The record-union., 1897-10-18
What 1t Costs to Garry the Mail
Matter of this Country,
Assistant Postmaster General ShaIIenherger
Makes His Report.
An Increase Of Nearly Five and a
Half Million Miles in the Star
Service, SO Essential to Rural
Observation-Disclosures of Pneu-
matte Tubular Service.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-THE an
nual report of w. S. Shallenberger, Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster-G General,
made public tonight, gives an interest
ing review of the principal develop
ments in the entire postal transporta-
tion service of the United States and
connecting foreign mails. 1t shows an
aggregate of appropriations for this
large part of the postal service for the
current year of $51, OH ,23S; the prob
able deficiency is $500,000, making the
estimated expenditures this year SOL
81, 23S. This will be $1,623, ,045, or
314 per cent. more than for the fiscal
year just closed. The estimate for the
fiscal year, 1899, is S53, ,337 ,260, which
is 81, ,796, 921 more than the estimated
expenditures for the inland mail SER
vice in the year just closed, which was
$49, ,S62, ,074, and for foreign mail SER
vice $1,791,170, after deducting $685.
029 for intermediary service to foreign
countries.
The summary of all classes of SER
vice in operation, June Both last, fol-
lows:
Number of routes, 80 491; length Of
routes, 470,032 miles; annual rate of
expenditures, 1852, ,074; number Of
miles travelled per annum, 450 $50. .4I9;
rate of cost per mile travelled, 11.S4
cents; rate of cost per mile of length,
S106 0S; average number of trips per
week, $50.
For star mail service the estimate
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1899,
is s., ,495, 600. Last year there was in
increase of $3.50, 149 miles of travel in
star service so essential TO rural dis
tricts A current year deficiency of
$4,000 is estimated for the steamboat
fiscal year 1899, include steamboat
service, $470000; mail messenger SER
vice, $3.50. 600; transportation by pneu-
matte tubes or other similar services
by surchase or otherwise, SOD, 600;
wagon service, S7S0,00O. Last year
there was only one penumatic postal
tube in operation in the country, that
in Philadelphia. Since then four more
contracts have been executed in Phil
adelphia, New York. Boston, and be-
tween New York and Brooklyn
Concerning this new postal feature,
General Shallenberger reports:
1T is quite possible to carry second,
third and fourth-class matter as we'll
as first, when it can be made profitable.
Extension to stations several miles dis
tant from the main office eventually
will save clerical force as we'll as ex-
pedite delivery in distant cities from
twelve to twenty-four hours. The most
important source of revenue to the de-
partment will be the large increase of
local correspondents and special deliv-
cry letters. The extension of the
tubular system will be necessarily slow
and probably confined to populous
centers.''
The amount reported withheld from
the Pacific railroads on account of
transportation is S1,312, ,023 estimate
for railroad transportation for the fis-
cal year 1899 is 30,350,000 No esti-
mate for special fast mail service is
submitted. as it is stated that the ser
vice in general will be better if the
special facility appropriation is discon-
tinued. The estimate for electric and
cable car service is 1915 900, and 130
applications for establishment of new
service of this character are on file.
The report takes an important posi-
ton as to newspaper mail and plan
to make the profits ON short mails Off
set the long runs
General Shallenberger says: There
seems to be no good reason why the
great bulk of legitimate newspapers
carried by the Government at great
loss to remote places should be permit
ted to be taken away from the mails
bv railroad and express companies
wherever there is a short haul that
would make the carriage of them prof
liable to the Government. The car
riage of newspapers, packages, ETC., by
railroad and express companies for the
year have been justified, perhaps years
ago. when the railway mail service was
less efficient, but with our present fa-
cilities such as may be easily aban-
doned. l am convinced that the de-
partment should carry the great bulk
of newspaper matter that has been for
wears held from the mails and sent in
baggage cars and special express
trains