The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-07-24
POSTOFFICE REPORT.


Business Is Growing and the Receipts
Are Increasing.
Missoula, July 23.-The average citi-
zen gives very little thought to the
business that is done by his local post
office. To him the office is simply the
agency which handles his newspaper
and his correspondence. 1t is the
means that enables him to commune
cate quickly and with certainty, with
the people with whom he has business
or social relations and that brings to
him with regularity and promptness
his newspaper and periodicals. That
the postoffice handles sums of money
that aggregate with the volume of bust
ness that is done by the larger mercan-
tile establishments, he does not con-
slider. Yet. the amount of business that
was done during the last IL months of
the term of w. E. Dowell as post
master shows that the postoffice is
something more than mere machine
for the handling of letters and paper
packages. The distribution Of the
mails is the least of his duties. Many
people will hear with surprise and in
terest the following figures, which have
been compiled by one of the attaches
of the local office. which show the
amount of business that Mr.. Dowell
handled during the last year of his
term of office:
The gross receipts from the sale of
stamps, stamped paper, postal cards
and box rents, We're $13,92236, as
against s12 ,43002 for the preceding year.
The salaries of the postmaster, clerks
and railway clerks from this office
amounted to $G,332.42.
The office sold 3I4, 100 two-cent
stamps, 104, 1924 one-cent stamps, 77.1S5
two-cent stamped envelopes. 1862 one
cent envelopes, 21,903 postal cards, 49,
621 stamped paper wrappers: collected
account of postage due on matter ar
irving here from other offices, on which
full postage had not been paid at office
of origin, $4463.
The office received and delivered 207
special delivery letters, as against 1873
for the year preceding. The number
of registered letters and parcels that
arrived at the local office for delivery
was 493S. The number of letters and
parcels registered here was 2,603. The
Missoula office received for record and
distribution to proper routes 5,430 pieces
of registered mail.
The money order business makes an
excellent showing. There We're issued
from the Missoula office during the
year 6.S5S domestic money orders,
amounting to SOL .20035. upon which
was collected $4O9.05 in fees and $136.7S
war tax. International money orders
We're issued to the number of 40 ag-
gregating 81 ,S1677, the fees upon which
We're S13190. The Missoula office paid
during the year 4076 domestic money
orders, amounting to $50, 1854, and SO
international orders, amounting TO
So. 076.09. There We're received from adj
jacent postoffices, on account of surplus
money order funds, s151,092, which sum
was forwarded to the division head
quarters office. The total amount re-
mitted from the Missoula office on this
account was S154 500
The receipts Of the Missoula office are
steadily increasing, as Is shown by a
comparison of reports. The gross re-
ceipts of the office for the quarter end
ing June 20, 1899. We're $SS4.91 in excess
of the same quarters business for 1898.
The inauguration of the free delivery
has been delayed for some reason, and
it looks as if the delay might be in
definite 1t is possible, however, that
orders may be received to start the SER
vice on the first of the next quarter,
October 1. The result of the last civil
service examination for carriers mas
not yet been reported to the secretary
of the local board of examiners. so that
it is not known here whether or not
the carrier list has been filled.