Rock Island daily Argus., 1891-12-10
POSTOF5lCE DEPARTMENT,
The Conscientious Desire nI II, Head T.
Improve tho Service

In the report Of the postmaster general srna
very gratifying results ar, oNhllHtp5 and r5,7y
betterlucntS oi tn" service suggested parl
sal of the report gives abundant evidence ths.
the supervision and dire, tiuu If 'hD postal ~,
TEN have beou characterized hv an ,n-arr,a-.
and conscientious desire To- improve Oh, -arvl.e
The revenues OF the department show 5a IN.
crease of over >jtrNtstl while tho estimate t.r
the year l~Ei shows a surplus ut receipts 0v4r
expenditures. Ocean mail Tu-tat'i..- have h.,r
established upon the steamers of the Nlr'l
German. Lloyd and Hamburg lines saving bv
the distribution ON ~llPhuard tUE, -wo 'r
fourteen hours time i'm tho delivery uf mail al
tho port of entry and often much more than
this III the delivery al interior places Sfthrr
Oughly has this system. initiated ly Germany
and the United States. oviucci It's Us4
fulness tha: it rau not ha long
before 1t is installed upon al
the great ocean mail carving STEAMSHIPS
Eight thousand miles of new postal .eTyine
have been established upon railroads the caf
distribution TO >uh-Sta'lou- in the great cities
has been increased about = per cent. while tae
percentage of errors IN distribution has 1gr-
ing the past year, been reduced over uug-hat
Experiments in Free Delivery.
An appropriation was given 10y the last coz
Crcss FOR the purpose Of making some eNI-g--
ments in free delivery IN small cite, and
towns. The results of these experiments uaNe
been so satisfactory that the postmaster gen
eral recommends. and concur in Ibo recon-
mcndation. that the FIRE" delivery system hc AZ
once extended To- towns ot itN population.
His discussion of the inadequate facilities eS-
tended under our present system Of rural com
muuitiCS and his suggestions. with a view 10
give these communities a fuller participation
IN the benefits OF the postal service, aIt
worthy of Your careful consideration
1t is not just that the farmer who receives
his mail at a neiEhbnrIuE town. should lol
only he compelled to send To- tn" posi- once 10.
IL but to pay a COnSldcrah" rent 'nr h1N IT.
which to place II or wait his turn ~ genera
delivery window. while the city resident has
mail brought to his door. II ! stated That over
5000 neighborhoOds are undcr the present sls-
TEN. receiving mail at post offices where money
orders and postal notes are not issued Inc
extension of this system to these 'nnrinni,lS
is especially desirable, as the patrons "t sum
offices are not possessed of the other flrA'!'N
offered in morn populOuS COmmuu'f.rs leT l-'
transmission uf small sums Of money lh"'-.
in message II the proceeding r'H-'"~~ *
pressed my views As 10 q modified u.s. oi '-'
telegraph in connection with the postal ~.- ...'
Ocean Mail service.
In pursuance Of the ocean mail ,v ~ N''.A
3. lS'l. and after a most careful ~tbif # d.
whole subject. and frequent g"u'yHrN'- ..-
ship owners boards OF trade ana "thr'-. ..',,n ,,
tisements were issued 10y tho post MiN.'i 80
eral for fiftv-three lines Of ocean tHa. ~'TNi..'
ten to Great Brltaian and tho continent. 'e.Nt
seven to South America: tHrc" Z" H,N3 '.'
japan: four To- Australia and the FariH ;-'..-''
seven to the West Indies and two =" v,
1t was not. of course. CXpo' ted iI1~ ''- .'. ''.
lines would be received or IN ~''. N'.' '..
them all would be CONTRACTED i"I- II "', -
many new lines as possible. Wlll" fH'!A'LA~ ~
the list most or all the foreign lines h'"
pied by American ships II wa h"l"" ''n.
line 20 England and perhaps one Z" 'l' 80
uppt wDuld he secured: hut the outlay require.
TO equip such lines wholly Win new ~ i,,,
the first class and the difficulty "I N'a'
new lines i'll competition win mos '.. "a
established deferred bidders whose lNt'I',. nv. i
becn enlisted Ii is hoped that way AtdAA -
vet found overcoming these diin'h'',
Brazil Steamship Company, by red~o, 81. q -, ~
calculation rs t. the speed OF it, vo>Nrl- ., =,
able to bid under I'll" terms OF tho a''- -, N
ment. The policy oL tb" g'l'' 'L,,' . ..,,-7rsd
secure from the established lines an in.i. ,rs
service as a condition OF giving 10 'A'At
benefits of the law This Ia all instance 49,
been attain ed. ...- .fs- an
The postmaster general estimates l.'.l .l,It
exDenditurc III American ship NHfd~ '. So " =,
ta,, millions of dollars viii d. no','~~u y, a
enable the bidders to construct the SNIP -
for by the service which th'N nav ~ 5i-
/ do not think there J. any fH'iS''t -- .I-
co,,,.uper,lcut or for auy turning fa'h --''i b.,
,oIicv of this legislation. Indeed a -,''
thinning has been made, and as IN" SH.'Ps,r
Is further considered and understood ~ III s.,
talists and shipping people ne" M w., r,,.-
rod, to meet future proposals. ana N'-I -
a., f,t,r, the massage of this law the f''iNa
AT,e,.irau shiUping interests ana lu' .ba
Of a fair share of the carrying ut,'' zoe
world We were receiving Tor i"I';,-H H.. I'D
noa,.Iy, lwo millions of dollars uilh'I "..-rfsa
.a;I, ma the outlay for ocean man 7-i -
did not exceed SUO.UU per anuuW :. .n the
mated hy the postmaster genera lII"': ,rII re
contarcts proposed are cHlnpeI'IIt;;, ,,, ro the
ouire S241}ji for this year IN "''Ii, ", ,os-age
ofr.n,dx in the estimates and that i'i i'i ,i' ,bars
.in,,ai ,.aar ending jane ~, Io''' '--sG m
would probably be needed ap'u'
Our New War Vessels: navy
The report of the secretar! ~, u LraIsl yes
shows gratifying increase u -'