Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-05-15
About the Postal Service.

Emory Smith, gives us clear insight
into the workings of the postal system
of the United States. AS first propo-
sition. Mr.. Smith tells us that the pos
tai establishment of this country is the
biggest business concern in the world:
that it handles more pieces, employs
more men, spends more money, brings
more revenue, uses more agencies,
reaches more homes. involves more de-
tails and touches more interests than
any other human organization, public
or private, governmental or corporate.
Although the postal service Of Eng
land, France and Germany includes the
telegraph, our postal business by itself
surpasses the service of any of these
countries"
The postoffice department directs
1850 postoffices, employs 100000 men,
spends $l05, 600, 900 a year, and has re-
ceipts to almost the same amount. 1t
handled last year 6.2l4.447 900 pieces of
mail, of which 2,S25, 767 900 We're letters.
which means that every minute 1900
new messages came into its hands. 1t
sold postage stamps to the value of
$71.7SS, $50. 1t carried 2,069, 142 600 news
papers, or somewhat less than the
number Of letters.
Perhaps we may gain the best idea
Of the tremendous growth of this SER
vice by contrasting the statistics of to-
day with those of long ago. Mr.. Smith
tells us that when Timothy Pickering
served as postmaster general in Wash
ingtons administration his receipts
and expenditures for a whole quarter
of n year showed an aggregate of s63.-
900, which is the expenditure every six
hours now. As late as 1880 the rev
enues and expenses were only about
one-third of what they are now. and
while within Is years our population
has increased about one-half, the
volume of the postal business has null
tiplied three-fold.
The railroad postal service Of the
present was started in 1864, and il has
grown from the employment of a. few
men to no less than 800 route agents.
Last year the service covered ia, II.
miles of railroad and the total mileage
of the postal cars was 2S1,5S5,612. The
figures given above as to the pieces of
mail handled apply only to the post
office department The railroad post
offices distributed no less than 1926
100000 pieces Of mail during 1898, and it
is by contemplating this almost in
credible number that we may gain
some idea of the magnitude of the ser
vice and the rare skill which these
travelling postmasters must employ
Mr.. Smith tells us that the postal
clerks must know every postoffice in
their entire range of territory. as they
know the alphabet: that their memory
within the necessary scope must be with
out flaw; and that in throwing their
letters to the right boxes across the
car they become as expert as Herr
mann in handling the cards upon the
stage. Before entering upon the SER
vice they are required to pass eXamina-
tons which determine whether they
possess sufficient knowledge to dis
tribute the mail correctly. They are
required to memoriZe the entire scheme
and to submit to what are known as
case examinations, and unless they
pass satisfactorily they are vigorously
excluded. When this method Of ex-
animation was instituted in 1872. the
distribution averaged one error to
every 72O letters. From that time on
ward the ratio of errors steadily de-
clined until in 1884 it was found that
4152 pieces We're distributed correctly
for every error made. Then, unfortu-
nately, through change of administra-
ton, the personnel of the service was
seriously interfered with, and the ratio
of errors increased until in 1883 it was
one in every 1894, and in 1890 one in
every 1884. Stricter examinations have
now brought the errors down to one 10
every 1O,42S pieces correctly dis
tributed.''
The postofiice department service
does not pay its own way, quite, and
Mr.. Smith tells us why. 1t is because
the government of the United States
representing the people, has chosen Il
be liberal in carrying the mail rather
than ask too closely whether ii pays o.
not. IF the postal service covered
only thickly settled sections. as il
England. France or Germany, it would
bring a splendid surplus. But the mai
is carried to the remotest regions an,
over the arduous passes of Alaska
where a two-cent stamp will take ;
letter, even though it cost 80 cents O
81 to deliver it. But the great source
of deficit is in the carriage of second
class matter, which is mailed at on
cent pound while it costs the gov
eminent eight cents a pound to trans
port it, For handling this class Of mai