The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-05-10
STAMPED pApEI,n
Enormous Increase In tho Postal Hu,
ness nf tho Country. e


ness NJ thu Country. ~
Special Correspondence Of hs 1ntoi'f0nsh
WAsulsGroS,D ID. O.. May IA compar.
lison made at the postollice department,
OF tho Issues Of stamped paper during
tho years 1871, 1881, and 1902, with the
cost Of expense and issue OF the same
shows that during tho fiscal year end
ing Juno 90, 1871, there wero issucd to
tho BOOB post offices then established,
Coz, sol 400 pieces OF stamped paper, OF
tho total value OF Sl7, 6o0, 5l2.25. OF this
amount $14,D30,7l5 was for postage
stamps, and $2,9aS, S3G,25 ior stamped
envelopes. f
Ten years later tho number OF post.
Offices had increased to 44,5l2, 10 which
were Issued, OIL 430,SGS acquisitions OF
postmasters, 964, l60, 0iS postage stamps
OF tho value Of s25,603,G0l., o27, O07 $50
stamped envelopes and newspaper
Wrappers, OF tho valuo Of $5,7O3,4O4,00,
and sos, 53O,500 postal cards worth S.
0S5,G0j., making Il total number OF
pieces OF l 400, 7G3, i0S, and value OF S34,-
4S3,503,00. This was. M increase In the
number OF postofIices OF IA ,4G7 or 1915
iper cent and in tho value Of stamped
paper issued Of $lG,s52,00O,S4 or 05.G
per cont. 4
On June 80, 1901, the number Of post
Offices was G4,337. From these Offices
there wero received B27, OF acquisitions
for supplies, on which stamped paper
was issued as follows: Postage stamps
10 tho number Of 2,4l0,l45,77j, and
value Of SiS,0l3, $50; stamped envelopes
and newspaper wrappers amounting to
556, 2o2G, $50, OF tho value OF Sll, 03l, lG7 ~;
postal cards 10 tho number and value,
respectively, OF ~, 2lG,750, and $4,994G,-
It's; and letter sheet envelopes number
ing Sl7500, OF. tho value OF SlS,S02 co.;
making the total number S,400,4 ,273,
and the value SUI, POS, 49l A.
There was an increase in ten years in
tho number OF postoilices OF 1885, or
44.5S per cent; in number OF rcQuisi-
tions Of 24l, 100, or 5597 per cent, and
in tho number OF pieces OF stamped
paper issued OF 1900, ,775. or 12G.72
per cent, and in value OF $50, G25, 0S7 IS,
or .S5.gl per cent. During this period
the rate Of letter postage. was reduced
from three cents per half ounce to two
cents per ounce, and tho postage on
second class matter from two cents to
one cent per pound; consequently 10
measure the increase OF postal business
we must take the increase in the num-
Der OF pieces OF stamped paper issued,
l26.72 per cent. r -
The total cost, at contract rates, Of the
stamped paper issued in 1871 was $780,,
534 AZ, averaging, 81 cents per thousand.
As the cost OF stamped envelopes is
paid by the purchasers, tho actual cost
TO the government for tho issue OF that
year was only Sl27 ,022 II or 81 cents
per thousand. aa
The total cost Of tho stamps, stamped
envelopes and postal cards issued in
1881 was S7o5,2l5 Il, averaging nearly
so cents per thousand, or, deducting the
amount received. through postmasters,
from the public for the envelopes pur-.
chased, Si+3,3Sl 80, there remains as
the actual cost to the government OF all
the stamped paper issued, S3ll.SS4 IL,
or 20.7 cents per thousand. Leaving
the postal cards out Of the account, in
order TO compare prices with those OF
1891, SIG cents per thousand is the cost
OF all other stamped paper issued. ir.
The cost, oil the cntiro issue OF
stamped paper for tho year ending
June 80, 1891, was 81, l96,702 90, averag-
ing 35.l cents per thousand. Deduct
ing, rs heretofore, the cost OF stamped
paper that is repaid by purchasers
S90S,09S 44-leaves S202,709 10 or so
cents per thousand as the actual, cost to
the government OF the whole issue roi
3,40O, 40G,273 pieces OF stamped paper
Omitting postal cards, tine cost Of all
other stamped paper was l.50 cents per
thousand.
The total number OF postage stamps
issued during the first quarter OF 1891
was G5S, 1890: during same period OF
1892, GO, 947,l2 an increase OF 37,5ll,.
SIS, or 81 per cent The number OF
stamped envelopes issued during tho
same periods was respectively 143, $780,
800 and 154,559,G $50, an increase during
the first quarter OF 1902 over CORE
spending quarter OF 1891, OF lO,593,35O,
or 7.3 per cent OF postal cards there;
were issued during first quarter OF 1892
9,975, 800 OF size A., 90, 272, 800 of size B.,
and 76,39S,000 OF size c.; total 1851
900, an increase over corresponding
period OF 1891 OF 20,92l 600, or III per;
cent. The total number Of pieces sof
stamped paper issued during the first,
quarter Of 1892 was $50, Isl, 1888, IN in,
crease over corresponding quarter OF
G9,026, 1853, or,7.5 per cent. -