The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-10-22
!. S. POSTAL FACILITIES
Assistant Postmaster Reports
for the Last Fiscal Year
improvements Recon-
mended.

WASHINGTON. Oct. %, 1Ss7.-The re-
port of First Assistant Postmaster Gem
eral Perry S. Heath for the fiscal year
ended June 80, was made public today.
The following is an abstract:-
Special attention is called to the neces-
city 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-aIbout ten-who are ex-
pert accountants, familiar with real
estate values, to inquire in the
field into postmasters' requisftions and
demands and to reach a just ascertain
ment of merit in such purely business
matters as cannot be obtained by cb-
tanned by correspondence. There should
also be fixed more severe penalty Ior
the punishment of postmasters who ped
die postage stamps with a view to IN
creasing their own salaries, resulting IN
the diminution of the net receipts OF the
government. Authority should be given
to secure leases of poStoffice stations Tor
a period of ten instead of five years.
So much is gained by our recent policy
of consolidation of post offices and the
establishment or extension of the free
delivery that urge such action by Con-
gress as will give greater latitude of dis
tions. Two assistant superintendents of
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 1. there were 8, 1888 Presidential
pest offices, embracing 169 first class; 80
second class. and 2S14 third class. The
net increase for the year in the salaries
of the postmasters at these offlces IS
$e7, 600. The increase of their aggregate
salaries is S2S0,S0 for the first fiscal year
With the consolidation of the present in
dependent 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 effected.
Another considerable reduction in ex-
penses may be made by the merging, or
the abolishment in many cases, of the
eials receiving the higher salaries. Con-
gress should not only repeal the law pro-
viding that no postofhce established at
any county seat shall be abolished or dis
continued by reason of any consolidation
of poStofficeS under the existing law, but
should also authorize the Postmaster Cen
eral to extend consolidation wherever, in
his belief the service may be thereby
benefited
The estimates for the fiscal year ending
June 30 1889, embrace SIG, ,250, 600 for COM
pensation of postmasters; for clerk hire,
$11 800, 600; rental and purchase OF cancel
ling machines, sl25, 900; rent, fuel and
light. 81 750 o00 miscellaneous items and
furniture, 500. 900, and advertising, $4,000
A plea is made for the purchase of the
postal stations in the larger cities and
that for the reclassification of postoffice
delivery service for the fiscal year end
ing June So 1899. is $13,S10, 400. Since the
close of the fiscal year 1897 the service
has been established in more than forty
offices and before the close. of the cur
rent year all offices entitled to the SER
vice will receive the same.
The special letter and collection boxes
operated in Baltimore in connection with
the public street car service is held to be
successful and when appropriations per-
nit 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 appro-
priations made by Congress for settling
overtime claims of carriers up to date ag-
gregate 81. $4,000. Total claims allowed
on this ratio will reach $500, 600.
Rural free delivery has been put to the
test of practical experiment In twenty
nine States and over. A different routes.
The cooperate of the communities SER
we'd has in every instance been effective,
ly given. The general satisfactory, re-
suits suggest the feasibility of making
rural delivery permanent feature of
postal administration in the United
States not Immediately or In all districts
at once. but in some gradual and gradu-
ated form regulated by the present ex-
,.iy