The Coconino weekly sun., 1894-03-15
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Interesting Facts Embodied In a Report
 by Representative Henderson.

Interesting Facts Embodied In Q Report
 by Representative Henderson.
 WASHINGTON, March 8-Interesting 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 is based. amounted to 800, 399, 4s5, exclu. sive of special facilities on trunk lines, an item amounting to s196,6l4 The bill recommends an appropriation of $S7, 470, 599; which is in round numbers $50, 000, 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, 74S, 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 a sum equal to whatever de. iciencies may arise shall be ap- 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, 23O, 900, and that recommended is SIG, GOO, 0O0 For clerks salaries the full estimate of So, 700, 900 is granted, an increase of $840, 900 over last year. For free delivery service the estimate of SIP, 327, 6S5 IS recommended, an increase of s1, 900, 900 from the pre-. ceding year. For inland transporta- tion of railroad routes S26, 900, GOO was asked for and s25, 300, 900 granted an increase of s1, 900, 900 from last year. That the postal service might be a money-making system is shrown by the fact that S7,000,0O0 pounds of free matter for the government was carried during the year, which, had it been paid for at regular rates, would have yielded $7, IFS, S64. The amount credited on account of the Pacific railroads for the year past was s1, 639,S17 0fcrimes the report says:
 During the year l. .ss1 persons were arrested for violation of the postal laws and of these persons arrested 227 were postal employees; 65 postmasters, 50 assistant postmasters, 2S clerks in post offices, Is railway mail clerks, 27 letter carriers, 20 mail carriers and 19 other employees in other grades. When it is remembered that there are about 1S5,000 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 4,0O0 in population, is said not to have shown the expected increase in business, and no further appropriation for extending the service experimentally is recom- mended, particularly as the free deliv. cry branch has deficiency of s6s, ,01o for the first time in its history, and to makea fair trial of rural free delivery would involve great expense, at least s20, 900, ,000.
 Ocean mail contract routes in opera tion with their cost are: New York t- La Guayra ssl, 2s7; New York to Colon sS2, IF; San Francisco to Hong Kong, s95, ,523; New York to Tuspan, and New York to Havana, t134,52S Total five routes), S393,45 A saving of s967, 75S 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; Nau York tn Rio de Janeiro