The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-04
TO PREPAY FOREIGN LETTERS.
Gov erninent Plan for international Reply
Postage En,elOUe,,

WASHINGTON, Nov. Second Assist ant
Posiraster-General Shalenberger, in his
annual report for the fiscal year ended June
30, 1902. earnestly recommends the Use of a
universal stamp or some substitute for il
which will facilitate international CORE
spondence
His plan Is that each country prepare and
sell for 10 cents special international reply
postage envelopes" having one fye-cent
stamp ON the upper right hand corner. to
be cancelled when mailed, and similar
stamp on the lef, of the envelope to remain
uncancelled, the first stamp TO pay outward
postage, the last TO render the envelope,
when relieved Of It's inclosure, good for tn.
purchase of reply stamp of like value al
any post Office in the country of destina-
ton.
1hes" envelopes are to he redeemed nj
the central Office Of the Postal Union 1t
Is believed that the Use Of these envelopes
would greatly Emulate interna, ional cor
respondence, fully protect the revenues
OF the several countries and bc found very
great convenience to an ever-increasing
number of people who desire o prepay
pics To correspondence,
III" report shows that on June 30, 1902
the domestic mail routes in operation mum
b"r"d A,1ll, with an aggregate length Of
800 .54l miles, entailing the travelling Of
Ei,23i ,6ss miles annually and costing $59,-
PSI ,s19, or sli7 per mile of length and Sl2 SO
for each mile travelled. A comparison with
last years report shows that the number
of routes decreased by eos and the aggre-
gate length of routes by apps. while the
miles travelled year increased by 3,Oss ,e?s
the rate of expenditure by g. ,47l 1886; the
cost per mile travelled by 80 cents and the
rate of cost per mile Of length by $751;
Mr. ShilleL berger says the s'ystem of box
delivery has now been applied wherever
praCtirabl" 10 star routes in all of the first
contract section. including the States from
Maine 10 West Virginia, having 5,57s routes,
and To NJ fourth contract section, includ-
ing all 81 the States and Territories three
excepted west Of the mississippi River.
havi & 6,037 routes also 10 the state Of
South Carolina and to the mis- 'ellanco,Is
routes throughout the remain der Of the
country wherever new contracts have been
made, so that tho people on considerably
more than one-haf Of all The star routes in
the United States are now enjoying the
advant ages of this box delivery service,
The routes in Hawaii now number %,
have an aggregate length of 1873 miles and
cost 81. 456 a year, while the AZ routes in
Porto Rico, with an aggregate length OF
3,4al miles. cos, $50, i67 annually.
The ? ,4t railroad routes in operation in
1902 aggregated 49, 100 miles IN length with
an annual travel 81 31?. 52l AS miles and
cost the depart ment SIS, oi0,2ll.
II Is estimated that there were handled
wv railwrv postal clerks during the year
~ ,53l .24O pieces Of first class matter and
5.SS5 ,2oe 400 pieces 81 all other classes, max
ing a total Of l.. O6? $50 $40 pieces, exclusive
of registered matter.
There were 300 casualtie- to mail cars
last year in which Q clerks were killed and
IS seriously and 20? slightly injured