The times., 1899-11-16
work OF IHB POSIOFFICB
Report Of The Third Assistant Pest
master General.
The Statement Shows an Unexpected
Balance in Almost Every ApprO-
priatioR-Beceipts for Registry
Fees Pass the Million Dollar
Bark-Letter Carrier Registration.

The annual report Of Third Assistant
Postmaster General Madden was made pub
lie yesterday. The report covers the postal
business coming within the jurisdiction OF
his department for the fiscal year ending
June So 1898 Extracts from The report
follow.
The specific appropriations for the
postal service coming under the control Of
this office during the year amounted 10
Sl255 300 and the expenditures out OF
these appropriations TO S97S. 63Q.7l. leaving
an unexpended balance Of S2S6, ,699 %. These
figures do not comprehend expenditures for
special delivery business which amounted
10 S4l5. .9e4.02 because no specific appro-
priatlon is made therefor. the law simply
authorizing these expenditures, whatever
they may amount to, to be paid out Of the
receipts OF the special delivery. system.
There is a reduction of the expenditures
for The year Of S24S, 705.35. or 20.26 per cent,
a compared with the year ending June 80.
1898. which deserves special mention. Two
hundred and forty eight thousand one hun
dDed and tWenty-eight dollars and sixty
nine cents OF this reduction represents the
Yelopes and newspaper wrappers. for reg
isrered package, tag, official and dead-letter
envelopes, and for postal cards.
There are uneXpended balances in every
item Of the appropriations save that for
the manufacture Of postage stamps For
this item the entire amount appropriated
was used, and additional stamps manu-
factured at a cost Of $2.273.37. which
amount viii be certified 10 Congress In the
usual way for q deficiency appropriation.
The increase Of expenditures for special
delivery business was S45.610.46 OF l2-5
per cent
The estimates Of appropriations for the
service coming under control Of this office
during the coming fiscal year. ending June
80. 1861. amount 10 Sl125.l le0. which is
So 200 less than the appropriations for the
current year
The Operating Expenses.
The operations Of this division during
rhe year viii appear from the following
statement
The number OF accounts OF contractors
and other creditors of the Government on
acc0uur 0f mail service received and eN-
amiued Was 1885. requiring the record
ing. drawing. and mailing Of he same
number Of warrants The lotal amount
covered by these warrants was S46 G5g =
s6--7s he number OF drafts drawn on ac-
count n balances due present and late
plstmasIers was 1880 amounting 10 81 46--
-51-st making a total amount covered by
warrants and drafts Of S3S.I-6 SI4.73. The
NUN Der Of new contracts for mail service
received. examined, and entered in books
kept IN inIs division W4s BOD and the
number OF orders OF the Postmaster Cen
sral affecting the mail service entered in
lelseTs was g. 6p3.
Transcripts were received weekly from
the United States Treasury and nine sub
treasures and monthly from Hfry
designated national bank deposftorias.
cumPre heuaing financial transactions az
Eregariug $50. .425. .Z7g.64
Accounts were also kept with the
Treasurer and assistant tressurers aud
WIh all these designated depOsit9ries
AbgH1 - 09e circulars were sent 10
I-u1asters containing instructions rela-
-IEe % q be- deposit CT their postal balances
The uumber Of letters written on sub
5e.fs perrsining 10 the different branches
of work assigned 10 the division was 3.03-
and the number Of cases for invest cation
OF me accounts Of present and late post
masters made ~ and placed in the hands
oi The Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral 'diElsion Of mail depredati0us and
postofice inspectorsl was 24S.
The Special Deliver, system.
The following statistics show Tho bust
ness transacted under the spe .al de,fve-y
system during the year.
Number OF pieces OF mail matter re
celred FOR special delivery al all he lei
Ter carrier offices, 4.55I g12 o. which
5.6-s as3 or 7g.7 per cent were transmit.
ted through the mails from one postolict
10 another, and s23.27s, or 20.3 per cent
were local OF drop letters.
There were 2.o06 messengers empl0yel
al these Offices during The year. The az
ars rsre.H I-E IL
was sixteen minutes.
The value of the special deliver
stamps used On this matter amount
ed TO S557 .36U.5U, and the amour
paid for making deliveries was Sab.
+s4-g- leaving profit 10 the Gov
erumenr on the years business. after de
duclug S523 80 as the cost OF mauufae
turing the stamps. Of $3.50 1928
During the year the total OF pieces O
stamped paper issued 10 postmaster
through the agency OF this division wa
ssl1 POS GZ5 in value 500 15l .65g.7l q ne
increase over the issue OF the preyiou
year OF 5JZ.It .sS5, or CSC per cent IN mum
ber and s. s5s, ,5aS-3s or 30 per cent Il
value.
The gross selling value OF stamped en-
EelOpes and newspaper wrappers issue
was slZ.5ss .60Z-2l- and their postage valu
was slI 6sl, 09250. leaving ss17 .509 II as ia
C0st OF their manufacture and distribution
The contract cost was S536. .l55.ls afle
having deducted SS.9l for the envelope
mispriuted or otherwise Imperfect leav
ing S3sl3 - 70 defray the expense G
distribution. Ia contrast with $30s. .aI0s
for the previous year. The acquisition
beyond the sea have enIailed. as 10 Span
ish territory, the use OF stamped paper q
the United States which has been supple
10 Cuba. Porto Rico. the Philippines. an
Guam with the names Of each of thCs
appauages overpTilLed. the cost To- be pai
from their revenues.
cuba. Porto Rico and the Philippine
have. since the fiscal year expired. bee
supplied with postage-due stamps. over
printed no new design for that stamp ha
been made Guam has received no postage
due stamps.
Before the expiration ol be fiscal yea
original designs had been accepted "a
Cuban stamps iu the 2 g. g. 30 and 80
cent special delivery stamps. These STAMP
nave since been supplied and are now
use there
Until two OF three years ago there wa
go general rule for the classification .
partially printed paper. Each case was
be decided on its own merits and n
classification depended on the judgment
discretion Of the postal empIoye thr0ug
whose hands it might pass when male.
OF late il has been held that where th
print exceeds the blank paper IL Is third
class matter and where the print is lel
than the blank paper ID Is fourth-cla'
matter.
The difficulties attending the prop,
feusratiou and classification of matter
the third and fourth classes and The al
u0yauce 10 the public az well as the post