Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-11-10
FACILITY WITH ECONOMY
First Assistant Postmaster General Jones
Annual Report.
A Saving and Reduction in Expcndi-
tures During the Last Three Years
of Over Three Millions.

The annual report OF Frank H. Jones
| first assistant postmaster general, gives a
succinct review of a large part of the
years postal business of the government
| and makes numerous recommendations for
| improving the service. In the last three
! fiscal years the aggregate savings in the
divisions of salaries and allowances OF
| postmasters were s545,994; in free deliv-
cry, s2,314, i15, and post Office supplies
s21S.540: total, s3.2IS, 9S5. For that period
there was an aggregate reduction of g.
| G3o, 1874 in pieces OF mail matter sent from
post offices to the dead letter office.
The total number of presidential offices
July 1 last was 3.651, of which 169 were
first class, TAG second-c,ass and .. 1876 third
class. Gross receipts for all the first Sec
ond and third-cIass of1ices-the fourth
class having been already reported by Col.
Maxwell, fourth assstant-were S65. 2S2, 800
and the total salaries s62D3,9 800. Since No
vember p 1894, there have been 2, 40 posi-
tons in the post offices drawn into the
classified service. This leaves the only
positions at first-class post offices that
are now excepted from civil service ex-
aminatiCns, assistant postmasters and prfn-
cipal cashier; at second-class offices, as
sistant postmaster.
Increasing Facilities.
During the year y stations and 100 sub
stations were established, and one station
and seven substatioas were discontinue
q net increase of 141 stations and sub
stations. F'ifty-five pest offices of the
second, third and fourth classes were dis
continued during the year, and 81 sta
tions and substations were established to
take their place. The salaries and allow
ances at the discontinued offices amounted
to $36.S10, while the allowances for the
stations and substations amounted TO $751;
$40, an increase in the cost of the service
of SLIGO. This increase was due to the
annexation of number of square miles of
territory by the cities of New York and
Brooklyn, and the consequent extension of
free delivery limits.
The realty values in number of the
Ian ger cities are so rapidly advancing that
| in order to judiciously expend the money
appropriated for rent at first and second
class offices, the Post Office Department
should be at liberty to execute leases for
post office premises for a period in excess
of five years, where. in the opinion of the
department, it is necessary. The expect
ed completion of sixteen government build
ings during the present year will result in
an annual saving of S24,0S1 in rent. Can
ceiling machines are highly commended and
there are 100 of one pattern and 237 of an
other now la use under contract. 1t is ex-
pected that the Investigations of overtime
carrier claims will be completed during the
current fiscal year ard about $500 900 more
Will be necessary to pay all claims accrued
Free Delivery.
The experiment of free delivery in forty
five towns and villages cost the depart
ment s,241, leaving an unexpended balance
of S,fa3. Investigation showed that in a
majority Of the offices the gross receipts
had decreased since the establishment of
the service, the department being COM
PEELED to send money to some offices for
the payment of the letter carriers salaries
Congress ata for bar
permanent or experimental service, and the
experiment was necessarily discontinued
with the close of the fiscal year. There are
sixty-three offices which were entitled TO
the establishment of the free delivery sery-
ice during the fiscal year ended June 20
1896, but the service could not be establish
ed at more than nineteen offices without
entailinS a greater expense upon the linn
tied appropriations for the current year
than the maintenance of The established
service would permit. The rural free de-
livery experiment was in operation at
points in thirty states by the 1st of this
month, and the result of this test will be
received in special report to Congress in
December.
Money Orders.
The aggregate number of domestic and
international money orders issued during
the year was 24,947,s49 amounting to 1885,
953. 264. and their payments and repay
ments were 24.li0.S4S. amounting TO s117,-
eight per cent in the whole number of
money orders Issued. showing growth of
the system, and the total increase in rev.
enue from both the domestic and interna-
tional business was sI4,141. The total
amount of bills of exchange resulting from
exchange of international money orders
sent to foreign countries during the year
was 1921. 1913, the balances received from
abroad for the same purpose being S201, $40.
In the dead letter office 6,253, 3t3 pieces of
original dead mail matter were received,
about $S3, $50 being inclosed and 81 per cent
of the money restored Letters also came
containing drafts, checks, etc, of the APP
parent value CT S9J6,09 about o. per cent
Of this being returned 10 owners.
Recommendations.
THE attention OF Congress ought to be
called" says the report, Ito the private
letter-box abuse in large cities 1t is in
some cases impossible to locate persons en-
gagged in conducting fraudulent and I'M
lawful correspondence through the malls.
who, for a comparatively small sum, can
rent a box in some cigar or stationery
store through which to receive letters ad-
dressed to them. Several bills have been
introduced within the past few years de-
signed to put an end TO the practice of boy
cotting postmasters at offices OF the fourth
class, thereby depriying them of the COM
pensation properly belonging to them. This
matter should be called up and some action
taken that would result in postmasters re-