The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-06
MR.. wANAMAKER's REPORT.
Recon- me nding One-Cent Postage, Free
Delivery and Important Re efo:ms

WASHINGTON CITY, Dec. 5--The postmaster
general, III his annual report mentionS among
the Chief Developments OF the year, e, 900 900
added to the gross revenue; the deficit reduced
nearly $1,ooO,00); money order offices is.creased
from 1000 to 1859; 81 cities supplied sith free
delivery; 2,19O new offices established 26S ad.
vanced to the presidential grade; S6,75500O
miles OF additional service; 1880 nSw mail
routes established, embracing $500 miles of new
service; the ocean mail service exteuder; pneu-
matte tube service introduced: saving q $lOO0,-
600 on mail contracts and $4,000 on stamped
paper. The amount expended up to JtSy / last
ior foreign mail service performed ana expe-
dited under the new policy was $l.205 200, and
the cost OF the service for the present S.al year
would be greater
Of free delivery. the postmaster genesal says
the experiments have related to villsgea. but it
mas been daily service and has cleared a profit
IL Is easy enough, therefore, to say TIA free
delivery can be extended further and 4urther.
and 1t ought to be done whether it paye profit
to the department or not He believes fully
that great advance could be made in the
direction OF country free delivery by EVOLUTION
OF the star route service. and We would zee free
delivery to persons living along the highways
traversed by the star route contractoss with
little, If any, increased cost to the deps5 tment
in a very few years.
Postal telegraphs and telephones are zstrenu-
ousty auVOCdted, as III former years.
OF l-cent postage Wanamaker saws 1T is a
near possibility. He urges reduction in money
order fees; simplitcation of the postal cote so
that 1t Will better answer the need of "A frac-
tional currency, and abolition OF box refas
He believes the organization of the depart
ment should be permanent, except in tEs csse
OF postmaster general ana fourth assista.it, and
Wanamaker would add three new ofsces, a
deputy postmaster general at New York, zone at
SQr Frs nnIS md
City. All postmas.ers, presidential and ;ourth-
Class, aud all employees in ell branches zof the
department should have q specific term q four
years on good behavior AMI reappointmeGt sub
ject to the controller He would unity the
work, hold itup by strong controlling. hand,
reduce the hours OF labor az alnost ali
points, eQualize aud advance pay mako
promotions in every branch for merit
alone, and retire old or disabled clerks, p5rhaps
on pension fund to be provided by an annual
payment OF one-half OF l per cent. os each
month IS salary. Postal telegraph and telephone
service, postal savings repositories, pne- matte
tubes or some electric device between city SUBJ
stations and main offices, ferrys, railroad stations
and central Offices in ali large cities shc;ild be
employed without delay. The erection I,f i'm
mense costly buildings for postofces ought 10
be stopped and the department be aI,owep 10 ex-
peld a fixed sum OF from one 10 five millions
each year in the erection o! buildings .pou q
fixed plan, such as Postmaster GeueraE. Villas
recommended. He would modify the syssc.n of
faes and deductions upon railroads, ani-estab-
lish a system OF compensation based tapon
twenty, thirty. forty, fifty and sixty -m;se per
hour rate of speed.
In closing he says his ideal for the American
postal service is a system modelled upon tse dis
trict plan, with fewer offices ana those grouped
around central Office and under thcsough
supervision By this means st least 20 600 ssfices
could be abandoned that produce nothing 90 the
department In the place OF every one abolished
might be put automatic stamp seliiryg ma
chine aud a letter box to receive mail. With
the money saved should be instituted a s5stem
of collection aud delivery by mounted ca%riers,
bicycles and star route messengers anG con-
tractors, and generally the spread OF free de-
livery all over the country. The classes OF
postage should be reduced 10 three, and the rate
of hostage the world over 10 cent for: each
haff ann