Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-23
Vim POSTAL SERVICE.
g., # Operation is FOtty-Three and a Half
Millions Per Year.
orF DELIVERY EXTENSION ADVISED.


,r,s,iprton, oct 92.-The report of
Assistant Postmaster General
I" 8 Heath for the fiscal year
~ i.d runc 3Oth. was made public to-
nh. following is an abstract:
uas , univ LIST there were 1888 Presl-
,.,ot offices, embracing l69 first
49, no second class and ISIS third
. The net increase for the year
." ~, solorles of postmasters at these
~ ia s2gs, 500. with the corsolida-
AZ the present independent post
' as within the limits of the new
,,.,. n New York, a saving of at least
~, -o2 In salaries and commissions Of
ministers will be effected. Another
,slderable reduction in expenses may
=. made by the merging or the abol-
,.,ment In many cases of the several
",ads of divisions and other officials
.,osiving their salaries. Congress
,,.,,d rot only repeal the law provid-
sHD mai no postofiices shall be abol-
IRA ar discontinued by reason OF any
,l5arsolldatiun Of postotilces under the
listing law, but should also authorize
,Se postmaster general to extend con-
sIiiati0u wherever, In his Delet' the
tsryice may be thereby benefited.
aThe estimate for the fiscal year
,rdin- June 80, 1899. embraces SlG.250,-
~ f1r compeusution of postmasters.
s,r clerk hire. sll 800, 600; rental and
.rrrhase Of cuncclling machines, Si25,-
XII rent. fuel and lights, Sl,i50 00O
riscallapeous items and furniture,
10000 and advertising. 100000.
"A plea is nude for the purchase of
m, p5stal stations in the larger cities.
aTbe estimate for the free delivery
saryIce for the fiscal year ending June,
i've, is ElS,SlOOO9. Since the close of
he fiscal year 1897, the service has
lean established in more than forty
oflces and before the close OF the cur
rsnt year all offices entitled to the SER
VICE VIII receive the same.
Domestic and International money
issued aggregated 2G.l13,2i0. amount
Inc 10 stSS,O7l .Oj6; aggregate number Of
rayments and repayments, 25,jSO666
amounting to SiSO.14l $50. There We're
& sI $50 pieces of original unclaimed
matter received at the dead-letter Of
Zee. a decrease Of 26G4I0.
oThe special letter and collection
,oyss opsrated In Baltimore in connec-
Ion with the public street service are
taid TO be successful and when appro-
rriations permit. viii be extended to
,thsr cities. The afliXing of the or
binary letter boxes TO the ordinary
street cars to facilitate mail collection
4 also to he taken up. The total nppro-
priations made by Congress for set
fling overtime claims of carriers up to
date aggregate $3.50 900. Total claims
allowed on this ratio Will reach 3d.
$4,000.
Rural free delivery has been put 20
NE test NJ practical experiment In
EtFenty-nlne states and over forty-four
different routes. The cooperation of
,ha communities served has In every
Instance been effectively given. The
| general satisfactory results suggest
ne feasibility OF making rural delivery
permanent feature of postal admins
traton In the United States: not I'M
rediately and In all districts at once,
but In some graduated form related to
he present experiments. Public policy
IrQulres some advancement to he made
| and that the postal service should he
brought more into line. with andvnnc-
/ lg prosperity and increasing populn-
4 ton Sooner or later the United states
more densely populated countries and
4 establish n delivery service over the
settled portions ~ the vast territory.
Under wise restriction It can be extend
Cd with great advantage to clnss Of
our citIzenF who, rightly or wrongly,
4 deem thmsolves neglected In leglsla-
/ ton-the agricultural class and with
4 out serious dctrlment to the revnues."