The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-06

dangerously ONeFlOau TIE SlruCluIS. lhc
first floor is occupied by the court OF
claims The building is of an old and
dilapidated appearance, unsuited to the
dignity which should attach to this
important department
A proper regard for the safety, comfort
and convenience of the officers and en-
ployes would justify the expenditure OF
a liberal sum of money in the erection
of IL new building OF commodious pro-
portions and handsome appearance upon
the very advantageous site already Sc
cured for that purpose, including the
ground occupied by the present structure
and an adjoining vacant lot, comprising
in all Il frontage of POI feet on Pennsyl-
vania Avenue and a depth of 1856 feet.
In this connection / may likewise refer
TO the inadequate accommodations pro-
vided for the Supreme court in the capt.
toll and suggest the wisdom of making
provision for the erection of 4 separate
building for the court and it's officers and
library upon available ground near the
capitol.
THE POSTAL SERVICE.
The postal service of the country adj
vances with extraordinary growth.
Within twenty years both the revenues
and the expenditures of the Postotfice
Department have multiplied threefold.
In the last ten years they have nearly
doubled Our postal business grows
much more rapidly than our population.
1t now involves an expenditure OF
800. 100000 year, numbers l3,OUO
postofficcs and enrolls 100000 employees.
This remarkable extension of service
which is an accurate index of the pubic
conditions. presents gratifying evidence
of the advancement of education, OF the
increase of communication and business
activity and Of the improvement of mail
facilities leading to their constantly
augmentng use.
TIE war with Spain laid new and eX-
ceptional labors on the Postotfice De
partment. The mastering out of the
military and naval forces of the United
States required special mail arrange
ments for every camp and every cam
paign. The communication between
home and camp was naturally eager and
'expectant. In some of the larger places
of rendezvous as many as fifty thou
sand letters Il day required handling.
This necessity was met by the prompt
detail and dispatch of experienced men
from the established force and by direct
ing all the instrumentalities of the rail-
way and postoffice service. so far as
necessary to this new need Congress
passed an act empowering the Post
master General to establish offices or
branches at every military camp or
station. and under this authority the
postal machinery was speedily put INTO
effective operation.
Under the same authority, when our
forces moved upon Cuba, Porto Rico and
the PHILIPPINES. they were attended and
followed by the postal service. Though
the act of Congress authorized the APP
pointment of pOstmasters where neees-
sary, it was early determined that the
public interests would best be subserved,
not by new designations, but by the
detail of experienced men familiar with
every branch of the service, and this
policy was steadily followed. When the
territory, which was the theatre Of con-
fiict came into our possession. 1t became
necessary to re-establish mail facilities
for the resident population as well as
to provide them for our forces of occu-
patton. and the former requirement was
met through the extension and appllca-
ton of the latter obligation. gave the
requisite authority and the same gen
eral principle was applied to this as to
other branches of civil administration
under military occupation. The details
are more particularly given in the re-
port of the Postmaster General, and
while the work is only just begun. it is
pleasing to be able to say that the ser
vice in the territory which has come
under our control is already materially
imnroVed