The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-18
HANDLING OF THE MAILS.
REPORT OF III SECOND AsSIsTANT
PosTH1STER- GENERAL.

POSTH NJ
Increase or Iuinnd Mail service 70 HoO.sSO.-
a7S Miles Travelled. at Cost OF eAo'eeo.-
osa-To Extend the Pneumatic Tube Service
The Fast Wall from NEW York south.
WASHINGTON, Oct. ia mass OF interesting
Information concerning the handling OF mail mat
ter is contained in tho annual report OF w
Shallenbergor the Second Assistant postmaster
General, Just submitted to Postmnster.Genera
Gary. 1t is shown by the report that the total
annual inland mail service has increased to
400, 1904 miles travelled, ut a cost of ll.s4
cents a mile, or ON annual expenditure of Si9,-
800, O74. The foreign mail service cost 81 .79l, 40
additional, The 21,5l7 star routes have an
aggregate length OF 2G5. 59S miles, mail mes.
songer routes 1T3,475 miles, and railway Post
Ohcc car routes 39,493 miles. These are the
three principal services. There was considora-
bic reduction in the cost Of transmitting tho
mails during the year, but the star service was
increased $3.50, 7i9 miles.
Contracts have been made by tho Post Office
Department for extending the pneumatic tube
service, which was successfully tried in Now
York city this month, in Philadelphia, New
York. Brooklyn, and Boston. Each carrier tube
will have a capacity Of 800 letters. and when the
service has been extended it will be possible to
transmit through tho tubes In all places $780,
600 letters an hour.
Mr.. ShallenberRer has a great deal to say in
praise of the tube system begun on Oct. z boz
tween the Produce Exchange and the New York
Post Office.
These carriers" he says. "wore not only Q
complete success for the transmission Of first
class matter. such as letters. but equally satis-
factory for the carriage Of packages Of every
description, including a full suit OF clothes. q
package of books. a large live cat in a cotton
narL n lo,An n a--a Co.. I, 10 tl.f.. all.
possible to carry second. third, and fourth class
matter as we'll as first, when it can BIO made
profitable. When tho pneumatic tube service
Is extended to stations several miles distant
from the main office. q continuous stream Of
mail can DO received direct on the mailing coun-
tcrs. and the force Of clerks can be kept con-
tinuously busy, thus creating a saving In clerical
force as well as despatchingi important mail from
the outlying districts one train earlier than here
tofore in many instances thus erpediting its do
livery to distant cities from twelve to twenty.
four hours. Tho most important source of
revenue to the department to be expected from
the tubular system will be the large increase in
local correspondence and special.delivery letters
In particular. The profit on. this class of mail
matter .is very large. and the increase OF such
matter has in the past corresponded to the in
crease OF the facilities for rapid delivery. For
was increased to half.hourly trips some years
ago. The aggregate number Of speeialdelivcry
"ee eSoeS epNsOoop III LOW,
It i expected that the longer tube, between
fourth street and Lexington avcnue), will be
ready to start by Nov. Is. 1897. and tho ono be-
1898.
During the last fiscal year the number of
fatalities to railway mail clerks was greater
than during any previous year. The casualties
numbered $50. Fourteen clerks were killed,
thirty;three seriously injured, and seventy-hve
clerks injured "sadie and the U famEI fies' Of ele Fi.sG tili iSi
while on duty viii be submitted 70 Congress.
in distributing the mail is shown by the record
last year OF only one error to 1000 pieces cor
Much space is devoted by Mr.. shallenberger
to the subject OF newspaper mail. He calls at
%tention to the possible increase OF revenue as
Will insure to the Government a monopoly OF
carrying legitimate second.class matter. as is
now the case in regard to trst-class matter"
the great bulk OF legitimate newspapers carried
by the Government at great loss to remote
from the mails bY railroad and express compa-
mics whenever there is a short haul that would
make the carriage of them profitable to the
1t was discovered by Mr.. shallenberger that
the newspaper train which, left New York at
carrying packages OF newspapers which entered
the mails at Washington and were taken up
this practice, Mr.. Shaiienberger decided that il
fore arranged FOR a fast newspaper and mail
train, which now leaves New York at 2:lO A, NJ.
carries ali the New YORK SUNDAY ncwspapers.
The service began on Oct. 10; Tho newspaper
mail alone taken on Ct New York vas 75.ii2
cent a pound, Of ssss. At iris rate the net
profit TO the Government from this train will be
$4,000 10 $50 900 annually.
Mr.. Shallenberger is gratifed with the sue
fSss o ine snS new s,s sssaem IN IN !lsH'I Sork Ba %G to
the New York and Jersey City Post Offices and
railway ra sIst ions He inserts ver in his report a
80, showing the benefits OF tho change. Mr..
Van Colt says in part:
In 1898 seven White Star steamers and seven
during the months OF July and August, and the total
their despatch to the principa. exchange OFFICES in
the United States. Canada. and Mexico was 75I hours
ste amer AZ Quarantine.
In issT, Gnde, the new system and during the same
line and seven OF the White Star line brought To this
kill at Quarantine and their despatch TO destinations
minutes, thu. showing that under the new
system 1927 mails more were handled in
figures for each arrival show that although IL more
mails were received by each Of these steamers in 1897
Al minutes sooner than under the old system.
The efforts Of the Post Office Department to
improve ne Alaskan mail service on account Of
length by Mr.. Shailenberger Agreements have
been made with the Canadian Government for
from Dawson City. Under existing agreements
mails will be forwarded from Seattle to Juneau
by steamer four times a month or oftener; from
Juneau to Dyea by steamer at least twice q
month; from .Dyea to Dawson. City once a
Circle. once q month. IL 10 probable that
dog teams and sleds will be tho only
during the winter on the two routes last named.
In the general advertisement now pending to
provide service for the next term Of four years.
invited for carrying tho mails from Juneau
(Alaskah. by Dyea lAlaskal. Dawson City Can
adaL, Forty Mile lCanadaL and Fort Cudahy
lCanadah TO Circle (Alaskal. 96s miles and back.
once a month; also for service twice a month
and once a week; the department to determine
what frequency of service IT will contract for
when the bids shall have been received.