The sun., 1898-01-14
TO CUT POSTAL SERVICE.
NUMBER OF MAIL OARRIERs WILL
BE REDUCED IN NEW YORK.

There Is = Deficiency or eioo.OO in the
| Appreprintion, ana This City VIII Have to
BuGcr In Csnseauenoe-Ths Onheials Here
Doubt the Wisdom OF tho New Arrangement.
There is q deficiency of 100000 in tho ap-
propriation for letter carriers which was granted
| by Congress to the Post Office Department at
| Washington for tho fiscal year ending Juno 80,
| 1893, and in order to bring the expenditure
| within the limit and have clean balance sheet
at the beginning Of the new year, a general re-
duction Of carrier service expenses has been Or
derod by tho Washington authorities to begin
on Feb 1. There arc five months in which to
effect the rctronchment which must yield tho
100000, and of this sum tho New York Post
Office 10 required to save $24, 900 bctween,now
and July 81 next.
To do this Postmaster Van Cott will have to
discharge. or at least suspend, number Of
carriers, and thero will bo q consequent de-
croase In the number of daily mail deliveries
in tho residential districts above Forty-second
street. 1t will also bo necessary, probably, to
lengthen the routes downtown, and this will
render the service ovon in the business sections
less effective than at present. In the sections
which will bo principally affected by tho re-
moval Of carriers. .527 arc now employed, and
as 1t is estimated that from 85 to 20 mon will
be laid off, tho reduction will amount 10 about
12 per cent Asa result of this It will be nec-
essarysto reduce the number of deliveries to
Postmaster Van Colt expressed regret yes.
terday at the necessity for reducing his force.
81 believe 4 win reduce our receipts" ho said,
orally know that tho Post ofiice Depart
nlent at Washington is desirous OF giving us
STs6s Sny sS nSe cSasoSs w Fens give
Portable running order, and hope tho reduo-
GR force S S sn S n ss Pos,
ssITs sEs:s I hive RS es e Rs
find some reliet from the congestion of mail
matter and the overwork which have 80 materi-
..and now we are threatened with return OF
the old conditions. We need moro rather than
when tho pneumatic mail tubo system Is com.
plcted. Even the tubes between the general
rsay Sga n9 bo wr S d nave
riers, and how will it be when the entire system
is rushing mail in bulk to the various delivery
carriers to distribute iti The result would be
congestion and confusion at the main delivery
system will cost tho Government about $l4o,-
900, much of which will be wasted II tho carrier
"Tho stupidity. from business point of view,
Of Of, REDUCING T tho service in New York is s. mani,
nous revenue to the Government and evens up
the loss incurred in maintaining efficient SER
vice in other districts. Tho better the service
response. A business who would curtail a
private enterprise that was progressing under
But the affairs of the nation do not seem to be
conducted always ON business principles"
1t has not yet been decided W hat plan will be
pursued in reducing tho force Of carriers. but 1t
will probably bo based upon an aggregate OF the
salaries of the various grades, from each OF
which some mon will be taken.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 13.-The announcement In
THE SUN last week that the force Of carriers in
New York and several other cities was to be re-
duced, and the number of deliveries in certain
sections OF the city cut down. in order to avert
the threatened deficiency. was supplemented
has had representatives. in New York for sew
eral days going over the ground and making
prepaTstitons uIt for The PROPOSED % e1t. ErstAssis
time was to be lost, as the danger Of deficiency
W. was @ growing greater every day: So o on Monday
to look over the carrier service there. examine
the schedules. and make report to him. These
poets to have their report some time next week.
and Will act upon II as soon afterWard va ss posi-, %
carrier service can be rearranged. cutting down
the deliveries in the residence portions OF the
city from seven to four at the most and three
where 1t can bo done without positive injury to
The business section of the city will be out
lined on the map. Within it Postmaster Van
Cott will bo allowed to make as many deliveries
day as he sees Mt. Outside OF the limits, how
ever he will BE- confined to four or i less deidyfr
business section boundaries will run, but it will
probably be along the lines already laid down in
third street to the Battery and from Seventh
avenue to Third avenue and the river. 1t Is
possible that the boundaries may be even moro
restricted and that they may cover only as far
uptown as Fortieth street and Fifth avenue in.
stead OF Seventh avenue The making up Of
to rest to great extent with Postmaster Van
Cott. but they will be submitted to the depart
conform, to considerable degree, with tho
recommendations of the men now investigating
the situation.