Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1892-12-08
A GOOD SHOWING.
The Years Record in the Post Of
fee Department.
A Review of What Has Been Done
Coupled with Suggestions for Fur
Their Increasing the Efficiency
of the Service.
wANAMAKRR RFpoRrs.

WASHINGTON, Dec The postmaster ger
eral mentions at the beginning OF his annual re-
port TO the president the chief developments OF
the year as follows:
Five million dollars added to the gross reve-
uue.
The deficit reduced nearly 100000
Money-order offices increased two-thirds or
from 1000 10 i6,6S9
Eight, two cities supplied with free de-
livery.
Twenty-seven hundred and ninety new ofices
established
Two hundred and sixty-three Offices advanced
to the presidential grade
Fifteen hundred and ninety new mail routes
established, embracing $500 miles OF new
service
Ocean mail service extended
Pneumatic-tube service introduced
1t appears that in the last four years 5,50l
new mail routes have been established, travers-
ing $3.50 miles; thar the number OF post Offices
has grown by over 5000 the number OF money
order offices over 5000 and the number Of free
delivery Offices has almost doubled The post
master general adds:
Il give you undoubted evidence in the midst
of all this wonderful growth Of the steady inn
provement OF the service, and every postal
worker may righuully feel ii 10 be personal
compliment 10 himself"
Mr.. Wanamaker then mentions the GO per
cent increase ia money order Offices, the use OF
stamp-canceling machines, the establishment
Of postal museum, the 50 per cent increase in
free delivery Offices, the new Washington post
office q compilation of postal laws and rcgua-
tons, a saving If &b0d000O on mail contracts
and OF $4,000 on Stamped paper, the sorting of
mails in transit on tho ears. the simplicity OF
bookkeeping methods Tor all the post Offices
three new kinds 81 postal cards and new Sc
ries Of stamps, safer registry of mails and
surer collection OF periodical postage
"a sF4fss s..Nar
lines, comprising, whe. completed, foriy-one
ships of $500 tonnage The total outlay up TO
July |, 1892, for the foreign mail service per-
formed and expedited under The new policy was
Sl2O559, and the cost ot the service for the
presenr fiscal year win be greater
On free delivery the postmaster general says:
''fhe experiments have related to villages
but it has been a daily service, and il has
cleared profit 1t is easy enough, therefore,
to say that the free delivery can be extended
further and further, and 1t ought TO be done
whether it pays profit to the department or
not
IN the matter Of the collection Of mail from
letter boxes at house doors, Mr. Wanamaker
says:
In Washington city where the test OF one of
these boxes was made for one month, an hour
or more day was saved to the carrier, and in
St Louis where the test OF another one OF these
boxes was rurposely made rs hard as possible,
IL WAS IOunu Lu&t there was actually no loss OF
time, and the postmasters OF St Louis and
Washington promptly and unqualnedly de-
clared that the collection Of mail from houses
could be undertaken by the present carrier
forces. The work of introducing the house
letter box is now vigorously under way"
OF his proposition TO divide the country into
postal districts Mr.. Wanamaker says;
This like other great postal reforms, can
be only question OF time. The pr Jsed sys-
TEN would accomplish in practical way the
purpose Of the bill TO select fourth-cass post
masters without political Intervention. We
shall soon grow TO 10000 post offices and to go
900 or 100000 postal employees. There must be
concentration, consolidation and simplihcation,
and with it all the extension Of facilities every.
where will be not only possible but perfectly
easy ana natural"
The postal telegraph and postal tell phone are,
Of course, strenuously advocated. as formerly
Or one-cent postage MIR. Wanamaker says:
I'm my report Of a year ago / said, ana have
nov tosay, that one-cenI letter postage is a near
possibility"
The report closes with the following:
MY ideal for the American postal service is a
system modelled upon q district plan with fewer
Offices, and thesegrouped around central Offices
and under thorough supervision. BY this means
at least 10000 offices could be abandoned that
produce nothing TO the department, and In the
place Of every non-money order and non regis.
ter office abolished might be put an auto
matte stamp-selling machine aud a letter
box to receive mail With the money saved
should be instituted system OF collection and
delivery by mounted carriers, bicycles and
star route and messenger contractors and grad
uRlly spread the delivery all over the country
the classes OF postage should be reduced TO
three and the rate of postage the world over TO
one cent for each half ounce, for the average
weight OF a letter il now thrce-eighths OF an
ounce. 1 would indemnify 10 the extent OF $40
for every lost registered letlor.
The orgauization of the depar tment should
be permanent, except in the case OF the post
master general and the fourth assistant and
would add three new Offices: deputy post
master general, 10 be stationed at New York; q
deputy postmaster general. to be stationed at
San Francisco, an comptroller 20 be sta
toned nj the department in Washington. All
postmasters presidential and fourth class and
all employees in all branches of the department
should have specific term OF four years. on
good behavior and their reappointment should
be subject TO the comptroller of the department,
whose Judgment should be based upon records
| would unity the work, hold II up by "a strong
controlling hand, reduce the hours OF labor at
almost all points equalize and advance the pay,
make the promotions in ever branch for merit
alone, and retire old or disabled clerks, PEI maps
on pension fund to be provided by al annual
payment Of one-hah Of per cent out Of each
months salary"