Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-12-01
AN AMAZING GROWTH
Postal Service Of the United States
as Viewed by Its Official Head.
Charles Emory smith Tells OF thu Work in
Our New Possessions - Marked Adj
vance In the Money order BusI-
noss--Other Matters.

Washington, Nov. 90,-The most in
teresting view of the postal service foI
some years, owing TO its operations IL
military and naval fields, is the report
of Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith. Aside from tho discussion O
the regular branches OF the depart
ment 1t tells OF the work accomplished
and policies adopted in our territoria
acquisitions. The postmaster genera
says;
The war entalled the necessity OF n military
postal servc1 ana prompt measures were re-
QuiTed for handling the mails of an army o.
ablOOJ men, Large post ofices were suddenly
created ut the camps OF concentration, tho ex,
igenoles Of constant changes and movements
were met, and the military ind naval forces on
active services IN the West Indies and Philip,
pines had prompt and constant postal com.
munlcation with home These military posi-
oflces were clothed with all postal powers
Some OF the larger camps increased their vol
ume OF postal business TO that OF cities OF high
rank.
Postmaster Smith calls attention Ia
the rapid and amazing growth OF the
postal business in all its branches.
In the last fiscal year the gross reve.
nue. was $50, Ol2,6ls, against S3S, Sl5, 47G
in 1880, and the gross expenditure
sos, O33, 52S, against $3.50, $40, sO4; the
number of post offices, $4,000, against
$4,000. Within this period the pop.
ulation has increased about so per
cent, while postal business has
multiplied nearly threefold. The
general increase of expenditures for
the past year has been little more than
the preceding one, despite the fact
that nearly 81, 1000 900 earned in mail
transportation by the aided Pacific
railroad companies was paid this year
directly out of the department appro-
priations. There was an increase in
postal receipts Of nearly SO, 500, 900 over
the aggregate Of 1897, which is cited
as proof that the country is again
prosperous.
The estimate of revenues and ex.
penditures for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1000, follows: Total revenue,
500, 05s, l!2; estimated expenditures,
$1O5, 224, 900; deficiency for 1900, esti.
mated, 81, 265, 1888. But for the gross
abuse of the second class matter privi-
leges, the deficit would have disap-
peared long ago, and its present and
promised decrease is in the face OF this
abuse.
Discussing rural free delivery, the
postmaster general says replies to cir.
culars sent out suggest some assurance
of the permanence of the service. A
revision and Encouragement OF the
service established prior to 1897 is con-
templated.
The most marked advance in the
volume of money order business in the
history of the system was this past
year, the increase being LOO, 900 in
number and $l6 OOO, 900 in money car
ried. There were %, 1853, 4l2 money orr
ders issued; face value, $2O4, sos, SOL.
Legislation is asked for at the next
session Of congress to correct the evils
growing out of the practice of bid
ding for star route service.
There were 1900, 22O pieces of mail
matter registered Mt the post office
during the year and the aggregate Of
$00S, 1893 in fees collected was an i'm
crease of over seven per cent. over the
previous year.
Among recommendation for legis-
lation are those to make depredations
of railway postal clerks a continuous
otfense; to provide severe penalty
for employees embezzling or destroying
mail; seveFer statutes
covering green goods and obscene mat
ter; the issue of special stamped en-.
velope of superior paper quality for ten
cents for greater security aud safety;
for at least curtailing the use OF post
age stamps as medium of exchange,
and for allowing postmasters OF the
first and second classes to pay for the
special delivery of letters by salaried
postal officials, and to allow car fare
to special delivery messengers in the
great cities.