The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1892-12-13
THE POSrOFFICE.
Facts and Figures Presented by Post
master General wanamaker


master General wanamaker.
The report of the postmaster genera
shows a most gratifying increase and :
mos efficient and progressive management
of the great business OF that department
I The RI m irkablc increase in revenues in IN,
numCer OF posto:ices and in the miles o
mail interchange. furnishes further evi
dences of tte high state of prosperity whlci
our people are enjoying. New Offices
mean new Ia m.sts. towns. routes m.an To,
extension OF our border settlements. an,
increased revenues mean active com
merce. the postmaster general reviews
The whole period OF his administration Of
/ the Office and brings some Of his statistic.
down TO the month of November last
Tac postal revenues have increased dur
ing the last year nearly S5.OJO.ODO The
dehcit Tor the year ending June 30 1892 is
$sis.3tl less than the deficiency of the
preceding year. The deficiency OF the
present fiscal year. it is estimated, will
be reduced 10 81, 49, 1913. whica will not
only be extinguished during the mex, fiscla
year. but Z surplus of nearly 81. OOO,OOJ
should there be shown.
The number OF postoilices has been in
creas d . 40 during the year; and dur ng
the past fo1r years md up TO October 20
last, the total increase in the numJer of
offices mas been nearly 30. Tue number
of free delivery offices mas been nearly
doubled in the past four years, and the
number of money order offices more than
doubled in that time. For three years
ending June 3 d. 49,. the postage revenue
amounted to sl?, 1ii,3.9. y hich was an in
crease of Si2 2'iS Isl over the revenue for
the three years ending June 81, lS,s. the
increase during the last three years being
more than taree and ialf.
In these calculations the payments to be
made un1er the contracts for ocean mail
service nav rot oeen included. There have
been added 500 new mail routes during
the year with a mileage of SIS 80 miles, and
the total number OF new miles of mail
trips added Turing the year is nearly
10 0,0OJ. The number of miles of mail
journeys addeI during the last four years
IS about 100 90. this addition being
2l,0O,OOO Of miles more than were in oper-
alton In the whole country in ls6..
Ever since ou- merchant marine was
driven from the sea by tue cruisers during
the war of the rebellion. the United States
thus paying an enormous annual tribute
To foreign countries in the shape of pas
sage monies. Our grain and meats have
been taken az our own docss and our large
imports ih-re laid down by fore. IN snip
masters. An increasing torrent Of Amer
lean travel to Europe. has contributed an
owners. The balance of trade shown by
the boo:ss of our custom houses has been
largely reduced, and in many years, al
together extinguished by this con-
tant strain. In the year lSy2
only IA per cent OF our imports We're
brought in American vessels. Tue foreign
steamships maintained by our traffic are
many of them uadcr contract with their
respect We governments by which in time
of war, they will become part of their
armed naval establishments Profi,ing by
our commerce in pace, they Will become
the most form dable destroyers Of our
commerce in time of war. l felt. and
have before EXPIRE ,sed the feeling that this
condition of Things was Lotn intoler
able and disgraceful. A whole.
some change Of policy and
it seems t. me. was b,gul b. the law Of
March 5. 1891. Under this law contracts
have been made by the post master geuer-
q for eleven mail routes. The expendit-
IRE involved Wy these contracts Tor the
next fiscal year appropriated f9j4. 1873 %.
As one OF tine good results reached. six
teen American ships Of an aggregate ton
mage Of 81, 40 tons, costing s. 40 $40 has
been built or contracted to be built in
American ship yards.
The estimated tonnage Of all steamships
required under ext ting contracts, Is is.
2, and when the full service requ red by
these contracts is established. there will
be forty-one mail steamers under the
American flag with the probability Of
further necessary additions in the Brazil
ian and Argentine service The contracts
recently let for transatlantic service, will
result in the construction of five ships Of
ten thousand tons each, costing nine or
ten million dollars and will add,
with the City of New York, and
City of Paris, TO which the treas
ury department was authorized by
legislation ut the last session to give
American registry. seven of the swiftest
vessels upon the sea TO our naval reserve.
The contracts made " it'll the lines sailing
to Central and South American ports have
increased the frequency and shortened the
time OF the trips, added new ports of call.
and sustained some lines that otherwise
would almost certainly hare been with
drawn. The service to Buenos Ayres is
the first TO the Argentine Republic under
the American flag. The service to South
ampton, Boiogne and Antwerp is elso new.
and is TO be begun with the steamships
City of New York and City Of Paris in
February next
I earnestly urge q continuance Of the
policy inaugurated by this legislation and
that the appropriations required to meet
the obligations Of the government under
the contracts may be promptly made so
that the lines that have entered into these
engagements may not b. embarrassed.