The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-18
Mr.. sharlenberger,s Report.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 1.-THE annual re-
port Of w. S. Shallenberger, second assist
ant postmaster general, made public to-
night. gives interesting review of the
principal developments in the entire postal
transportation 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 81, 041, 23S; the probable deficiency is
$685. 900, making the estimated expenditures
this year $51 541, 23S. This will be $1,623045, or
81 per cent. more than for the fiscal year
just closed. The estimate for the fiscal year
1899 is $53 SS7 $780, which is ST. O21 more than
the estimated expenditure for the current
year. The annual rate of expenditure for
the inland mail service in the year just
closed was $49, S62 074 and for foreign mail
service ST. 79l, no. after deducting $z5S, 029 for
ntermediary service to foreign countries.
The summary of all classes of service in
operation June 80 last, follows: Number of
routes, 80 491; length of routes, 470,032 miles
annual rate of expenditures, $49,S ,074; num-
Der of miles travelled per annum, 420, $50, 479;
rate of cost per. mile Travelled. 11.S4 cents;
rate of cost per mile of length, $106 0S; av-
erage number of trips per week, $50. For
star mail service the estimate for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1899, is $5,495, coo. Last
year there was an increase of $3.50, 749 miles
of travel in star service, so essential to
the rural districts.
Last year there was only one pneumatic
postal tube in operation in the country, that
in Philadelphia. Since then four more con-
tracts have been executed, in Philadelphia,
New York, Boston and between 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 well as first, when it
can be made profitable. Extension to sta
tons several miles distant from the main
office, eventually, will save clerical force
as well as expedite delivery in distant cities
from twelve to twenty-four hours The
most important source of revenue to the
department will be the large increase of
local correspondence and special delivery
letters. The extension of the tubular sys-
tenn will be necessarily slow, and probably
confined to populouS centers.'
The report takes an important position as
to newspaper mail and a plan to make the
profits on short haus offset the long runs
General Shallenberger says: There seems
to be no good reason why the great bulk of
eminent at great loss to the
government to remote places should be
permitted to be taken away from the mails
by railroad and express companies when
ever there is a short haul that would make
the carriage of them profitable to the gov.
eminent The carriage of newspapers, pack
ages, etc. by railroads and express cOmpa-
MES may have been justified, years ago,
when the railway mail service was less eff
ficient, but with our present facilities, such
as may easily be obtained. | am convinced
that the department can and should carry
the great bulk of newspaper matter that
has been for years withheld from the mails
and sent in baggage cars and special ex-
DreSS trains