The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-05-29
FOREMOST LETTER WRITER'S
The United States First Among Ma
tions in This Respect.
From the Sun.

From the Sun.
There are 100000 postoffices in all
the countries of the world enjoying or
ganized facilities of correspondence,
and of this number 10000 are in the
United States. In respect of the num-
Der of letters and postal cards writ
ten and received the revenue and dis
bursements of the department, the ex-
tent, promptness, and accuracy of let
ter delivery, as well as in the number
of postoffices, the United States stand
at the head of all other nations. Ger
many following second, Great Britain
third, and Austria, among European
nations, fourth. The United States sell
in a year 1000, ,000,0 two-cent stamps,
which Is equivalent to 1000, O00, 900 let
ters sent through the mails in a year.
In addition to this the United States
sell in a year 100000 one-cent stamps,
some of which are used for letter,
though larger number for newspaper
and circular postage, 1900, 900 three
cent stamps, 20, 900, 900 four-cent stamps,
and 50,000,000 five-cent stamps, mostly
used for letters sent from this coun-
try for foreign delivery. More than
1,000,0 900 letters year, therefore,
paying full postage, and exclusive of
postal cards, are written in the United
States.
The business of the German and of
the English postoffice department is
less than half as large. The postal
card system in Germany is in much
more general use than in England, and
it is for this reason, perhaps, that Ger
many keeps ahead of England in re-
spect of the amount of correspondence
done. The number of postoffices in
Great Britain by the last official state
ment, made on Jan. l, 1897, was 20,275,
exclusive of what is officially called
in England, "the road and pillar letter
box" There are 100000 employees of
the postoffice department in Great
Britain, of whom $500 are women and
girls. The number of postotfice en-
ployes in Germany, where telegraphic
communication is a part of the post
office system, is 125,OO0. The number
of letters handled by the Austrian post
office department in a year is $50 900, 900,
and Of these two-thirds are handled
in that portion of the empire which
comes under the designation of Austria,
and one-third only is handled in the
portion officially known as Hungary.
The Germans in Austria, as we'll as in
Germany, are great letter writer's, and
in those cities of the United States in
which the German population is nu-
merous more letters are written in a
year proportionately than in cities in
which the German population is small.
The Italian posto1llce handles $50, 900, =
900 letters year, the postofiice depart
ment of Spain 120, 0,000, 900, of Canada
1OO,OG0,000, of Holland 100 900, 900, of Bel
gium 125,O0O,000, ana of Russia 2OO, 900, =
600, a considerable portion of which is
carried on what are called the mail
coach roads," upon which postal SER
vice the imperiol government main
tains $4,000 horses. In France the num-
ber of letters handled by the postoffice
department is about 700, 900, 900 in a year
and the receipts of the department are
about $35,000,0 900, or one-haIf of the
United States. The French govern
ment, however, does a considera BILE ex-
press business, handling more than 40, =
100000 parcels, or at the rate of one to
each inhabitant of the country in each
year, The expenditures of the postof-
nee department in the United States
exceed the receipts by from $4,000, 900
to Sl0,O00,000 in an ordinary year. When
times are bad there is less correspond
ing done.