Omaha daily bee., 1898-07-24
FIDELITY OF THE POSTAL SERVICE,
Remarkable Demonstration of the
Integrity OF Public
New York Sun,

Integrity of Public Servants.
New York Sun.
A minor feature of the bond sale for the
war loan Of the government is set forth by
Assistant Secretary Vanderlip. Mr.. Wander
lip declares that, in the course of business
connected with this issue of bonds. the treas
ury has already handled $500. 900 in currency,
while there has not been a solitary com
plant Of error or deficiency in the matter
Of a single remittance by mail, Such cash
remittances. made in zone thousand dollar
bills. in ordinary, unregistered letters, have
not been m Not one appears to
have gone astray, to have been lost, pur-
Joined. remained undelivered, sent to the
wrong address, or failed to reach the treas
ury.
This assuredly is most striking evidence
OF the extent to which the postal service of
the United States has been perfected, and
OF the popular confidence in it's efficiency.
The business of the Postofice department is
usually computed on the basis of its re-
ceipts, which run in a year from $50, 900, 900
to SS5, 900 900, while the expenses run from
$99, 600, 600 to $95, 900, 600. The gross weight
of letters, newspapers, packages and postal
cards amounts in a year to about $50, 900, 600
pounds. Some time ago it was computed
that the sealed letters carried in the United
States mail in a year number about 2.400,-
600 900, excluding postal cards, circulars and
notices. The number of letters handled in
Great Britain last year was 1893, 900, 900, eX-
elusive Of 2S6, 900, 900 postal cards, or post
cards, as they are called in England. The
number of postals issued in a year in this
country is so per cent greater than in Great
Britain, and the disparity between the rev.
enues from newspapers is even greater in
favor Of the United States.
Though the number of letters handled by
the United States postofice in a year, with
the addition of foreign letters received,
approximates 1900, 600, 900, the complaints
OF erroneous, belated or imperfect deliv-
cry, or of non-delivery, amount in a year
to only about 10000, or one complaint in
10000 of letters posted. A scrutiny of these
complaints by the Postofice department
shows that some Of the cases are due to I'M
avoidable accidents, such as the burning of
postofiices, the wreck of railroad trains
carrying mails, collisions in transit, and
similar difficulties; some are chargeable to
acts Of persons not connected with the de-
partment; in some there was no valid cause
of complaint and in a larger number the
errors were due to the senders, who mailed
letters with inaccurate or indistinct ad-
dresses, without suitable or sufficient
stamps, in insecure envelopes, at the wrong
places, or in violation of the regulations of
the Postoffice department.
Some Of the cases, of course, a consider
able number indeed, were due to the dcre-
LECTION of the postofnce employees through
offering by them Of the contents Of sealed
letters and to acts of carelessness or neglect
not compatible with a high standard of enl-
cheney. But when contrasted with the VOL
lime Of all mail matfar hora1a1 tha ,,.,Lo.
OF complaints filed and the fewer number
OF complaints substantiated, certainly afford
remarkable proof of the successful man
agement of the United States postofice, the
operations of which are now again largely
on the increase as compared with a year
ago, indicating, it is said in Washington, n
total postal revenue this year of 500, OOo,-
600. the largest in the history Of the &C.
partment.