The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-10-23


WASHINGTON, Oct. 22.-The report
Of First Assistant Postmaster General
Perry s Heath. for the fiscal year ended
June 30 was made public to-day. The
following is an abstract;
Special attention is called to the me-
eessity 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 ten-who
ara expert accountants familiar with
real estate values, to inquire In the field
into postmasteTs' acquisitions and de-
mands, and TO reach a Just ascertain
ment Of merit in such purely business
matters as cannot be obtained by cor
reaponderce. There should also be
fixed q more severe penalty for the pun
fshmeRt OF postmastefs who peddie
postage stamps with view TO increas-
ing their own salaries, resulting in the
dimipntion Of the net receipts OF the
government, Authority should be given
10 secure leases OF postotiiee stations
for period of ten instead of five years.
So much is gained by our recent poll
icy OF consolidation OF postoiilces and
the establishment or extension OF the
free delivery that urge such action by
Congress as will give greater latitude
of discretion in the use OF specific ap-
proprlations. Two assistant superin-
tendents OF the free delivery system
have been appointed, one to be located
at New York and the other at Chicago,
with proper plenary power and primary
jurisdiction.
On July there were 1888 presidential
postofflces, embracing 1859 first class, $50
second class and 2,Sl4 third class. The
net increase for the year In the salaries
of the postmasters at these offices Is
S9760O. Their aggregate salaries are
$2S0.SO0. With the consolidation of the
Independent postoffices within New
York, saving of at least S62, 72S In sal
aries and commissions of postmasters
will be effected. Another considerable
reduction In expenses may be made by
the merging, or the adjustment in
many cases, OF the several heads OF d.
visions and other officials receiving
the higher salaries. Congress should
not only repeal the law providing that
no postofice established at any county
seat shall, be abolished or discontinued
by reason of any consolidation OF post.
offices under the existing law, but
should also authorize the postmaster
general to extend consolidation wher-
ever In his belief, the service may be
thereby benefited. The estimates for
the fiscal year ending June 80, 1889. ems
brace $t6,250,666 for compensation OF
postmasters: for clerk hire, Sl1,SO0,OOO;
rental and purchase of cancelling ma
sNh eI0k NM rant final md Iiphf
Sl,7b0 900; miscellaneous items and fur
niture, 100000, and advertising $4,000.
"A plea Is made for the purchase OF
the postal stations Of the larger cities.
The estimate for the free delivery SER
vice for the fiscal year ending June 80.
1893. Is 13,S10.s00. Since the close OF the
fiscal year 1897 the service has been es-
tablished in more than forty offices,
and before the close Of the current year
all offices entitled to the service will re-
ceive the same.
Domestic and international money or
ders issued aggregated 26,ll3,24O
amounting to StSS07i. 656; aggregate
number Of payments and repayments.
1850 566, amounting to $iS0,14l. 66O
There were 5,S76.96O pieces Of original
unclaimed matter received at the dead
letter ONCE. q decrease OF 276.40S.
The special letter and collection boxes
operated in Baltimore IN connection
with the public street car service Is
held to be successful, and when appro-
priations permit will be extended to
other cities. The afiixing of letter boxes
to the ordinary street car to facilitate
mail collection Is also to be taken up.
The total appropriations made by Con-
gresg for settling overtime claims OF
carriers up to date aggregate S2.s2O'OOO
Total claims allowed on this ratio viii
reach 81, 100000
Rural free delivery has been put to
the test Of practical experiment in
twenty-nine states and over forty-four
different routes. The cooperation of
the communities served has in every
instance been effectively given. The
general satisfactory results suggest the
feasibility Of making rural delivery q
permanent feature of postal admins
tration In the United States, not imme-
diateiy or in all districts at once, but In
some gradual and graduated form reg
ulated by the present experiments.
Public policy requires some advance
ment to be made, and that the postal
service should be brought moro into
line with It's advancing prosperity and
Increasing population. Sooner or later
tho United States will have TO follow
the lead OF more densely populated
countries, and establish delivery SER
vice over all the settled portions OF Its
vast territory. Under wise restrictions
Il can be extended with great advan-
tage to class OF our citizens who,
rightly or wrongly deem themselves
neglected In fegfsiation-the agrieul-
tural class-and without serious detri-
ment to the revenues.