Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-11-27
AUGUSTA SECOND.
OhIy One Maine Post Office Equals
Our Revenue.
Particulars Concerning the Postal BUSINESS
Of the State Of Maine.

| Just one postoffice in the State Of
! Maine took in a greater revenue than
Auguta during the last fiscal year. ana
| that was Portland. The net revenue
from the Augusta office was also the
second largest in Maine. This speaks
well for her work, but the publishing
houses are what placed her ahead Of
Lewiston and Bangor.
| The figures relating 10 the Maine post
age revenue have been CLEANED from the
books al Washington by the newspaper
men there since the last convention Of
the pOstmasters. 1t shows some immense
figures and Augusta's runs over the
$lOa0o0 mark. 1t is found that the re.
ceipts Of the Augusta Office for the year
were $lO9,32S33 The clerk hire cost the
government $2G. 5000. The expenses in
other ways We're lighter on account Of the
office having a home Of its own in the
government building. The free delivery
cost the city $7l76.3i. Yhe net revenue
from the Office was $71.Gl925.
! Maine made a big jump. last year, in
! the amount Of the revenue that the gov
! ernment collected at the post offices Of
| the Presidential class within the State.
| The 81 post offices Of tae first second and
third classes took il ,69a ,322. 70 during the
l. months between July !, 1S9s. and June
80, 1899. The army of post otiic, clerks in
this city have been figuring up the results
/ and just now the results are in tangib
I shape for presentation to the public.
/ When one considers that this enormous
amount was made W largely Of 2-cent
stamps, ii is easy To calculate the enor-
nous amount Of mail matter that must
| have been handled in the State. II is one
of the surcst signs Of prosperity ana bust
ness activity.
The IT postmasters in tho State during
thc same period drew an aggregate salary
of sIo9.h-5. but that is only one item in tha
total expense account of .hrse 81 Offices.
which mounted up TO $-943lS.,3 in the az
-reglto That amount Of money went
directly into the pockets of people living
in the towns and cities where the Presi-
dental offices are located. Just to show
how rhis large amount WI III, ,ney vas dis
tributcd il can b. said that $>9172.;.S went
for clerk hire and S15, l2..u2 fnr rent. light
aud furl. while ''other Incidental ex
pcnSes'' amounted To >i42>.51. The fre
delivery Of mail in u cities of the Stat
cost thc government. l4St soar. tine sum
Of S75.m.I.tG. s. that when AL the ~
pcr4.s were taken uut there remained a
nct revenue w A>nIl.12. That was by no
means thr total amount that the State If
Maine paid fnr postage stamps during the
year. for it must wv remembered that
there arc lifG fourth class post offices ia
the state ana these collected vast
amount of postal revenue during the year
just passed This is satisfactorily proven
wv thr amount ~ salaries paiG To these
pustmastsrs. Tn" revenue must b. far in
excess If the salaries paid, although there
are ~ offices where the salaries plli
RANGED between $J,p.el ana 5000; 2N5 offices
where the salaries paid ranged hetween
S.uool ana 500, ai1 offices where the sall
Tfas ranged between $10o.o1 and 500; 21d
offices where the range Of salaries was
between $5o.m ana 500; ana 163 offices
where the salaries were so or less.
OF course tho large net revenue shown
by the auditors figures might make i
seem at first blush that Uncle sam made
A large profit out Of the post offices IN
AIaine 50 far as these accounts 40 that
is true. But before very long the poat
office department wiilmake public 4 state
n1ent of the cost If carrying the mails
over the railroads and other thorough |
fares Of Maine. When the accounts are
finally balanced it Will be shown that.
taking the postal business as a whole, the
government probably ran behind N
Maine. The large surplus from the post
Offices has gone to the railroads, electric |
roads and stage coach routes IN the |
states for transporting bags Of mail eV-
cry day during the year.
Maine has only three Presidential offices |
Of The first class: Portland, Bangor and
Augusta. These Offices did an enormous
nostal business the largest Of any post |
offices in the State. At Portland, last |
wear. the gross postal receipts Were Sl7j.
III. NJ; out Of which the government paid |
SSi00 for Postmaster Swetts salary, 81.
1li23 for clerk hire, sli5i25 f'r other IN |
cidental expenses and SO, lS3.G2 for the |
free delivery service. This made the total |
expenses of the Portland office. 81. TO- |
leaving a net revenue of SOL .VU3.I3. AS |
the Office is in the government building |
the cost Of rent, fuel and Of maintaining |
quarters for the post Office goes under j |
srparate account in the treasury depart |
mcnt.
In Bangor the net revenue from Post
master SHOWS office was So; ,51i.'S; the |
total expenses. 1926; and ,he gross |
revenue. ST. 1878. Other items III expense |
wore postmaster's salary. $3leo; cler. &,
hire. $SipI.57: other incidental expenses, |
$672G2: ana free delivery. $9955.ld.
Free delivery in other Maine cities, not |
already mentioned. cost as follows: Al
burn. $6I127; Bath. $lf93.5S; Belfast,
Sz636.72; Biddeford $i2I.u; Brunswick. |
s61i.7l: Lewiston $SSG67o; Rockland, |
S;agN 81: Waterville $i2c1.0i. All the cities |
mentioned as having free delivery have |
their Offices in d public building except |
Auburn. Biddeford, Brunswick and Wa |
terville. Other Maine towns and cites !
that have their post office in public |
buildings are Waldoboro, Castine, where 4 !
Presidential office was established, OCT |
I, lS9S. Eastport, Ellsworth, Houlton and
Machias.