Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1894-12-08

abuse consists in the free carria o.
through the mails of hundreds of tons O
SEED ana grain uselessly distributed
thfouSh the department of agriculture
me postmaster general predicts tha
IL the law be so amended as to eradicate
these abuses, not only will the post
once department not show a deficiency
put he believes that in the near future
All legitimate newspapers and period
lcalS VIII be properly transmitted
thfoush the mails to their subscribers
Ifee OF cost. [ invite your prompt con-
sloeraton of this subject and fully in
oorse the views of the postmaster gem
eral
STATISTICS.
Ihe total number of postoffices in the
ohlted States on the 30th day of June
1874, was 6S,s05, an increase Of /. .4o3 over
the preceding year. OF these 2 4as vare
presloentlal, an increase in that class OF
| os over the preceding Year. Six nun
| dred and ten cities and towns are nro-
Nlded with free delivery. SO other. cities
anu towns entitled TO this service under
| the Ia" have NOT been accorded il ON
1 L "
pense OF free delivery for The current
hscal year will be more than $12 300 900
and under existing legisla ton. this item
OF expenditure is subject to constant
Increase. The estimated cost of rural
lfee delivery generally is SO very large
that it ought not To he considered in
the present condition of affairs
During the Year $50 additional Clomes-
tic money order offices We're established.
The total number Of these offices at
the close OF the year was 9.266 There
We're l4.iOS04l money orders issued dur
ing the year being an increase over the
preceding year of 994, SOC. The value Of
these orders amounted to $l3S. .193. .57949
an increase of l,212. .145.S4 There were
also issued during the year postal notes
amounting to 81. 649 O94 90. During the
year rs international money order Of
fees We're added to those already es-
tablished, making Il total of 2.625 such
offices in operation June 80 1894 The
number of international money orders
issued during the year was 9l7 ,S2S, a de-
crease of l3S,l12; and their value was
$13, 792 ,455.31, a decrease in amount of
s.. 549 2S2.55. The number of orders paid
was 36l $50, an increase over the Dreced-
ing year of 60, 263, and their value was
Sc, 56S, 1878. an increase of $12S5,11S.
From the foregoing statements, it APP
pears that the total issue of money
orders and postal notes for the year
amounted to $165 go 129.35. The num-
Der of letters and packages mailed during
the year for special delivery was 1885,
010, The special delivery stamps used
upon these letters and packages
amounted to $34%. .697 The messengers.
fees paid for their delivery amounted
to $26l ,2O010, leaving a balance in favor
of the government of $50, ,4S7.30 The re-
port shows most gratifying results in
the way of economies worked out with
out affecting the efficiency of the postal
service. These consist in abrogation of
steamship subsidy contracts re-letting
of mail transportation contracts and
in the cost and amount of supplies used
in the service, amounting in all to $16,-
619, ,O47.42
UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION.
This report also contains a valuable
to the history Of the nm
I ersei postal unio1., an '&lrIalls, elnelIs
which amounts practically to the estah-
lishment of one postal system for the
entire civilized world. Special attention
is directed to this subject at this time,
in view of the fact that the next con-
gress of the union will meet in Wash
ington in 1897, and it is hoped that time
ly action Will be taken in the direction
of perfecting preparations for that
event.
The postmaster general renewS the
suggestion made in previous reports
that the department organization be
increased to the extent of creating a
direct district supervision Of all postal
affairs and in this suggestion, | fully
concur.
There are connected with the post
office establishment 81, SCI employees who
are in the classified service. This in
cludes many who have been classified
on the suggestion of the postmaster
general. He states that another years
experience at the head of the depart
ment serves only to strengthen the
as to the excellent working
Of the civil service in this branch of
the public service.