Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-10-21
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
Some Interesting Extracts from
Couple of Reports.

some Interesting Extracts from .
Couple OF Reports.
Washington, Oct. 1s.-Following are
some extracts from the annual report
of Second Assistant Postmaster Shallen-
berger:
The report gives an interesting review Of
the principal developments in the entire
postal service of the United States, and
connecting foreign malls. 1t shows an ag-
gregate of appropriations for this part Of
the postal service for the current year of
$51 ,0i1, 23S; the probable deficiency is $780,
COO, making the estimated expenditures
this year 51,541 ,23S. This will be 81, 623 045.
or "a per cent more than for the fiscal
year just closed. The estimate for the
fiscal year 1899 is s53S37, 26O. which is ST.
796,Ol more than the estimated expendi-
ture for the current year.
The summary of all classes of service in
operation June 80 last, follows: Number of
routes, 32,49l; length Of routes. Az, 032 miles
annual rate of expenditures, $40 S62. 074 .
number of miles travelled per annum. 42o,-
S50,479; rate of cost per mile travelled II. "a
cents; rate of cost per mile of length, $106 Os;
average number Of trips per week. 500
Last year there was an increase of s. $780,
749 miles of travel in Star service. SO es-
sential to rural districts.
Last year there was only one pneumatic
postal tube in operation in the country,
that In Philadelphia. Since then four more
contracts have been executed. in Philadel-
phia, New York, Boston and between New
York and Brooklyn. Concerning this new
postal feature, Gen. Shallenberger reports |:
1T Is quite possible to carry second. third
and fourth-class matter as well as first,
when 1T can be made profitable Extension
to stations several miles distant from the
main office, eventually, will save clerical
a 70 laIfx
tant cities from IL to "a hours The most
important source of revenue to the de-
partment will be the large increase of local
correspondents and special delivery letters
The extension of the tubular system will
be necessarily slow, and probably confined
to populous centers."
No estimate for special fast mail service
is submitted. as it is stated the service in
general will be better If the special facility
appropriation is discontinued The esti-
mate for electric and cable car service is
$375,OOO, and 139 applications for es-
Enlistment Of new service of this charac-
ter are on file. AS to foreign mails, the re-
port makes an estimate of sl,9O1 ,26O for
transportation, and $142, 900 for balances due
foreign countries. The aggregate cost of
this service was $2,049,199.
An abstract of the annual report of
the general superintendent of the rail-
way mail service follows: s
The number of pieces of all classes of
mail matter distributed on the cars during
the year was II, 81 $40, $50, exclusive of reg
istered matter and city mail. OF registered
matter there were 16, ,663 pieces in ALL
The amount of city mail distributed for
stations and carriers during the year ag-
gregated 1852 1859, $40 pieces. The increase of
ordinary. mail handled over the previous
year was 81 per cent. A compare tive ia BILE
covering a period of ten years shows that
there has been an increase in the amount of
mail handled Of 772 per cent, an increase
In the working force Of 4S.6 per cent The
number of pieces Of matter, illegibly ad-
dressed, handled during the year was H.
072.764 .ise a. .-'... Er Es..E9E
There were $50 casualties during the year.
in which IA clerks lost their lives, SO were
seriously and rs slightly injured. This is
larger number of casualties and fatalities
than have occurred during any previous
year since the organization of the service
The passage of bill for the relief of the
families of clerks killed in the line of duty.
of clerks injured and untitled for service
permanently or temporarily, and for the
retirement on partial pay of clerks who
have served so long as to be untitled for
service, has again been urged.
The reorganization and classification of
the service again is strongly urged by the
general superintendent. Recommendation
Is made for the enactment of some Iegisla-
ton to prevent unwarranted and unlaw-
full interference with postal clerks while
on duty in mail cars.
At the close of the year there were LIZA
railway post office lines, manned by 1854
clerks; 80 electric and cable lines, with
1O2 clerks; AZ steamboat lines with 81
clerks; making total number of lines l. 239.
and total number of clerks 7,013. In addi-
ton to these there were 81 clerks assigned
to duty at important functions and de-
pots; and 2SS detailed to clerical duty in the
various offices of the service, making a
grand total of 1852 clerks. The miles of
railroad covered by railway post office car
service was 154,225; of electric and cable,
203; and of steamboat lines, 7,459. The
grand total of miles travelled of all classes
of service was 2S2,S3O,O31. There were 654
whole cars in use and $40 in reserve.