Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-07-08
FALLS.
Our Post Onice Business.
Income 375s--'ioin of 60 per cent
in 10 Years.

In 10 Years.
The gross income of the Bellows Falls
post-on q for the fiscal year ending July
was S13, 15S, an increase of $1,000 over
that Of the year ending July l, 1897, and
an increase of S9A00 since Postmaster Dow
took the Office Jan. /, 1898.
The income of local post-ofice is
pretty good index Of the tendency to either
an increase or a decrease of the general
business Of place. 1t has been interest
ing to go back over the reports OF the IN
come of our Office for some years and see
the results. Ten years ago, viz, in 1883,
the income here was only SS,@G9, showing
an increase of 60 per cent in the volume OF
business in the decade. At that time the
total expenses of the office were S24l0, of
which the postmaster's salary was
$500 while now the gross expenses OF the
Office amount to about $4,000, of which the
salary of the postmaster is $24O0, it having
been increased on July | from S23OO to
that figure.
In 1898, five years ago, the gross income
was 81, 2S2, with expenses at $500, sal
arv $500 In '94 the income was 81 ,239,
in i95 ST., 436, iu'96 2,5Ol, in 9l Sl2,494,
and in '9S S13,15S By this it will be seen
that the income of the office has increased
during the past year greater amount tnan
any one year DtlOlt az iSp9N - 'AAO $500
five or SIX years.
It NAV be hard to account for the sud
den lump in the past year, and partlc-
ularIy as the change of ownership of Bel
lows Falls's largest industry the Fall Noun
tain mills, which has taken place during the
year, will probably tend toward decreasing
rather than increasing the post-oihce rev
enue here. Their general offices now being
located in New York city, and their sys-
tenn of accounting being such that the
larger amount of it is done there, would
naturally decrease their postage used here
This change, however, did not come until
late in the past fiscal year OF the post ONCE
Without doubt the Vermont Farm Ma
chine company's additions to their bust
ness during the past two years have ma
teriallv increased the revenue of the office,
Init not to anywhere near this amount. III
is probable that the postal expenses OF TINS
firm alone are nearly, if not quite, equal to
one-third of the whole income OF the oihce
at the present. The steady, and materially
large increase of citizenship here each year
would tend to make a steady increase IN
post-office income, except as 1t may be
huctuated by the manufacturing industries
of the place.
AS a whole, the village may feel a Just
pride in the increase in the business OF her
post-otfice each year, as tendlng 10 sho" oil
increase of general business. The increase
in the number of dwellings each year,
which last year was large enough to fur
nish tenements for 10 more families than
the year before land practically all are full
and have been since they were built show;
a material increase in population, as wei
as the census of school children, and the in
crease in the list of poll tax payers. Bar
ney Cannon seems to have clean held
without competitors, for the candidacy a.
postmaster at the expiration of Mr.. Dow'
term of four years Jan. l, 1879.