Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-16
BAD FOR ALLEGHENY
Why the Government Does Not Speed
the New POStoffice There.
ONLY ONE FEDERAL OFFICE HOLDER
And Not Enough Revenue to Sustain Postal
Expenditures.
1T MAY BE A PITTSBURG STATION

w NASHlNGTON, Jan. I0.-tOr Ine pas
ten years spasmodic efforts have at various
times been made to secure an appropriation
for a public building for Allegheny
Colonel Bayne laboreG hard in and out o.
season, and finally got bill for its cree
tton through both Houses and had il
signed bv the President. That was as fal
as it ever got. Inspectors were sent out
to look for sites, and it is said that some Of
them reported in favor of one place an6
some in favor of another, and thus the
matter was kept tied up until some new
excuse was found in the difficulty expert
enced in getting site appropriation as
large as the required site. 1t has been q
game of 'hide and seek" for so long
that the people of Allegheny have grown
tired of the suspense and want 10 know the
cause of all this shuffiing and evasion. Nc
one in Pittsburg could tell anything about
it, and to appease public curiosity THE
DISPATCH sent reliable man to this city
| on this particular mission. The result OF
his delving discloses condition of affairs
that will not only open the eyes of Allie
| gheny people, but amaze the best posted
men on both sides of the river and ulti-
mately make Allegheny postal station Of
Pittsburg
Allegheny a Suburb of Pittsburg.
A Agentleman thoroughly posted was found,
| who said: 'The Treasury Department erects
and takes charge of all public buildings in
the United States, and it never erects one
without there is a necessity for it, even
though an appropriation be made for that
purpose. Treasury officials generally find
a reason for delay when the end does not
justify the means, or when there is not a
prime necessity.
ALLEGHENY is behind the age,' contin-
ued the official, "and an investigation of
her claims for a. public building shows a
marvellous condition of affairs. Here" he
continued, sis an exhibit taken from the
records that may in measure explain the
difficulties Allegheny has had to contend
with, and it may also account for the tardi-
ness of the Treasury Department. There
are no Federal officials in Allegheny City
except the postmaster and it is asking a
good deal to expect Uncle Sam to spend
several hundred thousand dollars to accom-
modate business as Insignificant as the
postal business Of your sister city seems to
be, and for the personal convenience of one
man. The maps of Pittsburg and Ale
ghenv show that any of the proposed sites
in Allegheny are less than one mile from
the Federal building in Pittsburg and that
all of Allegheny could be served from
Pittsburg more easily and with much less
travel than Pittsburg is served, and then
YOU will conclude from the exhibit that
large number of business men residing in
Allegheny. do business in Pittsburg, and
that in reality Allegheny City is suburb
of Pittsburg that in the very near future
must be consolidated.
An accurate Business Barometer.
stYou can't tell much about the import
ance of city without looking at its busi-
ness barometer. and that is always found in
its postal revenues. Now let us look at AL
legheny and see how she has acquitted her
self. According to the last census, ALE
gheny has population in round figures of
104, 900. Pittsburg. according TO same CEN
Postmaster General, for the year end
ing June so, 1890. shows the
gross receipts of the Pitsburg post
office to have been, for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1890. S5o4, ,O47 55
while those of Allegheny for the same
year only amounted to Sos, ,467 Sc, differ
ence in favor of the Pittsburg office of
S455, SO 60. The proportion OF gross re-
ceipts to the credit Of Allegheny is but
1905 per cent against sc. % per cent to the
credit of Pittsburg The entire expense
and management of the Pittsburg postofice
is S2Q4, 490 76, or SO per cent of its gross in
come, while that of Allegheny is SIS, ,O22 80,
or Sc per cent of its entire revenue
'The Pittsburg postoffice paid the Gov
eminent for that fiscal year as its net earn
ings S319, $50 20. Allegheny's net earnings
for same year were $50, ,445 56, therefore |
contributing but 9. 05 per cent CT the postal |
revenue compared with Pittsburg Postage |
on matter collected in and to be de- |
livered in Pittsburg, called s'local,''
S129, $50 90: postage on mail mat
ter collected in and to be de- |
livered in Allegheny, called 'local,'
S23, ,621 20. 1t will thus be seen
that Allegheny falls behind in 'local''
that Allegheny people are not particularly
of each other as only trifle over
Is per cent of her population correspond
with one another.
Allegheny Not self-sustainine.
1.-THE cost of delivery of all kinds of mail
matter by carriers in Pittsburg amounts to
s94, 500 OF, while the postage on slocal''
matter amounts to S129, $50 80. Thus the
postage on matter for 'local'' delivery not
only pays for the free delivery OF all kinds
Of matter delivered by carriers but leaves
IN excess of S3j, 461 49, The cost of de-
livery of all kinds of mail matter in Allie
yheny by carriers amounts to S24, ,SS5 90,
while the postage on local matter collected
or local delivery amounts to only S23, ,621 20,
II a deficiency of 81, ,2G4 22 What is
Known as ''local' matter is that which
originates and is delivered within the de-
livery limits of the same postoffics
The Government intends and ex-
,ects that the 2-cent units of post
ge on s'locaI' letters will not
,nly pay for their own delivery by carrier,
,ut that thew shall cover the entire expense
the free delivery of all other mat
er delivered through the Office. In offices
where there are no carriers and the matter
S called for by patrons, the unit for drop
r 'local' letters is l cent. Allegheny
therefore, not only does not pay for the de-
livery of her own postal matter, but is de-
cient to the amount Of 81 264 %.
1.-THE Pittsburg postoffice collected and
elivered during that year the following
ieces of mail,
collected. Delivered
letters. A,OO3
6s7, ,O6a Ordinary letters. Ia, ,56s s27
rs, ,009. ........ Postal cards. AT 44
s6, ,973...... .......Newspapers.. A,976Q5O
ggregating "a, 1881 pieces of mail
andled Allegheny handled during the
anne time II ,52G, ia pieces as follows:
objected. Delivered
IA. Reg. letters. .20,74
100 $40. ...... Ordinary letters. 3. .9lssO9
l6,Se9.. Postal cards. s...... S04 sly .
20 09T...... Newspapers. .... 2 173 sos
Compared with Pittsburg, Allegheny
,llec;ed "a ner cent and deliyered 90 nor |