The Coconino weekly sun., 1893-12-07
Post Omce De partment.

The report or the postmaster.general con tains detailed statement of the operations of the post offlce department during the last fis- cal year and much information touching this important branch of the public service. The business of the mails indie ite with absolute certainty the condition Of the business of the country, and depressions in financial affairs in. evltably and quickly reduces the postal rove. nues. Therefore larger discrepancy than usual between the post office receipts and ex. penditures Is the expected and unavoidable re- suit of the depressing strlngency which has prevailed throughout the country during much of the time covered by the postmaster-gener- als report
 At date when better times were anticipated 1t was estimated by his predecessor that the deficiency on the 30th day Of June, 1893, would be but little over $l, 5)00jO. IL amounted, however to more than s,,0Oo,0o0. At the same time and under the influence of like anticipa- tion estimates were made for the current fiscal year ending June 30, ls9i. which exhibited surplus Of revenue over expenditures of $T2,- 2I5 H. but now in view of the actual receipts and expenditures during that part of the cur rent fiscal year already expired the present postmastergenera est ma es that al its close instead Of a surplus there will be deficiency of nearly 5000 900.
 The post office receipts for the last fiscal year amounted to $7j, ,s06, ,q33 10 and it's expenditures to s8L 0T4, tUi 90 This post offfce deficiency
 
 less matter were carried free through the mails, an item of which is upward of three hundred tons of seeds and grain from the agricultural department The total number of post offices in the United States on the 3Jth day Of June, 1893, was 6s,40i, an increase of l,:si over the preceding year, and of these 3,S6) were presidential an increase in that class of 2)i over the preceding forty.two free delivery offices were added during the year to those already existing making total of 6O0 and ten cities and towns provided with free delivery on June 8, 1893 ninety three other cities and towns are now entitled to this service under the law, but it has not been accorded them on account of in- sufficient funds to meet the expense of Its es tabllshment I am decidedly of the opinion that the provisions of the present law permits as general introduction Of this feature of mail l service as is necessary and justihable and that it ought not to be extended to smaller com munities than are now designated
 The expense of free delivery for the fiscal year ending June 90 ls9I will be more than SiI, ,t00, QUO and under the administration now existing there must be n constant increase in | the item of expenditures. There were 6,4vi ad- ditions 10 the domestic money order offices during the last fiscal year, being he largest h. crease in any year since the inauguration Of | the system. The total number Of these offices | at the close of the year was ISL There were
  | fees, being an increase over the preceding year of i2i0. 293, and the value of these orders amounted to $l27, ,j76, t33 B, an increase of T,- | 5Og, ,6525 5s. There were also issued during the | year postal noles amountingto si2e03,p767a | During the year 195 international mon or der ofnces were added to those Q ready pro yided, making a to al of 2 4U in operation on June o, 1893. The number of international | mo ey orders issued during the year was lO55,- 99J, an increase over the preceding year Of 72 525 and the value was Sl6 3it 85 80, an increase | of sI, ,22i 506 3L The number of orders paid waS | 3O0,9l7 an increase over the proceeding year Of | lS 5O3, and their value was s. 2SS313, an in crease I S9L09Ls3 From the foreg ing state | ments 1t appears that the total issue of money ord rs and postal ,tes fjr the year amour ed | to Sl56, ,s2l 2i
 l The number of letters and packages mailed | during the year for special delivery was 33I5,- | 693 an increase over the preceding year of nearly s2 per cent The special delivery stamp | used upon these letters and packages amounted
 to t3S7,5S9 20 and the messengers fees paid Tor
 their delivery amounted to S256,5 59. 7l, leaving
 profit to the government of 70 9T6 30 The rail- | way mail service not only adds to the prompt
 ness of mail delivery at all offi; ;eS, but 1t is the
 especial fundamentally which puts the smaller and way places in the service on an equality in
 that regard with the larger and terminal offices.
 This branch of the postal service has, there
 fore received much attention from the post
 master. general, and though 1t is gratifying 10
 know that 1t is in Q condition of high efficiency
 and great usefulness am led to agree with
 the postmaster-general that there is room for its further improvement There are now con necled with the post office establishment 9, ,32i
 employees who are in the classified service, and the head of this great depart rent gives con elusive evidence of the value Of civil service
 reform when, after an expert ence that renders | his judgment absolutely reliable, he expresses
 the opinion that without the benefit Of this
 system 1t would be impossible to conduct the
 vast business intrusted to him