Evening star., 1901-11-04
FAVORS PNEUMATIC TUBES
REPORT OF SECOND ASSISTANT
POSTMASTER GENERAL.
Urges Regular Fast Mail Service With
the Orient-SeparatiOn of
City Mail.

The annual report of the second assist
ant postmaster general, just made public,
urges regular, direct fast mail service be-
tween the Pacific coast and the orient, the
re-establishment of pneumatic tube service
generally and the closer separation of city
mail by postal clerks on railway trains,
rather than by clerks of the mailing di-
vision. after it's arrival in the general post
Office
Under the last-named proposition the en-
tire force engaged in distributing the mail
ready for the carriers would be under one
management and congestion in a post Of
fee could be overcome by the temporary
detail of railway mail clerks off duty. The
city distribution in postal cars has been as
sumed entirely by the railway mail service,
supplanting the former practice OF having
clerks from the city post office go out some
distance on the road to meet incoming
trains .-
Constant demands are now being made
for still closer separation by having the
railway mail clerk or superintendent IN
charge take the outgoing mail from the
public and see that it is eXpeditiously dis
patched, and also deliver the incoming
mail properly, made up for the carriers.
Mr.. Shellenberger suggests for the present
a test of the practical operation of this
proposition at post offices whose gross re-
ceipts are half million dollars or more a
year.
The Post Office Department has no con-
tract for direct mail service between the
Pacific coast and the Philippines, mails be-
ing carried by government transports or
by steamers to Hong Kong, and thence by
steamers Of other countries to Manila.
1t now seems probable" says the re-
port. that if this government should with
draw its transports, as may be done at any
time, with the understanding that it's pas
senger and fast freight traffic, together
with the increasing volume of its mails,
might go to the steamship company that
would submit the most satisfactory propo-
sal for quick and regular service, a favor
able contract could be secured. The mail
service and commercial interests would be
greatly advanced by fast mail steamers ad
herring strictly to schedule time between the
Pacific coast and Manila, and calling at
other ports at regular intervals, under con-
tract with this government"
The request for a S50O000 appropriation
for pneumatic service is renewed as a ba-
sis for the beginning of the service which,
when fully established, it is stated will
involve an annual expenditure of approx
nuately $500, 600. The department expresses
it's opinion and that of the commission of
experts that investigated the subject that
the outright purchase of the system should
not be considered by Congress, pending a
more complete test.
The report shows that on June 80 last
there were 26I .35f miles of star route SER
vice. 1SS.35S of railroad routes 45779 of
railway post office car routes, and almost
ot'vN iItlcS VI tleCtTlC CdDle car routes
The annual rate of expenditure for all
classes of domestic mail transportation ser
vice has increased S6,940,2S5 since last
year
1t is contemplated that the new contracts
for star mail service. beginning next July.
shall provide for delivering mail into boxes
along nearly all of the routes The prac-
tice of granting to contractors general per-
mission to sublet their star route service
has been discontinued
There were S25 casualties in the railway
mail service during the year