The National tribune., 1903-05-28

, fees were raised to cover full, cost. of
| those conveniences: if rates paid for trans
porting the mails by railroad could be re-
duced to q reasonable figure and absolute
| honesty in weights thereof e1araTteed-
| then the annual deficit would be wiped
out and large annual surplus would re-
place it. Out of this surplus numerous
needed improvements in the service could
| be made and more adequate remuneration
| paid to deserving classes of employees,
| notably clerks in post-offices, railway mail
clerks, and certain grades of Postnasters,
without risk of exhausting it. It'is mani
fest that the entire accounting organiZa-
| ton needs thorough oyerhauling in or
! der that il may be placed upon the basis
of correct determination as to receipts
and expenditures of the several brahches,
l'such as would be secured in any private
or corporate enterprise of equal maghi-
tude and importance. iF
- . ~.q.;
Europe has known the rural delivery
service for many years, and it has there
reached q very high stage of develop
tai facilities. Its struggle to get a foot
hold in this country was but the struggle
Of very advanced idea to take root in url-
plowed ground. 1t had a hard birth, ard,
| in fact, there was imminent danger at
one time that false prophets would stif,e
| it.
sl9f,rT - ''7
The press for printing postage stamps is
queer-lOoking machine, half automatic
in its action. 1t is quite a small affair,
with four square steel plates set horizon
| tally, occupying the four sides of hori-
Zontal square. These plates, always kesi-
zonta!, travel around the four sides Of
the square at moderate rate of speed,
passing. in turn beneath an ink-roller.
Each of them is engraved with the faces
of 400 stamps, and after being mixed by
the roller goes under a mechanical rub
ber, which removes most of the, ink. Then
the plate is cleansed of all the rest of the
ink, save what is in the craven lines, by
n man who rubs it with cloth and his bare
hands. and finally, it goes under a dry
cloth-covered roller, which, q. sheet. of
white paper being interposed, does the
printing. =
Many devices for catching or delivering
| the mail from trains going at full speed
have been invented and some of them
| have for years been in use. - Great diff
ficulty is still experienced in delivering
| mail from fast trains without danger to
| life or the destruction of the contents of
mail pouches. Pouches of light weight
| are now readily caught by passing 1naii
cars going Mt so or GO miles an hour, but
mail, and more difficult to deliver than. to
catch them, as the trains are going at a
high rate Of speed. The railroad coMpa-
MES are under contract to handle the
| mail at their stations, and n satisfactory
scheme to do this while trains are NOV
ing, simply allows them to perform the
service without lessening the speed Of OF
stopping limited trains. For that reason
| the railroads have always been ready to
accept any device that will facilitate the
work and comply with the requirements
of the Department. ,,..-..
An Ohio Postmaster contributes this to
the official organ: 81 don't think there is
much danger of rural free delivery here
| as the post-oflice is the meeting place Of
| the rural part Of my patrons. I don't
hear of any effort Mt organization, in this
Township or County. l am almost dis
gusted with Congress in regard to their
| efforts to pass any laws benefting the
Fourth Class Postmasters."
OF the millions of letters which 20
through the New York Post-office every
| month. seyenty-Odd thousand are thrown
aside by the clerks as having blind ad-
| dresses, and SO are sent to the 'blind
reader" In one month Of this year he
examined 1850 blind addresses, nearly
G4OOO OF which he sent to their proper
lueSllnutlOu.
| Most numerous of the articles lost in
the mails seem to be handkerchiefs and
mems neckties. There are also razors,
dark lanterns, packs of cards, poker chips,
hair curriers', garters of various patterns,
pads for the hips and bust, bunfon plas.
tiers, trusses, electric belts, coffin plates
and 30 on ad infnitum. Judging from
the records OF the Dead Letter Office.
astonishing numbers of rosaries and lit
Catholics, blessed by the priest, are sent
by post. Hundreds of them are disposed
OF at each annual auction. Special OBJ
Jects OF curious interest are deposited in
the Museum of the Post-0ffice Depart
ment-such as petrifad frogs, sets Of
false teeth, queer bugs, packages Of re-
fined opium. stuffed gophers, etc.
80
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