The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-11-02
Miles Of Domestic Mail Routes
Exceed That Number.
Annual Report of Second Assist
ant Postmaster General.
NEEDS MORE MONEY
To Carry on the Constantly
Growing Postal Business.
A Number of Additional FaciIi-
ties Are Recommended.

Washington, Nov. 2-The annual re-
port OF W. S. Shal1enberger, second as
sistant postmaster general, was mads
public today. It shows that on June 30,
the annual rate of expenditure for in
land mail service was $50. ,060, for for-
eign service 2,014. .5ss; total expenditures
S57, ,160, SOS. There were 23.3S4 star routes
with a total mileage Of 269. .s5s. involving
an annual rate Of expenditure of $685.
1913; 1.943 special Office routes, 1S2 steam
boat routes, 2.66S railroad routes Can-
nuaI expense $33 1922; 22S railway
postoff1ce car routes, (annuaI expense
$4. 1863. 000); 8,695 railway postofiice clerks.
annual expenditure $S,946,424); 7,l90 mail
messenger routes, 20 wagon routes TN
cities); 2S7 electric and cable car routes;
five pneumatic tube routes (annual ex-
penditure S222, ,266). Necessary and spec
ial facilities on trunk lines OF railroads
involved an annual rate Of expenditure
of $1e5,72S and mail equipments. cost
The routes Of all kinds in the domestic
mail service cover over a half million
miles in length and the miles Travelled
over them per annum was 495,205.773. An
average of almost nine trips week ON
each route was maintained throughout
the country.
Mr.. ShaIienberger refers to the steps
taken looking to stopping speculative
bidding for mail contracts and announ-
ces that the new policy Of awarding all
new contracts only to persons living ON
or contiguous to the route involved has
worked satisfactorily. The experiment
of box delivery on star routes, whereby
persons along the line could have the
mail brought from the next Office from
the star route carrier and left in a box
by such persons has worked satisfactor-
lily in South Carolina and the next star
route contracts win provide for such
service, increasing the mail facilities IN
the rural districts at a moderate In
crease in cost.
Letter mail for the interior Of Alaska
was carried last winter by a service that
was reasonably well performed. For the
coming winter the arrangements double
the frequency Of dispatches for points
supplied by various overland routes.
supplying the offices along them with
letter mail four times a month. Malls
will be carried by reindeer this winter
from Eaton to Kotzebue, a point north
of the Arctic circle. Plans for various
overland routes are announced and the
necessity emphasized of cooperation
with the department in opening an ALL
American military and post road from
Valdez to the upper Yukon.
The service in Porto Rico. Hawaii and
the temporary military postal service In
China are touched on briefly. The spec
ial and general weighing OF the mail
throughout the United States whose re-
suits were announced last February.
showed the railroads carried an aEgre-
gate much greater than generally sup
posed and that Sc per cent of the total
matter was sent direct TO the railroads
The result Of the regular quadrennial
adjustment of the pay for railroad
transportation in the second contract
section. comprising North and South
Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama,
Mississippi, Tennessee and Kentucky
based on a re-weighing under orders Is
sued to September 30 last was an in
crease Of over 10 per cent.
The pneumatic tube service investiga-
tion, it is stated has developed valuable
Information and the report will be sub
mitted to congress soon after IL con-
hot f,ar-a g.
tinuance and extensions OF existing SER
vice are withheld. The electric cars
have been found a most advantageous
means OF providing expeditions mail
transportation, especially for suburban
towns, and in many cities saves the es-
tablishment of wagon service.
In the railway mail service matter too
nlegible or improperly addressed to per-
init delivery amounted to 14.617,2s
pieces, an increase Of over II 900. Re
lief legislation for families Of those
killed in the service is asked and the
creation of a fund to retire on pay a
clerk whose usefulness Is cut short by
permanent disability incurred in the line
of duty. Reorganization and reclassif-
cation Of the railway mail service. legis-
latiOn requiring separation OF second
class mail matter by publishers and leg
islation for the punishment of persons
who by force attempt to enter a postal
car or assault a postal clerk on duty
is recommended.
No estimate is submitted at this time
Tor pneumatic tube service or Tor spe-
cial facilities on trunk lines.
The total estimate for all mail trans
portation for the fiscal year ending
June 30. 1902, is SCI. .430. .249. being S215S.-
6l0. or 3.64 per cent, more than the cur
rent appropriation. The estimates sub
mitted in detail are as follows: Star
route service, including special office,
$3.50, 900; steamboa service. $685. 600.
railroad transportation, S34 zoo, 900; rail-
way postoffice cars 81. SCI 900; railway
postoffice clerks. S1O.37S.749. mail mes
senger service. 81. OBS. 900; electric and
cable car service, $500, 900; wagon service
in cities, $500 900; mail equipments $685.
500; miscellaneous items, 81 900; total in
land service, s5s.726,249; foreign mail
transportation. S2,549. 600; balances due
foreign countries, $155. 900.
Receiver For Home Forum.
Chicago. Nov. "A receiver was ap-