Evening star., 1898-11-11
District Masons Take Action.
FACTS ABOUT POST OFFICES.
New York Has Most of Presidential
md Pennsylvania of Fourth CIass.

New York Has Most of Presidential
and Pennsylvania of Fourth Class.
The report of Fourth Assistant Postmas-
ter General Bristow for the fiscal year end
ed June 80, 1898, shows that there were at
the close of heLfscal year 1850 post of
fees in the United States; 3,S16 presidential
and 69, ,754 fourth class. The net increase
in the number Of post offices for the fiscal
year was 254S. III ~
The state having the largest number of
presidential post offices is New York, with
23O, followed by Pennsylvania, with 2s4
Illinois with 257. iowa with 212 and Ohio
with POS. The states having the smallest
number of presidential post offices are Wy
ominS and Nevada,S with 8 each Utah with
10, Arizona with II and, Delaware, Indian
territory and New ,Mexfqo with u each.
Inc states having! the greater number of
fourth-class post offices rank as follows:
Pennsylvania heads the list with S71 New
\ ork next with 1904, Virginia with 3297
Ohio with 3,175 and North Carolina with
2,s9S. .
The states having the smallest number Of
fourth-class post offices are the scale ris-
ing as follows: Rhode Island, 135: Della
ware, 100; Nevada, 173; Arizona 1870: Wyo-
ming, 293
A very interesting table in the report is
one showing the compensation of four-t h.
class pOstmasters by states. In this table
Massachusetts heads the list showing an
average compensation for her fourth-class
postmasters of $3.50. 60 per annum, followed
by Rhode Island, $3I9.36, and Connecticut,
s2S3 4S.
The state showing the smallest average
compensation for her fourth-class pustmas-
ters is North Carolina So. 70, the scale ris-
ing with Tennessee SS6.0S, second and Ala
hama, s92. "A, third
The fourth-class post office is the post
office of the masses. The great mass of the
American people patronize these off,ces, and
the average cOmDenSa tiOO n h CIac
postmasters shows quite clearly the eAten:
to which the mails are used by the masses
of the people in the respective states
The District Third.
Another very interesting table sets forth
the amount expended per capita in the use
of the mails by the people of the various
states. In this list Massachusetts stands
first with an expenditure of 81 80 per cspita
III the of the mails, New York second.
expending S2.27; District of Columbia third
S2.l1; Colorado fourth, S193: Connecticut
fifth, $50. The states ranking lowest in
this table are South Carolina So % Der can
ita; Mississippi, so.34; Alabama, sO35; Ar
kansas, $0.37; North Carolina, sO.4I
The total number Of appointments made
during the fiscal year was %. 653
The report sets forth the fact that a large
number OF inspectors were detailed to ap-
prehend depredators upon soldiers mail and
to take charge of stations established for
the purpose of distributing mail to the SOL
diers.
Another interesting feature of the report
is the postal facilities for Alaska inspect
Ors were detailed to reorganize the mail
service in this territory, which resulted in
the establishment of line of post offices
from the Canadian border to the Rerine
sea- distance of about 1000 miles and
many other needed improvements were
made in the mail service in Alaska unon
the recommendation of these inspectors
A number OF recommendations are made
by the fourth assistant postmaster general
which are worthy of attention one being
that severer penalty be provided for en-
p'oyes Of the service who NAV he found
guilty of embezzing or destroying newspa-
per mail.
New Envelopes for Regfstered Matter
Another recommendatio is that more
stringent statutes be- enacted covering the
TRANSMISSION of green goods and obscene
matter through the mails and that spe
cial stamped envelope of superior material.
of the denomination of 10 cents be adopted
in lieu of the present system of registering
letters. Many losses occur In the mails he
cause or the poor quality of the envelope in
which the articles are inclosed A strong
envelope of the value OF 10 cents, as a reg.
istered envelope, is recommended Instead
of the registry stamp,
1t is also recommended that all money or
der offices be inspected annually. which
would be radical extension of the insnec
ton system and Would doubtless he of
great advantageto the service