Evening star., 1901-12-07
POSTAL STATISTICS
District of Columbia Leads in Amount
Per Capita.
HIGHEST AVERAGE EIPENDIfU RE
interesting Comparisons Made
With Nearby States.
I N CREAS IN A YEAR

"The people of the District of Columbia
are entitled to an official compliment in
that the records Of the postal service for
the past year show that they continue to
use the mails proportionately more than
any other collective body of people in the
United States. and are, therefore, the best
patrons of the mails of all of the millions
who rest secure under the stars and
stripes" said a postal official to a Star
man this morning.
THE gross receipts of the post offices by
states form a reliable and official index Of
the business pulse of the different sections
OF the country, and the amount expended
per capita In the use Of the mails is a
pretty good guide as to what the people in
their localities are doing.
District Tops the List.
"The District of Columbia tops the list
with the average amount expended last
year per capita at SGT. The preceding
year it was also at the top with S251. This
shows material gain and indicates a
whole lot of letter writing, not official, for
that class of matter is carried free and
does not count in these calculations.
These figures are higher than those or
the great state of New York, which fol-
lows next with an expenditure per person
of S2.59 against s.. 40 the preceding year.
l. will be observed that the ratio of in
crease between New York and the District
of Columbia is about the same, which
proves that our people are moving right
along in the of the procession-are on
the front seat of the band wagon, in fact.
at is interesting to note that Illinois and
Massachusetts run a Deck-and-neck race
for third place as the best patron by states
of the mails, the expenditure per capita
being S2.34 each. Colorado follows next
with 1928, Nevada with 1926 and Califor-
MIA with 81. And so the scale could be
carried down the different states to the low
est South Carolina, with only Al cents, eX-
cept Porto Rico, where the inhabitants of
our newly acquired island in the Atlantic
spent Z cents each on average last year
for postage stamps.
Further Interesting Comparisons.
But this is not all the praise the District
may give itself In this connection. While
it ranks ffty-third. or last of all the states,
territories and possessions in this country,
it is first in its expenditures per person in
using the mails. There are six post offices
at present in the District. and their gross
receipts last year were $744, ,61S, an increase
Of about $45, 1000 over the preceding year.
And while the District ranks forty-third Of
all the different states and territories in
population, it ranks fourteenth in the aver
age compensation paid fourth-class post
masters, of which there are four in the Dis
trlct, with an average compensation Of $235
each. Massachusetts,, which was fourth in
the list Of average expenditures per capita,
Is first in the list Of average compensation
to these postmasters, with 1862: Rhode Is
land second, with $34S, and Connecticut
third with 1923. New York is twelfth, with
$242. The lowest average compensation re-
ceived by pOstmasters by states Is paid in
North Carolina and Tennessee, with 800 and
$94, respectively, per annum.
Disappearance of Post ONCE Names.
"The District had until the present year
a number Of fourth-class post offices, four
teen, which will surprise many persons
when it Is considered that the District is
but ten miles square, and that Washington
occupies goodly portion of it.
"They have been reduced, however, by
consolidation, diScOntinuance and the estab
fishing Of stations, until now there are only
four fourth-class offices-Benning, Deane
wood, Kenilworth and Winthrop Heights.
Washington and Langdon are presidential
post offices.
Many familiar names which have been
given to fourth-class post offices in the Dis
trict are now inferred In postal oblivion
owing to their discontinuance and the ex-
Washington city post office OF these
fourth-c1ass post offices which have died
natural deaths by reason of improved postal
methods are Brightwood, Oak Grove, Ia
kOma Park, Terra Gotta, University, Twin
ing, st. Elizabeth. Brookland, Congress
Heights, Goodhope and Tenleytown.
1T is an interesting fact that Oak Grove
has been post office for a great many
years, once sharing the honor, l think with
Washington and Georgetown as being one
of the only three post Offices in the District.
''There are fifty-six substations scattered
throughout the city, mostly in drug stores.
1t takes 239 letter carriers to serve our mail
this year, and force of between 500 and
600 employees to operate our city post Office,
almost as large as the force of the Post
Office Department, which is only a couple
Of hundred above 1t.
District Far Ahead of Near States,
ITO make more clear what 1 have told
you about the District of Columbia being
the best patron Of the mails Of any subdi-
vision Of the Union. let me take the three
nearest states-Maryland, Virginia and
West Virginia.
Virginia stands thirty eight below the Dis
trict, being the thirty-nnth in the list Of
states, and her residents spent last year
on an average per person 81 cents each for
using the mails. West Virginia went her
sister state one cent better each person,
in 50 cents per capita.
Maryland stands better, being the twen-
ty-sixth, with 81 43 per capita to her credit
THUS 1t Is shown that the people Of the
District Of Columbia spend three times as
much per capita for using the mails as do
the people of Virginia and West Virginia,
and almost twice as much as the people of
the state Of Maryland, which ought to make
our own people feel that they are persons
OF some Importance, from a postal stand
point, to say the least.
And ON average compensation Of fourth
class postmasters as regards the three
states named we may also wear the blue
ribbon.
Thus we pay our average fourth-class
postmaster $235.34 a year. Maryland $15671
West Virginia S124.96. and Virginia $115s3
Upon the whole, for little fellow terri
torially. the District Of Columbia is doing
very well, indeed, I thank you, and will
take a back seat to none"
Rechabite Visitation.
The grand tent officers of the Order of