Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-15
PENSION OFFICE MAIL.

the city post office must find shelter elsewhere. It is quite likely that the latter course will be pursued. It will be nothing new, however, for the city post office to move to some other To- caity. It has been accustomed to moving. In fact it reminds the writer of the capital of Dakota territory, which Gov. Ordway once said was ''al- ways on wheels,'' moving from city to city according to the whims of corrupt Legislatures.
 Reverting to the fact that the gov ernment business increases with the growth of the country in popula tion and wealth, by way of Illustration it may be said that 15 years ago it cost S3oO,0Oo,00O annually to pay the gov ernment expenses. The appropria- tions for this year are, in round numbers, $sOO,OOO,OOO. Just think of that! It costs $5O0,0OO,O0O more every year to pay the expenses of the government than it did 15 years ago. Of course, it requires an army of clerks to attend to this business. Not less than 10000 people are writ ing letters here and mailing them through the Washington post office. Answers to these letters are received also through the Washington post off, flee. And this business is increasing year by year.
 The clerks in the state, war, navy, treasury, interior, agricultural and post office departments, and the de- partment of justice are busy all the time; each one looking after specified business and writing letters. Think of the war department alone, with it's vast correspondence since the begin ming of the war with Spain, the ac- quisition of additional territory, the maintenance of an increased army, and all that is meant by those condi- tions. Then think of he additional correspondence required by the navy department because of these changed conditions. Is it any wonder that the work of the city post office and the post office department have been enormously increased? Then again, think of the fact that all of this business is supervised, in sense, by the treasury departments; because all of the increased expenditures must be watched and noted by the great corps of bookkeepers and vigilant in-
 
 and received by the treasury depart ment alone is so great that only skillful attention to every detail can keep it in proper bounds.
 All of this correspondence is car ried on without the use of postage stamps. It goes free through the mails. Consequently, the salary of the Washington postmas ster cannot be fixed according to the amount of stamp cancellations, as in other post offices. All government business is carried in penalty envelopes" up on each of which is printed the warning that ga penalty of $3OO'' will be required of anyone using such en- velopes for private correspondence These are the reasons, concisely stat ed, why the salary of the postmaster of this city is arranged by special | law.
 Lieut.. Gen. Miles dictates about 800 l letters daily; Admiral Dewey, about | 300; Adjt. Gen. Corbin and his clerks, | about 5000; secretary of the navy, | 5000; secretary of war, about 5000; | the pension office, about 10000, and 1 so on all along. the long departmental 1 line.
 | So you see that the post office of l the national capital is busy bee hive, which the people of the coun- try seldom hear anything about, but 1 it is an important factor in carrying on the 1nultifarious business of the great and growing federal govern ment- SMITH D. FRY.