The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-03-16
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Interesting Facts Embodied In . Reps
by Representative Henderson.

Interesting Facts Embodied In . RspoR1
by Representative Henderson,.
WASHINGTON, March S-InterestinR
facts concerning the postal service are
embodied in the unusually complete re-
port upon the appropriation bill, com.
piled by Representative Henderson. of
North Carolina, chairman of the COM
mittee on post Offices. The estimates
of the department on which the bill il
based. amounted to $50. 500. 4s5, exclu-
sive of special facilities on trunk lines,
an item amounting to $196,6i4 The
bill recommends an appropriation of
fs5, 40. 500; which is in round numbers
$50, O00, 900 less than the estimates and
about the same sum in advance of the
appropriations for the current year.
The estimated postal revenue for the
fiscal year 1895 is ss4, 427. 54s. so that
the postal service is nearly self-sup-
porting. Instead of depending upon
the future action of congress to make
good deficiencies, the bill provides that
sum equal to whatever de-
ficiencies may arise shall be APP
propriated. Throughout the re-
port comparative tables for each
item are given. showing the
appropriations for ten years, and
making an interesting history of the
growth of the system A material re-
duction from the estimate is made in
the compensation of postmasters The
amount asked was s17. 800. 900, and that
recommended is SIC. 600. 600. For clerks
ca Ia r;ao Tho full estimate of 60 -nO mn
is granted, an increase of $40, 600 ov er
last year. For free delivery service the
estimate of s1a, 327. 6s5 Is recommended,
an increase of 1000, 600 from the pre-.
ceding year. For inland transporta-
ton of railroad routes s26, 900, 900
was asked for and s25. SOC. 900 granted
an increase of 81. 600. 600 from last year.
That the postal service might be a
money-making system is shrown by
the fact that $1,000, 900 pounds of free
matter for the government was carried
during the year, which, had it been
paid for at regular rates. would have
yielded s., 173, s64. The amount credited
on account of the Pacific railroads for
the year past was sl,6S9,s17. Ofcrimes
the report says:
During the year 1851 persons were
arrested for violation of the postal
laws, and of these persons arrested 2a7
were postal employees; 65 postmasters,
so assistant postmasters, % clerks in
post offices, IS railway mail clerks. 81
letter carriers, 90 mail carriers and 10
other employees in other grades. When
it is remembered that there are about
Isl, 200 persons employed in the postal
service, the percentage is very small"
The free delivery of mail in forty-six
small towns, ranging from 400 to 1000
in population, is said not to have shown
the expected increase in business, and
no further appropriation for extending
the service experimentally is recon-
mended, particularly as the free deliv-
cry branch has deficiency of SOS. 010
for the first time in its history and to
makea fair trial of rural free delivery
would involve great expense, at least
$50, 900, 900.
Ocean mail contract routes in opera
ton with their cost are: New York to
La Guayra, Ssl, 2s7; New York to Colon,
sS2, III; San Francisco to Hong Kong,
sos, 5a3; New York to Tuspan, and New
York to Havana, s134523 Total five
routes). 1898, $50. A saving of 1867, 153
has been made by cutting off the fol-
lowing: Galveston to La Guayra; San
Francisco to Panama New York to
Antwerp; New York to Buenos Ayres;
New York to Rio de Janeiro