The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-11-09
TIE UNITED STATES MAIL.
Annual Report Of the W. S. Shall
lenberger, Second Assistant
Postmaster General.
The Routes Of the Domcstic Mail
Service Co. or over Half Million
of MileH. Involving an Aggregate
Travel Per Annutn Of 45o,:o5,''3
Mileo.

Washington, Nov. 3.-The annual
report of w. s. Shallenberger, second
assistant postmaster general is made
public. Ii shows that on June 80 last,
the annual rate of expenditure Tor in
land mail service was s55,146,o6o; for
foreign service. S2,0l4,53s; total ex'
renditures. s57, i6o,59s.
The various Classes of Routes.
There were 22,S34 star routes. with
. total mileage of e69.s5s. involving
an annual rate of expenditure OF S.,
1:s.37s; 1913 special ofiie routes. IS.
steamboat routes, 2,66S railroad
routes annual expense, S33,i2i, 7s2);
22s railway post Office car routes (an'
nual expense, si,369. 000), s,695 rail
way post Office clerks (annual ex'
penditure. ss.o46,42D; 7,i90 mail mes
senger routes. 22o wagon routes Tin
cities). 2s7 electric and cable cal
routes; five pneumatic tube routes
(annual expenditure. 1922, 22e). Nee
essary and special facilities on trunk
lines of railroads involved an annual
rate of expenditure of Si95,'22, ano
mail equipments cost S325.744.
Amount OF Territory Covered.
The routes of all kinds in the do.
nestle mail service cover over hall
million miles in length, and the miles
Travelled over them per annum was
459. 205,773. An average OF almost nine
trips n week on each route was main
tanned throughout the country Mr.
Shallenberger refers 10 the steps TAX
en- looking to stopping speculative
bidding for mail contracts, and an
nounces that the new policy of award
ting new contracts only to persons
living on or contiguous TO the route
involved has worked satisfactorily.
Experiment OF Box Delivery.
The experiment Of box delivery or
star routes. whereby persons along
the line could have the mail brought
from the next Office by the star route
carrier. and left in box erected by
such persons. has worked satisfactor
ily in South Carolina, and the next
star route contracts will provide foi
such service, increasing the mail ia
cilities in the rural districts at mod
crate increase in cost.
Mail for Alaska.
Letter mail for the interior of Alas
ka was carried, last winter, by serv-
ice that was reasonably well per
formed. For the coming winter the
arrangements double the frequency
of dispatches for points supplied by
various overland routes, supplying the
~ 1at+
four times a month. Mails will he car.
ried by reindeer this winter from
Eaton TO Kotzebue. a point north OF
the Arctic circle. Plans for various
overland routesare announced,and the
necessity emphasized of cooperation
with the war department in opening
an all-American military and posi-
road from Valdez TO the upper fu-
kon.
Porto Rican and Hawaiian Service
The service in Porto Rico, Hawaii
and the temporary military posta
service in China are touched on brief
". The special and general weighing
Of the mail throughout the United
States, whose results were announced
last February. showed the railroads
carried an aggregate much greater
than generally supposed. and that 81
per cent. Of the total matter was sent
direct to the railroads.
The Quadrennial Adjustment.
The result of the regular qundren
NAL adjustment Of the pay for rail
road transportation in the second con
tract section. comprising North ant
South Carolina. Georgia. Florida. Ala
bama, Mississippi, Tennessee and Ken
lucky. based on a re-weighing, under
orders issued to September 30 last
was an increase Of over ten per cent
Pneumatic Tube Service.
The pneumatic tube service invest
CATION. ii is stated. has developed val
liable information. and the report viii
b. submitted to congress soon aftel
II convenes. ePnding that. estimate
for continuance and extensions of ex
listing service are withheld. The cleo
trio cars have been found most ad
vantageous means of providing expe
ditious mail transportation, especial
" for suburban towns, and in man.
cities saves the establishment of wag
on service.
Illegibly Addressed Mail.
In the railway mail service matte
Too illegibly or improperly addressed
70 permit delivery amounted to IA,
Sl7.2s4 pieces, an increase of owe
1900.
Relief legislation for families o
those killed i'm the service is asked
and the creation Of fund TO retir
on pay clerk whose usefulness ]
cut short by permanent disability in
eurred in the line of duty.
Prince Tuau Has Fled.