The record-union., 1897-10-23
Annual Report of the First Assistant
Postmaster General.
Attention Is Called to Many Ways Of Cur
failing Expenses.
Rural Delivery Has Been Put to
Practical Test, With Favorable
Results-Suggests the Feasibil-
ity of Making It a Permanent
Feature of the Postal Service.

Feature OF the FosJa1 service.
WASHINGTON, Oct 22.-The report
of the First Assistant Postmaster
General, Perry S. Heath, for the fiscal
year ended June Both, was made public
to-day. The following is an abstract:
Special attention is called to the ne
cessity of additional facilities for the
division of salaries and allowances, but
above all other recommendations is
placed one making provision for small
corps of special agents-about ten
who are expert accountants, familiar
with real estate values, to inquire IN
the field into PostmaSters acquisitions
and demands, and to reach just as
certainment of merit in such purely
business matters as cannot be obtained
by correspondence. There should also
be fixed a more severe penalty for the
punishment of PostmaSterS who peddle
postage stamps with a view to increas-
ing their own salaries resulting in the
diminution of the net receipts of the
Government Authority should be Civ
en- to secure leases of pOstoffice sta
tions for a period of ten instead or hVe
years.
so much is gained by our recent pol
scy of consolidation of postotficeS and
the establishment or extension of the
free delivery, that I urge such action by
Congress as will give greater latitude OF
discretion in the use of specific appro-
priations Two Assistant Superintend-
ents of free delievry system have been
appointed with proper plenary powers
and primary jurisdiction.
ION July 1st there were 1913 Presi-
Dental postoffices, embracing 169 first
class, $50 second-class and ISIS third
class. The net increase for the year in
the salaries of Pastmasters at these Of
fees is S23S, $50. With the consolida-
ton Of the present independent post
offices within the limits of the new city
of New York, a saving of at least $62,-
723 in salaries and commissions of
Postmasters will be effcted.
Another considerable reduction in
expenses may be made by the merging
or the abolishment in many cases of
several heads of divisions and other
officials receiving their salaries. Con-
gress should not only repeal the law
providing that no postoffice established
at any county seat shall be abolished
or discontinued by reason Of any con-
solidation of postoffices under the ex-
listing law, but should also authorize
the Postmaster General to extend con-
solidation wherever in his belief the
service may be thereby benefited.
The estimates for the fiscal year end
ing June 9th, 1899, embrace S16,250,000
for compensation of Postmasters; for
clerk hire, $11 300 600; rental and pur-
chase of cancelling machines, S125,000;
rent, fuel and light, $1,750,000; miscel-
laneous items and furniture, $500, 900,
and advertising, $4,000.
A plea is made for the purchase Of
the postal stations in the larger cities
The estimate for the free delivery
service for the fiscal year ending June,
1899, is S13. .S10,4 Since the close of
the fiscal year 1897 the service has been
established in more than forty offices,
and before the close of the current year
all offices entitled to the service will
receive the same.
Domestic and international money or
amounting to S1SS,071 05e; aggregate
number of payments and repayment
%, ,5S0,566, amounting to $50. 141 $50
There were 5.967 $50 pieces of original
unclaimed matter received at the dead
letter office, a decrease of 267 ,470.
The special letter and collection
boxes operated in Baltimore in connec-
ton with the public street car service
is held to be successful, and when ap-
propriations permit, will be extended
to other cities. The affixing Of letter
boxes to the ordinary street cars to
facilitate mail collection is also to be
taken up.
The total appropriations made by
Congress for settling overtime claims
of carriers up to date aggregate So,
$4,000. The total claims allowed on
this ratio will reach SO. 500 600.
Continuing. the report says: Rural
free delivery has been put to the test
of practical experiment in twenty-nine
routes. The cooperation of the COM
munities served has in every instance
been effectively given. The general
satisfactory results suggest the feast
bility of making rural delivery a per-
manent feature of postal administra-
ton in the United States, not i1nmedi-
ate!y and in all districts at once. but in
some gradual and graduated form, reg
ulated by the present experiments.
Public policy requires some advance
nent to be made, and that the postal
service should be brought more into
line with advancing prosperity and in
creasing population. Sooner or later
the United States viii have to follow
the lead of the more densely populated
countries, and establish a delivery serv-
ice all over the settled portions Of the
vast territory. Under wise restriction
1t can be extended with great advan-
tage to a class of our citizens who.
rightly or wrongly, deem themselves
neglected in legislation-the agricult-
ural class-and without serious detri-
ment to the revenues
SAGE'S DENIAL.