The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1902-12-04
Statement Of Receipts ard EIpen-
ditures For 1902.
MILLIONS DEFICIT FOR THE: YEAR
The annual, Report of.thc Rostmas.
ter GeneraI-Eenefits of, Rural Free
Delivery.

VI sI>..iii., iD.i, ~. - Az: stHuudi IT,
rrrs of The simastcr-Gcncral for the
year endin:c; June - lasr shows total
receipts fo- ~ year O: 1921 ,SiS,04I.26,
rs compared with the previous, years
receipts Of $i11,G3i. 1888. The expen.
Gitures for he ycar were $i24,1.SJ.-
G91.O7. as compared with. Si1j,JJ4,-
3co.SI for the preceding. ycas..
The excess oi expenditures. S2,98T,-
G49.S1, was less tilan thc previous
years dcfcit by %9$6, The esti-
mated deficit fo! the year ending June
80. 1904. is $S,2I2,S5G.
Efforts have been made in the past
and are now bling made TO better.
wherever possible, tr2 condition OF
postal employees. the report says. This
is especially 50 in the case OF clerks, in
postoffices. There were upwards Of
10000 clerks*promoted on July L last,
the aggregate. allowance for these pro-
motions being about $l,c00,000. Fully
1000 of these promotions were OF
clerks who received less than $1,000 per
annum. The working hours Of clerks
in the larger postoficeS were also re-.
duced so as ot to average more than
eight hours, a day.. The report, con-
tinueS:
Rural freq delivery service has be-
come an esta blished fact. 1t iS no
longer in the experimental stage and
undoubtedly Congress will continue
to increase the appropriation for this
service until all the people Of the coun-
try are reached, where it Is thickly
enough settled to warrant it. The eStf-
mates Of the department are to the
effect that the available territory for
this service embraces about 10000
square miles, or one-third Of the coun-
try'ss area exclusive Of Alaska. The
1850 routes now In operation, cover
about ene-third Of the available terri
tory. The rapid extension Of the SER
vice will. of course, increase the deficits
during the next three years. After It is
completed the revenues will; quickly
feel the effect of its establishment, and
whatever deficit may be occasioged
win gradually disappear. It will also
be interesting 70 note that rural free
delivery carriers received applications
during the past year for 625,946 money
orders.
Specific instances have been brought
to the attention of the Department
where the prompt delivering Of live
stock quotations indicating a tempo
rary glut in' the market to farmers In
tending to. ship to the stockyards, by
enabling them to hold back their ship
ments till the markets resumed their
normal conditions, has saved to indi-
vidual cattle raisers more than the
total cost Of one years rural delivery
over the routes on Which they lived.
THE, number Of domestic money or
ders issued was 40,474,327. amounting
to S313, sol ,279. The number Of inter-
national money orders issued during
the year was 1,31r111. amounting to
S22:974, ,473. The number Of interna-
tional orders paid during the year was
307.G79. amounting to $5,S21,729. It
will be interesting to note that the
smount Of the foreign orders Issued
was nearly four times as great as the
amount paid. The fee at present for
IN order OF S105 Is thirty cents, and 1t
is recommended that, legislation be
passed authorizing the Department 10
reduce this fee to twenty-five cents.
1.-The star service discontinued during
the year ended June 80, 1902, by reason
OF the establishment Of rural free de-
livery service, amounted to $500 5,O13.SS.
Legislation is needed for the protec-
ton Of railway postal clerks while In
the discharge OF their duties. This Is
q matter which has been fully pre-
sented in previous annual reports.
Last year the Department paid for
the transportation of foreign mails the
SUN Of s2,245, ,G25.55."
On the subject Of the parcels post the
report says:
From the statistics taken it appears
that the average weight of parcels des-
patched from this country to all coun.
tries only -sli -htly. exceeds three and
one-halr pounus. Inc average weight
of parcels despatched from this coun-
try to Germany is two and two-thirds
pounds. In view Of the fact that four
pounds as a limit of weight will fairly
meet the requirements Of this country,
the Second Assistant Postmaster-Gen-
eral recommends the tender Of parcels
post conventions with England.
France, Italy and ether countries OF
Europe, similar to that now In force
between this country and Germany:
with the exception thai the weight OF
parcels be limited to four pounds and
that six months notice be given to Ger
many of the desire Of this country 10
modify the existing convention so as
to reduce the weight Of parcels from
eleven to four pounds"
Attention is invited to the remarks
of the Second Assistant Postmaster
General concerning the need Of uni
yersal stamp, or some substitute for 1t,
which will facilitate international cor
respondence.
would-Be Due1ists Reconcl1ed.