The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1892-12-06
AS TO POST-OFFICES.
Postmaster-GeneraI Wannamaker
Submits His Annual Report.
GROSS REVENUES INCREASED.
e5, 900, 900 During the Year-Mr. Warna-
maker Advocates the Classification of
CIerks-An Interesting Summary OF
the Work of His departments.

WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.-The postmaster
general in his annual report mentions the
chief developments of the year, as fol-
Lows:
Five million dollars added to the gross
revenue; the deficit receded nearly mill
ion; money order Offices increased two
thirds, or from 1000 to 16,6S9; eighty-two
cities supplied with free delivery; Gwen
ty-seven hundred and ninety new Offices
establishedD two hundred and sixty-three
offices advanced TO the preliminary grade;
sixteen and three-fourths million of miles
of additional service; fifteen hundred and
ninety new mail routes established, en-
bracing $500 miles of new service; ocean
mail service extended; and pneumatic
tube service introduced.
The report states that in the last four
years 6501 new mail routes have been es-
tablished, traversing $3.50 miles; that
the number OF post offices has grown by
over 5000, the number of money order Of
fices over 500, and the number OF free de
livery Offices has almost doubled. The re-
port also says that in the last three years
the accuracy OF railway postal clerks has
almost been doubled.
Mr.. Wanamaker then mentions the use
OF stamp cancelling machines, a compila-
A Saving of Million Dollars
on the contracts and of s150,0O0 on
stamped paper, 90 per cent more of city
distributions on trains, the sorting of
mails In transit on street cars, the simpl-
fication OF book keeping methods for all
the post offices, three new kinds OF possal
cards and q new series of stamps, safer
registry of mails and surer collection of
periodical postage.
According to the report the new ocean
mail service applies to eleven lines, com
prising when completed forty-one ships
OF 50, 800 tonnage, and the contractors will
be required to spend 14,00O,000 to provide
necessary ships. The total outlay up to
July 1, 1892, for the foreign mail service
performed and expedited under the new
policy was s12O,579, and the cost OF the
service for the present fiscal year will be
greater.
On country free delivery the postmas-
ter-general says: The experiments have
related to villages, TO be sure, but 1t has
been daily service and 1T has cleared a
profit. II is easy enough, therefore, to
say that the free delivery can be extended
further and further; and it ought to be
done, whether 1t pays profit To the de-
partment or not.
He adds: i believe fully that great ad-
vances could be made in the direction of
country free delivery by an evolution of
the star route service, and we would see
free delivery to persons living along the
highways traversed by the star route con-
tractors, with little, II any, increased cost
to the department, in very few years.
The report states that experiments in
Washington and st. Louis in the matter
Of collection of mail from letter boxes at
house doors have shown the system to be
success andthe work OF introducing the
house letter box Is now vigorously under
n ~ har ria haa
ed in increased business and
Increased Revenue to the Department.
On his proposition to divide the coun-
I. try into postal districts, Mr.. Wanamalxer
says: This, like the other great postal
reforms, can be only question OF time.
The present cumbersome, costly, scatter
ing system will be displaced by the less
political and less Iwasteful structure, and
one more coherent, decentralism and bus
mess like.
There has not been year In this ad
ministration when l could not have saved |
ten times the total salary of a dozen su-
pervisors and am certain that the service |
could have been regulated, quickened and |
in measure at least, kept up to the times. |
The proposed system would accomplish I'm |
. practical way the purpose of the bill TO |
select fourth-class Sostmasters without |
political Intervention. |
We shall soon grow to 100, 900 post Offices |
and to 10000 or 100000 postal employees.
There must be contraction, consolidation |
and simplifcation.
New buildings and a pneumatic or an |
electrical service OF some kind is strenu- |
ously advocated for New York and other |
large cities.
The postal telegraph and postal tele-
phone are strenuously advocated. Mr.. |
Wanamaker then SAYS: One cent letter
postage Is near possibility. One cent |
letter postage to every place in the world |
~ what the nations are coming to. The |
present letter rate pays
Actually Double the Cost,
and serves as a protective rate to the de-
partment to cover under pay from doing
an express business for periodicals and
books and carrying advertising sheets at
one cent per pound, that are nothing but
business circulars that load the mails
enormously. All such mail is carried at
loss OF six cents pound.
The postmaster general advocrates a
classification of clerks, and submits bill
urges regular pay for substitute carriers,
and certain payment to carriers for
leaves OF absence; advocates the abolition
OF box rents and private letter offices;
urges the reduction OF money order fees
the simplifcation of the postal note SO
that II may better supply the need OF
fractional currency, and suggests how
applications for money orders can be
made easier.
He says that something TO take the
place OF fractional currency for the re-
mittance OF small sums is very desirable.
he urges the issue OF a money postal card
OF denominations of 10c., 25c., 5Oc. and 81,
OF the form OF the present small card and
exactly similar TO the ordinary postal
card on the address side, and on the re-
verse side an order on the postmaster OF
tne city addressed Tor fixed sum payable
on the signature OF the payee named in
address.
The postmaster general concludes with
describing his ideal OF an American postal
service, one feature OF which Is the run
ming OF mail trains between New York
and Boston In four hours