The state republican. (Jefferson City, Mo.) 1871-1896, 1894-05-03

dred per cent; on the next 500,
sixty per cent; on the next 5000,
fifty per cent; and on all the bal
ance forty per cent. The compen-
sation is limited, however, to $3.50 a
quarter. On this basis, the annual
salary of fourth class postmasters
varies from $1.39, which was the
amount paid the postmasters at
Fearless in 1892, the latest data at
hand, to 81 900.
For the last fiscal year the salaries
of Missouri postmasters aggregated
1878, 1852, of which $185,O5O was
paid to postmasters at the 1875 presi-
Dental offices and 1888, ,828.92 was
divided between 1850 fourth class
postmasters, making an average for
the latter of $153.68 per annum.
By far the most important single
item of expense Of the postal service
in this state is that Of transportation
of the mails. The extent of the
service will possibly be surprising.
There are in Missouri II ,259.18 miles
of star routes Gn other words routes
on which mail is carried in stage or
on horseback), costing 1921 1928 per
annum, and on which the annual
travel is 5,119, 9,673.39 miles. Then
comes 300 miles of steamboat service
costing $4,000 with 90, 400 miles
annual travel. Next comes 1882. 13
miles of railroad service, costing
81, ,387, ,807.41 for transportation and
5000, ,9O9.5O for cars, total of g.,
594, 1861, and travelling each year
II ,315, ,495.42 miles. To these must
be added 1861 miles of messenger
service between depots and post
offices, costing $50, ,O39.55 and trav-
cling 33S, ,3O1.s6 miles, and 423.5
miles of special service travelling
8S9.S8 miles. The total length of
these routes is 19,511.42 miles, cost
ing $1,85O,2S4.46 and the annual
travel in transporting the mails in
this state is 16, 1923, ,95s,67 miles.
Another source of expense is that
of clerks in post offices, rent, light,
fuel and incidentals, which amounted
last year to $436, ,5O741. Letter
carriers for the cities cost $423, =
1886. .3S, and railway postal clerks and
mail messengers $596,O21.11. Add
to I'll ese sums the salaries of post
masters and cost of transportation
and we find the postal service in
Missouri last year cost the handsome
sum of %, 1892 2,214.7G.
To meet this large expenditure,
Missourians during the year paid
3,173,649.G4 for stamps, stamped
envelopes, newspaper wrappers and
postal cards, $8l, ,326.29 for box
rents and $645.3G for waste paper
ETC., making the total receipts 50,
, 255, ,621.29.
A comparison of these figures with
, the expense account shows an excess
of expenditures of $576, ,593.47. This
r is more than ten per cent. of the
i total deficiency for the year, from
which it readily appears that Uncle
Sam's monopoly is not a money
, making one 80 far as our state il
concerned.
: The extending of postal facilities
( to the rural districts and small set
5 Elements is responsible for thi'
deficiency, as is demonstrated by thu
r fact that the presidential office
r yield a net revenue within $176, O0l
of sum sufficient to pay all thei
expenses and the cost of transporta
3 ton OF the mails. The gross receipt
of our presidential offices for 189
e were $2,691, ,33O.93. The expense
i were as follows:
n Salaries OF postmasters. ......... $ls5, ,O5O @
v | =