is now seen
that the experiment might have been ap
piled to larger range OF communities
and might in general. therefore, have
been made more nearly "A complete sue
cess, if it had been possible to rrgu ate
the sums expended according to the diff
ferent sizes Of the commun ties.
BuI with the means at hi, command
and with the prescribed methods set
down the postmaster general went Ia
work to put the experiment INTO effect
Tie postmasfers at the different places
where Carriers have been put on
have watched the operation, of the
experiment closely. and have from
time to time reported their successes
to the postoffice department. In the forty
or more towns where the experiment IIas
been in opera ion, it is found that the
revenues of the offices have been greatly
increased, and that while in some cases
thev have nOt entirely met the expendi-
ture, vet in every case the receipts have
been greatly increased and it Is believed
that ON the whole the total of extra in
come from the whole number of towns
will almost, if not quite, equal the total
expenditure of $4,000 In many of the
places the experiment has only been on
trial for a few months, and consequently
its full benefits to The people served, and
hence its full revenue producing power,
cannot be fully calculated.
The postmaster general is now about
to examine the reports from all the
communities for the purpose Of digesting
them, and of m king his recommended
ton to congress. He has steadily be-
lieved all along that a principle would
be discovered in these experiments by
which, when a certain area and a GER
tain population to be served are taken
into account, a certain increase to the
postal revenue in that community may
be counted upon with almost
mathematical certainty. This principle, |
if it can be discovered and set forth |
clearly can easily be seen to be suscept- |
ible of forming the basis of a regular 1
scheme by which, when it |
is known what certain areas and Popula- |
tions are, congress may confidently ap- /
money to be expended in the /
right proportion, on the reasonable GER /
tainty that the increase in revenue will i
almost, if not quite. make up for It,
Postmaster General Wanamaker hopes 1
that the additions to the revenue due to /
this extension of facilities will quite /
the expenditures; but II
it is found that they should not, it is not
at all certain that he will be deferred
from making a definite recommendation
for the appropriation for this free deliv-
cry money according to his scheme. Il
is hinted. indeed, that he will recon-
mend action according 10 the discovered
principle quite as strongly as if q small
deficit in the long run should be found
10 be due to the extension Of this free
for it can be argued with
great show of justice that the effort
and resources Of the postoffice depart
nent are too much devoted IN
he extension Of facilities in cities
md towns, without much at
ention 70 the service in sparsely settled
'egions. The city business man, 70 be
iure, often argues that il is the net rev.
.nue of his Office which pays the so cents
10 transport a 2 cent letter
across the continent; on the other hand.
he inhabitant of the country notices
With jealousy that the CITY has deliver
es. and i've or ten Of them a day, where
le has nothing but mail, and that, too.
'nly once day. or once IN two or three
laws.
The present postmaster general has
discovered that, no matter in what way
be postal facilities are increased, added
iusiness and added revenus are sure 70
ollow. lie has established SCORES Of
in cities: established hun
reds Of small postohicss; added railway
nail trains and inside them faster; put
Jerks in the postoffices and added car
iers; expedited the special delivery;
aused examinations of possOffices By the
bouzand. % THAI the ideas Of post
masters might be inteEchanged: and.
q general way by drawing AZ
ention 70 the minutest, as well
5 the largest operations of the ser
Ice. caused people generally 70 take an
interest IN IL, and hence % use Il 11ore.
Ie has argued IN the postal telegraph
Ignt that tbs reduction of rates for tee
rams which he proposes, AID TIE fscils-