Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1898-11-09
POSTAL SERVICE REPORT.
Immense Work Accomplished in
the Transportation of Mails in
the United States.
NUMBER OF ROUTES At CLOSE OF YEAR
Use Of Pneumatic Tubes In Cities
C0mmended-Cost of Railway and
Ocean service-Estimates of Tx
penditures for Next Year-Faith-
fuless of Employees Recognised.

Washington, Oct. 31.-The immense
work OF transporting tie mails
throughout the United States is dealt
with in the annual report Of Second
Assistant Postmaster-General William
S. S. Shallenberger, which has been
made public. The main feature of the
report is a vigorous arrangement of
existing star route methods. Mr.. Shall
lenberger refers to the present system
of speculative bidding for star routes
as "discreditable to the government"
The report shows the number of mail
routes at the close of the year was 1885;
total mileage 4s0.461, ane averaging on
each route nine trips per week. There were
~. 332.691 miles travelled on these routes,
costing almost SLOT per mile of length each,
or almost So per mile travele''. The total
annual rate Of expenditure for both routes
within the United States and In the foreign
mail service was $53.G23.464.
matte tubes, but voices regret that in some
cases the tubes are not fully utilized. This
service In Boston is especially cited as op-
Grating n hours daily AID carrying all the
drst-class mail The New York postmas-
ter, however, takes the position that it has
not been possible to maxi such reductions
in the regular mail wagon trips as it was
thought would result from instituting tube
service.
The expenditure to railroads for mail
transportation, so far as showl by &C.
counts stated to September 30, was $50. 49,
837, and the estimate for railroad trans
portation for the fiscal wear ending June
30. 1900. Is $33,27s.000. A deficiency Of nearly
1.000. 900 in this fiscal year for transporta-
ton Is probable
For ocean mail transportation in tie next
fiscal year $2,154, 900 Is estimated Over A.
100000 letters and post cards have peen
distributed in transit in our International
sea post offices and only 1900 errors were
reported. Negotiations are now pending
looking to securing reciprocal benefits from
Great Britain in the way Of a sea post Of
fee on the Cunard and White Star lines in
the near future Those two English lines
carry q very large amount of mail and
will extensively profit by separation OF mail
patch and delivery of mail by the harbor
boat service at New York.
Mr.. Shallenberger submits estimates for
his entire service Of $5S,S41 900 for mex: year
and says the estimated expenditures the
present year will be $54. Ill, 1888 Special rec
ognition is given to the courage and faith
fufness Of The pc stall clerks and other Of
f1cials who during the yellow fever epidemic
in the south remained at their posts.
Railway Mail Service.
Washington, Nov. 1.-The ai:nua. report
OF the genera rCpecin -endent of the rail-
way mail service shows that at the close
of the year there were 8,074 clerks employed
and that with the closed pouch anc ex-
press pouch service :he grand total of miles
travelled in the ervice was 2S5, 565, 343. Mat
ter so illegibly addrt ssed as to require
special attention before deliver could be
effected. or which could not be delivered at
all, amounted to 1854, 4S6 pieces for the
year, 7.655.5S5 pieces of which were re-
turned to writer's or corrected and for
warded to destination, the rest being turned
into the dead after Office for disposition.
The general superintendent deplores the
fact that the number Of casualties last
year exceeded the record of any previous
year, though :Ae number Of fatalities was
not so great. There We're 597 casualties, in
which seven Clerks wee killed "a seriously
injured and l46 slightly injured. It Is urged
that some provision be made by congress
for the relief of the families Of the clerks
killed while on duty and for the crea-
ton Of a railway mail service relief fund
for the benefit Of mail clerks totally dis
abled or injured in the line Of duty.
1t is estimated that $8928,118 will be re-
quired for salaries of railway postal clerks
for the year ending June so, 1900 and a.
204,500 for railway post Office cars Exclusive
of subsidized ines).