The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-11-03
COST or TRANSPORTING THE MAILS.
Report Of second Assistant Postm General
for the Year Ending June 30. 100

WASHINGTON, Nov. THE annual report
OF Second Assistant General
Shallenberger. made public this morning. shows
that during the year ending June 80, 1909. the ex-
pendltures for the inland transportation OF
mails was SIS. l4s,059. and for foreign mails
service s?.0l4, 537. a total OF s5',i0.50 The
Star routes numbered %. s3i. Of an aggregate
length OF ?en, s57 miles. and the service cost
1913. s7s. The railroad routes numbered 2,ess.
of a length Of l7g, 0s2 miles. and COS. s23, 4?i 1852.
The most expensive service was the pncu-
matte tube service. which cost 1929, 2?6 for
Ave routes of s.Oos miles in length. or nearly
$40. 600 per mile.
The street car service cost s3ls 2s2 for PSI
routes of 2,347 miles. The total number OF
routes Is 5.s29 Of 5oo.es5 miles, $50. ?0s,77
miles are travelled per annun, at a cost OF
sos, &C. O59. or 70 cents per mile. The average
number Of trips per week Is Ssh, The increase
over the year ending June 30, 1899, was 1851
routes. of 4.O4o miles in length, lS.+eO.027 miles
travelled, q. Os9.64j in cost,
Mr.. Shallenberger speaks at some length
of the reasons which led the Department to do
away with speculative bidding for star route
contracts and holds that while the service
may cost more under the present ystem II
will be really more satisfactory.
AZ the close of the year there were i.2ss lines
Of travelling post Offices railroad. steamboat.
electric ard cable cars, covering i7S.980 miles
In length. the number II clerks employed was
s.7o4. annual miles travelled by them In crews.
?On.o72.7 s5. adding to thls the closed pouch and
express pouch services. the grand total Of
miles travelled Was 3Jj, i3d"Dj. The number
Of whole carr and apartments in Use and in
reserve was 1865. In addition to these there
were Is cars on electric and cable lines and ~
apart mentS on steamboat lines.
10 =, AtiE.nt.t that fIlra Nynrn hnnHlad nv
railway postal clerks during the year 1865, lgl.-
500 piece, of ilrst-Class matter and 6,A.a, 4l5,sOn
OF an other classes of matter. making a total
OF 10. 792. 6O7. 100 pieces. In addition 70 this there
were handled 10y railway postal clerks ls.l.s,tG
packages and cases OF registered matter, l.lup,-
"? through registered packages, and 62l,1I2
inner registered sacks. in ali Ia>ju, l9S. During
the year there were | $50, i6i errors reported a.
made by clerks IN the distribution 81 M, mail,
the ratio being one error 70 lh.l6 correct.
In regard to the casualties Ia railway mail
clerks. Mr.. Shallenherg"r says
The dangers to life ana lltnh Incident TO
the railway mail service have been repeatedly
brought to the attention Of The Department
through the reports OF the general supcrln-
tendent, whose earnest recommendation that
some provision be made by tungre-- for nilord-
ing "A reasonable measure OF relief to the ianlly
of the Gle X who loses hIS HE IN he I'm" OF duty,
is one which | feel called upon to specially EN-
phasi2e. Under the law and the praCtic" of
the Department a clerk who i seriously injured
in the line of duty can he granted a leave Of
absence with pay TO the extent Of a, tqli year,
II his disability continues, but a clerk Killed in
the service leaves his family without hope
OF receiving any assistance whatever from the
Government, even 10 the extent Of the pay
meut of his necessary funeral EXPENSES
lie recommends the creation Of a fund by
which a clerk permanently injured in line Of
duty may be paid n yearly amount equal TO d
flXci proportion of his salary ut the tim" Of his
retirement, the fund to h" created bl IN" CLERKS
Themselves. He also recommend ~" passage
Of the hill for the Redistribution OF the railway
mail clerks,
Tho estimates for the fiscal year ending june
80, 1902, amount to sol ,i3n,2i9. against tho our
rcnt appropriation OF s1l.9Il ,t3N' Mr. Nhall'n-
berger makes no estimate Tor pncim1'in tuhn
service or subsidized fast mail trains Tn"
litter now cost slgj, I22 yearly, running from
New York To New Orleans and from Kansas
CITY TO Newton. Kan.