Evening star., 1894-03-06
THE POSTAL StRViCE
Interesting Facts Embodied in the Appro-
priation Bill Report.
The System Nearly Self-SuppOrtiEg
and Might BE MOney-Makfng-
Ocean Mail Contracts.

Interesting facts concerning the postal
service are embodied in the unusually
complete report upon the appropriation bill
compiled by Representative Henderson OF
North Carolina, chairman of the House
committee on post offices. The estimates
OF the department on which the bill Is
based amounted to $9O, ,399. 4S5, exclusive of
special facilities on trunk lines, an item
amounting to $196614. The bill recon-
mends an appropriation of sS7, ,4TO. 500, which
is in round numbers three millions 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 $S4, 49,
74S so that the postal service is nearly
self-supporting. Instead of depending upon
the future action of Congress to make good
deficiencies, the bill provides that a sum
equal to whatever deficiencies may arise
shall be appropriated
throughout the report comparative tables
for each item are given showing the an
propriations for the ten years. and making
an interesting history of the growth of the
service A material reduction from the
estimates Is made in the compensa ton of
postmasters. The amount asked was
SlI,25oOOO, and that recommended is
SloWoOOO. For clerks salaries the full
estimate Of S,aO0.oOo is granted, an in
crease of $S4O,OOO over last year. For free
delivery service the estimate of $l2,327 6S5
Is recommended, an increase of a million
from the preceding year For inland trans
portatlon by railroad routes S26, 300 900 was
asked for. and $23. 100000 granted. an in
crease OF one million from last year
Might BE a MOney-Making System.
That the postal service might be a
money-making system is shown by the fact
that SI,OOO.OOO pounds of free matter for
the government was carried during the
year. which, had 1t been paid for at regu-
lar rates, would have yielded s7173.3G4.
Inc amount credited on account of the
racine railroads for the past year was
81, 1,639.S17
or crimes the report says:
Durlng the year 1,1S1 persons were mr.
rested Tor violation of the postal laws. and
OF these persons arrested 227 were postal
employees, To postmasters, 80 assistant
postmasters 2S clerks in post offices "a
railway mail clerks. q letter carriers. 20
mall carriers and 10 other EMPLOYEES in
other grades. When Ii Is remembered tbat
tnere are about 1880 persons employed IN
the postal service, the percentage is very
snlai,. t.ii especially does this show the in
oossIoy OF postmasters inasmuCh as ont Of
%. 4oS postmasters but 80 were arrested
VI the cases determined $50 resulted in
convection con and 81 in acquittal. There were
IS arrests for burglary
The total number of most office. ,,,o,
INeu curing the last fiscal year was 1aS as
aSallIst 1Sst iiOS during the previous wear
mere mere were ~ burglars arrested, an in
On June 80, 1893, there were AZ 40a ros,-
masters in the service, and that of This
number only 65 should have been charged
court speaks loudly for the integrity of the
other classes ~ Va OH
Free delivery of mail in 40 small towns.
ranging from 800 to 1900 in population. is
said not to have shown the expected in
crease in business and no further appro-
priatlon for extending the service experi-
mentany Is recommended. particularly as
the free delivery branch has a deficiency of
s6S,ol6 for the first time in it's history. and
to make a fair trial of rural free delivery
Would involve great expense, at least $40
100000.
Ocean Mail Contracts.
Ocean mail contract routes in operation.
with their cost are:
New York to La Guayra............ S., ,2S7
New York to Colon S2117
San Francisco to Hong Kong 95523
New York to Tuspan.
New York to Havana. 134a23
Total Chve routes) ................. $685. 45O
A saving of s967.32 has been made by
cutting off the following:
Galveston to La Guayra.
San Francisco to Panama
New York to Antwerp.
New York to Buenos Ayres
New York to Rio de Janeiro.
Dissenting views are reported by Repre-
sentatives Kyle of Mississippi and Loud Of
California from the recommendation to ap-
propriate $196,614 for special mail facilities
on trunk lines
They argue that the principle which al
lows the government to discriminate in
favor of individual enterprises is unjust and
demoralizing to the system, that the Post
master General does not recommend a con-
tinuance, but shows in his report that rail-
roads which had previously been beneficial
ries of the fund and are not now receiving
1t are rendering good service as before
They refer to many railroad lines in sparse
ly settled sections, particularly in the west
which do not receive extra compensation,
assert that no Postmaster General has rec
commended an appropriation of that char
note nd ntf ,octar tolr