The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-11-28
MILLIONS In STAMPS
AMAZING GROWTH OF THE POSTAL
TRAFFIC OF THE UNITED
STATES
REPORT OF THE DEPARTMENT

REPORT OF THE DEPART MENT
Matters of Interest Discussed by
Charles Emory Smith and Some
Totals Given That Run Into Sur
pris1ng1y Large Figures-Need-
ed Legislation Suggested-Post-
nj Facilities Followed the Flag.
WASHINGTON. Nov. 27.-The an
nual report of Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith was made pub
lie today. He says, by way Of intro
| duction:
THE rapid and amazing growth Of
the postal business in all it's branches
Is It's most striking feature. In 1880
| the gross revenue of the department
" as $33, 315. 479, and the gross expendi-
! ture was 1864, S04; the number Of
/ postoffices was $4,000, and the total
number of postage stamps, stamped
| envelopes and wrappers and postal
| cards issued was 1857 ,397, 047. In the
| fiscal year 1898 the gross revenue was
! $SS,Ol2,6l8 and the gross expenditure
was $9S,033, 523; the number of postof-
! fees was $4,000, and the total issue of
! postage stamps, stamped envelopes and
wrappers and postal cards was 4,614,-
| $4,000. Within this period our popula-
| ton has increased about so per cent,
while the volume Of postal business has
multiplied nearly threefold The les
/ son of improved facilities, more en-
! lightened methods and advancing ac-
! tivity is plain"
The ordinary revenues for the year
were $S8, 815 985, and the receipts from
No
total expenditures, $9S,039, 523, were &c.
| 020, 905 more than the gross income The
| estimated revenue for 1900 is $780, $685.
Ill, and the estimated expenses $685.
/ 224, 900, showing a probable deficit Of
! $4,265,8S8 On this point the secretary
says:
But for the gross abuse of the priv
ilege given by law to second-class mat
! ter, the deficit would long ago have
! disappeared, and its present and
promised decrease comes in the face
Of this continued abuse"
''The war with Spain," the secretary
continues, "entailed the necessity of
military postal service and imposed
new and imperative duties on the de-
partment. At each Of the camps, COM
mencing with Camp Black, New York,
May 4, military postofflce was estab-
| lished and clothed with all the powers
| of regular postoffice, including the
! Issue and payment Of money orders
and the registration Of letters. In
some of the larger camps the volume
of postal business sprang up within a
| few days to the level Of that Of cities
! OF high rank When our troops ad-
vanced into Cuba the postal service
moved with them. Upon the surrender
Of Santiago de Cuba the postal agent
OF the United States took possession Of
! the postoffice of that city, which was
made the military postoff1ce The serv-
ice has been greatly improved, and at
the present time there are four deliv-
cries daily in the business portion of
Santiago city, and regular mail COM
municatton has been established with
| Havana and intermediate seaports,
! and with Jamaica and other islands in
the West indies. The service has like
wise been somewhat extended into the
province of Santiago
FOLLOWED THE FLAG.
1.-THE postal service accompanied our
arms and our flag to Porto Rico. Be-
i ginning at Ponce, it was extended as
rapidly as our troops possessed them
selves of different places, until there
are now in the island twelve military
| postal stations, having postal connec-
! ton with many smaller places
'In the Philippines two military pos
tai stations have been established, at
Manila and Cavite, which are under
the supervision Of an experienced d.
vision superintendent detailed from
| San Francisco, and are conducted by a
force OF railway mail and postoffice
| clerks and agents, with the assistance
of details from the army of occupa-
tion
''The acquisition of Hawaii has not
thus far been followed by any change
in our postal relations with that coun-
try. The absorption of it's postal sys-
tenn into our own and the exercise Of
| our control, like the Incorporation of
other features of its local administra-
ton, have awaited the report Of the
| congressional committee and the legis-
1ation which will follow. There was
the more reason for observing this OBJ
legation, as Hawaii already has good
mail service, which is more than self
sustaining"
Rural free delivery, the secretary
says, has been enlarged but not yet
to the full extent authorized. He
states that there is q general demand
for enlarged service, and urges, also,
free delivery for all cities. In cities
the service has been enlarged to the
limit of the appropriation. During the
year there were 2S.753, 412 money orders
1esued, having face value OF 1904, 593,-
S9O.90. These figures show the phe-
nomenal increase of 1900, 900 In the
number of money orders issued during
the last fiscal year, and an increase of
more than S16,000,000 in the total
amount Of money carried by this serv-
ice over last year. Since the founda-
ton of the money order system in the
United States, in 1865, there has never
before been so marked an advance in
the amount of business transacted in
one year over the year immediately
preceding. The greatest annual In
crease previously recorded was $4,000
000- During the year Ii, 800 ,220 pieces OF
mail were registered. The fees were
$9SS. 199
The report then takes up special
classes of mail service, The pneu-
matte tube system is commended fol-
crowded centers. and a thorough test
by a complete system in some one city
is suggested. In the railway mail serv.
ice there were handled during the year
l., 225, 706, 220 pieces of ordinary mail
besides 1907, 70S pieces of registered
matter and 591, 4s2, 400 pieces of city
mail. The improperly addressed and
,, illegible matter amounted to Is, sos. 4st
pieces, of which 1855, 5S5 were returned
to writer's or corrected and forwarded
to destination, the remainder being
sent to the dead letter office for dis
position.
OCEAN PENNY POSTAGE.
The ocean penny postage" discuss
ed of late, while attractive, in the
opinion of the secretary is, under pres
ent conditions, premature. The pay
ments during the year on account OF
foreign mail transportation amounted