Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-07-15
UNCLE SANS STAMP BUSINESS.

Q
trust that ID worth having and quite
frequently other parties start into the
business of printing stamps without
first securing license or even trying
to get one. The expense however and
the risk of counterfeiting stamps
makes it business that the counter
feiters do not remain with for any
great length Of time.
At the present time the department
at Washington Is Unusually busy
owing to the close of the fiscal year
and the commencement OF another
twelve months of business. The
fourth class postmasters over the
country, and their number is tbous-
ands forward to the home Office their
acquisitions for stamps to serve as
stock for the ensuing year. The
month Of JUNE is the busiest mouth
for the postal authorities as it is The
time when the acquisitions for stamps
are filed. The idea however that the
clerks Of the department handle the
stamps is erroneous as che bureau of
engraving and printing where the
stamps are made is the place that is
rushed. The postofiice department
simply acts as clearing house for
the distribution of the stamps.
1t costs the government now Just 5
cents for 1000 stamps, delivered any
where in the United States. One
thousand 2.oent stamps are sold for
$40.
During a single year the bureau OF
engraving and printing prints about
$SO.OOO,O00 worth Of stamps, This is
over an average OF 81 per head for
every inhabitant of the United States
and indicates that we are great race
Of letter writer's, ASSUMING that each
'Petson writes 6he letter i week. All
people who wfite letters however are
not thoughtful enough to prepay
them. Some idea Of the number of
delinquent correspondents who like to
send their letters postage due may be
obtained from the fact that dutihg
tile last fiscal yeBf the value OF tile
postage due stamps affixed to letters
without sufficient postage aggregated
$45O, 658 mostly in one and two-cent
stamps.
Many people believe that the
stumped envelopes are already things
Of the past, since only business FIRMS,
and very few Of them use them any
thore. But in the past fiscal year the
total value Of such stamped envel-
opes amounted to $l2,3sl, 973, or not
quite one-seventh Of the total bust
ness Of 0f the Post Office Department
Or postal cards $5.3O5, O28 WE'RE used
during the same period. The Bureau
ct Engraving and printing does not
make the stamped envelopes or the
postal cards, but confines itself solely
to the man ufacture of stamps.
Formerly these stamps we're made
in New York, but three years ago the
Government conceived the idea of
having them made at the bureau. BY
changing in this manner the Govern
ment saved 214 cents thousand
stamps and gets superior work. At
fret some difficulty was encountered,
as the local employees were new at the
work. Every one remembers, when
the first stamps came ont, with scarce.
~ two sheets Of the same color, and
with mucilage that would not stick
After three years. practical operation
however, the bureau is printing The
stamps better than they were ever
dono before.
The pay Of Tie fourth. class most.
master is variable quantity, as !,
depends entirely on how much bua
mess no does during the wear
Fonfth class postoffices are those
whore the pay is less than 81 900 ,
ySAf. 5Ah6tHels ARE Presidential II
case thS RS6eipts' for one year are les
than S0OO the ySAtNnaatar boo = a..