Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1896-11-13
THE U. s. MAIL SERVICE.
REVIEW OF MOST OF THE YEARS
POSTAL BUSINESS.
An Increase in Gross Receipts-Free
Delivery Experiments in Small
Villages

Washington, Nov. s.-The annual re-
| port of Frank H. Jones. the first assist
ant postmaster general, gives a review
OF large part of the years postal busl-
ness and makes numerous recommended
ttons for the improvement of the service
1t shows that during the last three fiscal
years the aggregate saving in the dlvi-
sions of salaries and allowances of post
masters were S546,54s, in free delivery
$13e, Ais. and postoffice supplies s21S,540,
| total of $3,27S9S5.
| For that period there was an aggregate
reduction of s.O35,145 in the number Of
pieces of mail sent from postoffices to
the dead letter office.
The aggregate gross receipts at the
first, second and third class offices were
s65. $780, 65, and the. total salaries s62Os, 900
| Since November 2, 1894. there have been
24os positions in the postofices added to
the classified service. This leaves as the
only positions at first-class postoffices
that are now excepted from civil service
examinations assistant postmasters and
principal cashiers at second-calss offices,
assistant postmaster under any legal des-
| ignation.
| Attention Is called to the fact that not
| withstanding the increase In gross re-
ceipts, the numerical increase in the force
was less than 50 per cent of previous
years.
| During the year 20 stations and 100 sub
| stations were established and one sta
| ton and seven sub-stations were discon-
| ttnued-a net increase Of IA stations and
| sub-stations. Fifty-five postoffices of the
| htrd
discontinued during the year, and 81
| stations and sub-stations were establish
| ed to take their place.
| Mr.. Jones says the postof1ce depart
ment should be at liberty to establish
leases for postoffice premises for period
| in excess of five years, where, in the
opinion Of the department, 1t is neces-
sary.
Free Delivery Experiment.
The experiment Of free delivery in 46
towns and villages cost the department
| $S247, leaving an unexpended balance of
$1753. Investigation showed that In a
majority of the offices the gross receipts
| had decreased since the establishment
of the service, the department being com
4 PEELED to send money to some offices for
the payment of letter carriers salaries.
There were 6S offices entitled to the es-
| Enlistment of free delivery service dur
| ing the fiscal year ended June 30, 1896, but
| the service could not be established at
| more than 10 offices without entailing
greater expense upon the limited 'appro-
priations for the current year than the
maintenance of the established service
would permit.
The rural free delivery experiment was
in operation at points in 80 states by the
first Of this month, and the result Of this
test will be received in a special report
to congress in December.
Money Department.
The aggregate number of domestic and
International money orders issued during
the year was s24,5s4.474, amounting 20
$1S5 95S,264. and the payments and repay
ments were s24,4S4526, amounting to 1885,
c78,567. There was an increase of over s
per cent in the whole number of money
orders issued, showing growth of the
system. The total increase in revenue
from both the domestic and International
business was $4.147.
The total amount of bills of exchange
resulting from exchange of international
money orders sent to foreign countries
during the year was SS,291,7 99, the bal
ances received from abroad for the same
purpose being S201, $50.
AT the dead letter office 6.253, 1863 pieces
of original dead mall matter were re-
ceved. s17,S3O being enclosed and 81 per
cent of the money restored.
The report closes with a summary of
the administration of Mr.. Jones, show
Ing pruning of expenses wherever posi-
Bile, improved facilities and makes numer-
GUS recommendations.
Private Letter box Abuse
The first assistant postmaster general
says:
1.-THE attention of congress ought to be
called to the private letter box abuse
in large cities. 1t is in some cases i'm
possible to locate persons engaged in con-
Quoting fraudulent and unlawful CORE
spondence through the mails, who for a
comparatively small sum can rent box
In some cigar or stationary store, through
which to receive letters addressed to
them. Several bills have been introduced
Within the past few years designed 20
put an end to the practice of boycotting
postmasters at offices of the fourth class,
thereby depriving them Of the compensa-
ton properly belonging to them. This
matter should be called up and some ac.
ton taken that would result in postmast-
ers receiving at least the compensation
WHICH properly pelOHBS TO their reSpec-
tive Offices"
Other Recommendation
Other recommendations are: Placing
dealers in obscene matter upon the list;
penalty for unlawful use of frank Of a
member of congress; authority for sus-
pension of postoffice employees; for substi-
tute clerks with pay in the place of regu-
lar clerks necessarily absent; leave with
full pay to clerks or carriers disabled
while on duty; substitutes to assist reg
ular carriers on holidays and other emer-
gencies, and to require bonds covering
negligence or dishonesty of money order
clerks.
For the fiscal year ending June 80, 1895,
the report asks for appropriations of Sl7,-
100000 for compensation of postmasters,
81, 900 for clerk hire allowances, ST.
100000 to cover rent, fuel and light $780,
900 for miscellaneous and incidental items
including furniture-$15O,O for cancel
ing machines, $4,000 for advertising, 1885,