The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-03
COST OF CARRYING MAILS
annual Report Of the Second As
Sistant Postmaster General.
Inland and Foreign Transportation
Speculative Bidding for Star Route
matte Tube Service - Casualties
Among Railway Postal Clerks.

The annual report of Second Assistant
Postmaster General Shallenberger, made
public yesterday. shows that during the
year ended June 80, 1900, the expenditures
for the inland transportation of mails was
sos. 1869, and for foreign mail service
s2.G14,5S7, a total of s57,160,597. The star
service routes numbered %, 1874, of an ag-
gregate length Of 269.S57 miles, and the
service cost s5.133.3IS. The railroad routes
numbered 2,66S. of a length of 1882
pensive service was the pneumatic tube
service, which cost 1922 .226 for five routes
of sos in length. or nearly $4,000 per
mile The street car service cost $685.
2S2 for 2S7 routes of 2.347 miles. The
total number Of routes is $500, of 500, $3.50
annum. at a cost of s55, LAG, O59. or IL cents
per mile. The average number of trips
per week is Ssh. This shows an increase
over the year ended June 80. 1899. of 1.o31
routes, of 1910 miles in length; 13, 46O, 1927
miles travelled; S2.O69,6 i5 in cost.
Mr. Shallenberger speaks at some
length of the reasons which led the de.
partment to do away with speculative bid
ding for star route contracts, and holds
that while the service may cost more I'M
der the present system, it will be really
more satisfactory.
In speaking of the Alaska service the
report says: 1T has seemed to me highly
important that this department should
cooperate with the War Department in
heroic endeayors to open up and maintain
at the earliest practicable date a military
and post road from Valdez to the upper
Yukon at Eagle or Circle over all Ameri-
can territory"
The report gives the detailed cost of
the pneumatic tube service, but makes no
recommendations. 1t refers to the lnves-
tigation of this service now being con-
Quoted under provision in the last pos
tai appropriation act At the close of the
year there were 1,26S lines of travelling
ostoffices-railroad, steamboat. electric
and cable cars-covering 1880 miles in
length: the number of clerks employed
was S.19i: annual miles Travelled by Them
in crews, 200.672.7 S5; adding to this the
closed pouch and express pouch service,
the grand total of miles travelled was
305. .095. The number of whole cars and
apartments in use and in reserve was
1858. In addition to these there were %
apartments on steamboat lines.
1t is estimated that there were handled
by railway postal clerks during the year
1868. l9l 1860 pieces of first-class matter.
and 6,i29. AIS. 800 of all other classes of
matter, making total of 13. 7s2. S07 .16O
pieces. In addition to this there were
handled by railway postal clerks is. 12S, 063
packages and cases Of registered matter,
1.1C0. i23 through registered packages. and
62l, 712 inner registered sacks; in all,
1856. 1888.
During the year there were ! ,355, Asa
errors reported as made by clerks in the
distribution of this mail. the ratio being
one error to 1919 correct.
Matter illegibly or improperly addressed
SO that it could not be delivered amounted
during the year to 1857 ,2S4 pieces. an in
crease Of 1,199 pieces as compared with
the preceding years record. OF these
s,37S,71S were returned to the writer's or
corrected and forwarded to destination.
The remainder were sent to the dead letter
office for distribution.
During the year there were 21,462 exam
nations Of permanent and probationary
clerks. who handled 23,152,962 cards, with
an average of 1874 per cent correct-the
best record yet made in this respect
There were also 2.262 examinations of sub
stitute clerks who handled 2.1i2, 057 cards,
with an average per cent of ISIS correct.
During the past year four clerks were
killed, 50 seriously and 1877 slightly in
jured, as against the record OF preceding
year, in which six clerks we're killed, so
seriously and 162 slightly injured In re-
gard to the casualty to railway mail clerks
Mr.. Shallenberger says:
The dangers to life and limb incident
to the railway mail service have been re-
peatedly brought to the attention of the
Department through the reports of the
general superintendent, whose earnest rec
that some provision be made
by Congress for affording a reasonable
measure of relief to the family of the clerk
who loses his life in the line of duty is
one which l feel called upon to specially
emphasize. Under the law and the prac-
tice of the Department a clerk who is Sc
riously injured in the line of duty can be
granted leave of absence with pay TO
the extent OF full year if his disability
continues; but clerk killed in the service
caves his family without hope of receiving
any assistance whatever from the Govern
nent, even to the extent of the payment |
Of his necessary funeral expenses
He also recommends the creation of a |
und by which clerks permanently iniur- |
d In line of duty may be paid a yearly |
mount equal TO a fixed proportion of his |
aiary at the time of his retirement. the |
und to be created by the clerks them
elves. He also recommends the passage
I the bill for the Redistribution of tho
ailway mail clerks.
In regard to second class matter the
eport says: During the year under re-
lew the reports show that $50 53S aee
ounes of second class matter were re-
eived from publishers. as against 352. OIL
~ pounds received the year previous. This
Hes not include mail free within the coun-
y Adding such free county mail. we
ave total of 450O45.Sf pounds. or 225.-
% tons 1t is recommended that the
eparation of second class mail matter by
ubiishers be made obligatory by law.
The estimates for the fiscal year ending
nne 30. 1902, amount to SCI, 400. 249 against
lie current appropriation of s59,271 63s.
II. Shallenberger makes no estimate for
neumatic tube service or subsidized fast
all trains. The latter now cost sl95. 722
,arly. running from New York to New
rieans and from Kansas City to Newton.