The times., 1899-08-18

For several days three experts from New
York have been sitting at desks in little
cell-like room in the Postoffice Depart
ment basement arranging prelimlnaries
for tabulating the weight of all the mails
carried by the railroads for the Govern
ment. The names OF the experts are
George w Dewanger. l. L. Van Leer, and
W. R. Swift Under instructions prepared
by these experts all the postofices in the
country will begin on October 3 TO weigh
all mail matter sent out There are $4,000
offices and the mail must be weighed for
thirty-five consecutive days. At the expi-
ration of that time the total weight of
mail passing through each office will be
forwarded TO Washington.
It is calculated that it Will require about
six weeks of preliminary work to arrange
for the great task that is to follow, and
the experts are now getting UP their in
structions, FORMS and blanks to be printed
and forwarded to the postmasters during
this period. Some idea can be gained of
the immensity of this work by the require
ment showing the adjustment of the rates
VI pay PEI illic pl ldl1iooN AooeSS NA-
which the contract terms expire. and also
on the new routes constantly being started.
The adjustment of the rates are based
upon the returns of the weight of the
mails, the speed with which they are con-
veyed, the accommodations of the cars,
and the number of trips. There must be
returned to Washington the number of
route, State and termini, corporate title of.
railroad company, length of route, average
weight of mails carried over entire route
per day, miles travelled per hour, size of
mail ear or apartment, pay per mile for
transportation. pay per mile per annum
for railway postal cars, annual rate of pay
for transportation, annual rate of pay Tor
railway postal cars, and weight of mails
1t is intended by the Postmaster General
to have this work completed for report
during the next session of Congress. A
large force of clerks will be employed
on it about November 1, about the middle
of which month the reports from the va
rious postmasters will begin to be re-
-ceived- A majority. If not all, of the
clerks will be selected from the eligible
rolls of the civil service. The first clerks
10 be drawn. however, will probably be
from what is known as the substitute list
Of the Railway Mail Service under which
branch of the Postoffice Department the
ldDO1ali00 VIII DE mace.
The importance of this tabulation to
the Government and to the people can be
appreciated when it is considered that no
work OF this nature has been done for
twenty years. Since that time the Post
office Department has grown immensely.
Each recurring session of Congress brings
forth committee investigations and criti-
cisns on the charges of the railroad COM
panies for carrying the mails and on the
Postmaster General for meeting the exac-
tions OF the companies. In 1888 the ex-
penditures for carrying the mails were
$50, ,393, ,209.53. In 1S9S-ten years later
the expenditures had grown to 1884,
3S223. Twenty years ago, or on June 80,
1879, according to the Postmaster Cen
erals report, the total length Of routes
was 1881; the last report shows the total
length OF routes TO now be 174,7T7; the
annual transportation in 1879 was &c.
497. 1853 miles; in 1898 it was PSI ,595, ,612
miles. The cost per annum in 1879 was
reached S34, ,763, ,S47- The increase in the
lengths of routes in 1879 was 2,s71 miles;
last years increase in lengths of routes
was 1902 miles.
At the close of last year there were
l 1,26s lines of travelling postoffices-railway,
steamboat, and electric and cable ears,
covering 167, ,755.2f miles in length. The
annual miles travelled were 1SG, 4S3, l67,
and the grand total of miles Travelled was
2S5.565, ,343. There were 6,549, ,662. .320
pieces of first-class matter handled dur
ing last year. and 5,S7e. .043, 900 pieces of
second third, and fourth-class matter
a total of Il. .225, 700. .220 pieces There were
Il, ,416, ,292 packages and cases of registered
matter. and 1037,S74 through registered
pouches. The inner registered sacks were
623,5 ,5i2, making a total of 17,077,7 70S pieces
Of registered matter. City mail handled
was 591, 492. .490 pieces.
It will thus be seen that the service is
not only in need of a general readjustment
and rehabilitation of the mails which is
now about to commence, but it has greatly
outgrown the laws and regulations nder
which it is operating. In regard to the
actual weight of the mails carried by The
railI Dads, the department comedies that il
has for many years been at sea on the
subject and it now feels that the time has
come when a general readjustment with
the railroads should be made. The annual
rate Of expenditure for full railway post
Office cars in service up to the last report
of the Postmaster General was s., ,917, All ST;
number of routes. 22S; length of routes.
4o.5625l miles The appropriation esti-
mated for the railway postoffice cars for
the year ending June 80, 1900 IS 81. .204 500.
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