The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-03
REPORT ON POSTAL SERVICE
ARRAsGEMEsTs ron ALASKA LET
TEN MAIL MUCH IMPROVED.
Inter5ov Service Has Been Doabtea-
Malls to Ne Carried by Reindeer
Important Legislation for Better
meat Of the Mail Service.


port OF w s. shaiienberger. second az
sistant westminster general, was made pup-
lie today. II shows that on June " las.
inc annual rate OF expenditure for fnana
mali service was &s5.f4ss0: for rorelzh
service. 0oi4,5ss; total expenditure, Ss
1W.5es There were INA routes. WIN =
total mileage OF De-, SIS. involving an an
MAI rsts Of expenditure OF s.iz1.s7s: iss3
spseia, ONCE routes. 1872 steamboat routes,
asM railroad routes annual expense, KS
~ 10, z7x railroad poetof'ce car routes
annual expense. H.3s9.ocop. ssS railwas
postofncc clerks annual expenditure.
r. SIS ga, 7.Iso mall messenger routes ~
wagon routes On ciiies). 2g7 electric ana
cable car routes. FIVE pneumatic routes
Vannual expenditure. s222 $50. Necessary
ana special facilities on trunk lines OF
railroads involved an annual rate expenni-
ture OF sisSi<. and mail equipments cost
e1zs.7M
The routes Of all kinds IN the domestic
mail service cover over half million
mites in length, and the miles Travelled
over them per annum was 4as1b.ll3 An
average OF almost nine trips week on
each route was maintained throughout the
country.
Mr.. shaiienberKer refers 70 the steps
taken booking 20 stopping speculative bid
ding for mail contracts, and announces
that the new policy OF awarding all new
contracts only 10 persons living on or con-
tiguoua 20 the route involved has worked
satisfactorily
The experiment Of box delivery on star
youtss. whereby persons along the iine
could have the mail brought from the next
once By the star route carrier and left
IN Z boz erected by such persons. has
worked satisfactorily In South Carolina.
AMI the next star route contracts Will
provide for such service. increasing the
mail facilities In the rural districts at q
moderate increase In cost.
Alaska Letter Mail.
Letter mail for the interior OF Alaska
was carried last winter BY q service that
was reasonably well performed For the
coming winter tho arrangements double
the frequency Of dispatches for points
supplied by various overland routes. sup
plying the offces along them with letter
snsii four times . month.
Mails will be carried by reindeer this
winter from Eaton TO Kotsebuc. point
north OF tho Arctic circle. Plans for va
Sious overland routes are announced. and
the necessity emphasized Of cooperation
with the war department In operating an
eil-Ameriean military and post road from
vsldes TO the upper Yukon
Tho service In Puerto Rico. Hawaii and
The temporary military postal service in
China are touched on briefly. The special
and general weighing OF the mail through
ont the United stntes. whose results were
announced last February. showed the rail
roads carried an aggregate much greater
than generally supposed. and that IS per
cent. OF the total matter WAS sent direct
20 the railroads
The result or the regular auadrcnnial
adjustment OF the pay for railroad trans
portation In the second tract section. COM
prising North and South Carolina. Geer-
ella. Florida. Alabama. Mississippi. Ten
weighing under orders issued to Septem-
1ssr - last, WAS an Increase Of over 10
per cent
The pneumatic service Investigation, II
In stated, has developed valuable informa-
zion. and the report viii be submitted 10
sonEress soon after II eonvenes. Pending
that, estimates for continuance OF exist
inE service are withheld. The electric cars
have been found q most advantageous
means. Of providing expeditious mali trans
purtatlon. especially for suburban towns,
and In many cities saves tho establish
ment OF wagon service
In the railway mail service matter too
iilrGibly or Improperly addressed to per
NIT delivery amounted 10 1857. 2sl pieces,
an Increase OF over iioe0.
LssisIattea Recommended.
Relief legislation for families Of those
killed In ths service Ii asked. and the
creation OF fund 10 retire on pny clerk
whose usefulness Ia cut short by perma-
nsnt disability Incurred in tho line OF duty
REORGANIZATION and Redistribution OF the
railway mail service. legislation requir-
inH separation Of second-ciass mall mat.
ter BY publishers. and legislation for the
punishment of persons who BY force at.
tempt TO enter = postal car or assault this
postal clerk on duty are recommended
No estimate 10 submitted at this time
fns rneumatic tube service or for specia
facilities on trunk iinss
The total estimate for All mail trans.
porta,ion fer the fiscal years ending Jun.
~ ish2 10 ~ "a. s4e. being 81. tBa sio. or AZ
ret cent mere than the current Aanropri
alton.
The estimates submitted In detail are a.
Follows star service, Including sp.cta
cmcr, GSs1hsi steamboat service. tsSl ON
railroad transportation. sst soaass ratiua,
pestcffiee cars. Assl.e.l, raIlwsy poS,os,,e,
clerks. tatsSTts. mail mess~ns~r aervic~
NNeH, electric and cahle car service
NnM wagon service ia cittss xes, ar
nan equipments, sa7s 40. mi~e.gianes,1.
i;ems. tt.o. fetal inland service ~ ~
~ tnFeisn mai transportation s1eta an.
ftaiAhcpn due fafNfxr sssttntefas x.Fs