Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1903-11-05
TRANSPORTING MAIL
Costs the Government Over
Sixty Three Million Dol
lars a Year.
OVER TWELVE DOLLARS A MILE
Railway Postal Clerks Handled Al.
most Sixteen Billion Pieces of Mail
misunderstanding Report of SEQ
ond Assistant Postmaster General.

ono fsSiStdft FOShHdShCE OCIiCEd is
Washington, Nov. 5.--W. S. Shallen-
berger, second assistant postmaster
general, submitted his annual report
to the postmaster general. 1t shows
that the annual rate of expenditure for
all classes of mail transportation sery-
ice in this country is $63 594,542 and
that the rate of cost per mile travelled
| is S12.S9 There are 400 lines of
| travelling postoffices, railroad, steam
boat and electric car, covering 1873, 298
miles in length, with 10,555 employees.
1t is estimated that the railway postal
clerks handled during the year To-
| 999, SOP, $50 pieces of mail matter, ex-
elusive of registered matter, and
J $751; GA errors were reported in their
distribution, ratio of one error to
| II $50 correct distributions. During
the year there We're 373 casualties to
mail cars, in which Is clerks and four
! other employees were killed, and IS
clerks seriously and 39S slightly in
jured. There were 500, 537 962 pounds
Of paid second-class matter received
from publishers and $685. S4 pounds
carried within the county of publica-
ton free of charge, making an aggre-
gate of 272,921 tons.
Improving Postal Cars.
The department is considering the
/ question of improved construction Of
postal cars. The investigation thus
far tends to favor a combination of
wood and steel as against all steel
construction. Owing to the large in
crease in the postal business congress
is urged to authorize 300 additional
railway postal clerks.
Statistics of The parcels post bust
! ness with Germany showed that this
( country was not profting under the
old arrangement and the maximum
weight limit therefore was reduced
to four pounds six ounces This gov
eminent received postage on TIN
| pounds sent to Germany, while the
latter received postage on 400,229
pounds sent here and transported long
distances.
Mr.. Shallengerber says he is IL
|
tenn Of purchasing mail equipment
should be abandoned and the govern
ment manufacture its own equipment.
Large Deficiency Anticipated.
A deficiency approximating $3.50 444
is anticipated in the expenditures for
railroad transportation for the current
year and 100000 in wagon mail serv-
ice. The latter deficiency is due to
the recent failure of the contractor for
the service in New York and the re-
| letting of the route, the indemnifying
sums converted into the treasury I'M
der the bonds not being available for
the payments.
The feature of delivering mail into
boxes along the lines of star routes
will be extended to the entire system
| of star service on more than 10000
routes, aggregating over 249 900 miles
in length. All the new contracts for
star route service, instead of calling
for transportation of mail in pouches
between postoff1ces, require the deliy-
cry of mail into boxes or Of private
mail bags to mail cranes along the
routes for all persons residing upon
or near the routes who choose 10
| to erect boxes or cranes and request
| that their mail be so delivered, and
also the carrying of the private mail
bag from the crane to the postoffice.
! The old contracts did not obligate the
carrier. to thus deliver and collect
! mail.
/ Annuity for Disabled Clerks.
The rates paid for the service under
the contracts this year average an
increase of rs per cent over last year,
Attention is called to a recommends
ton of the general superintendent Of
the railway mail service to provide
some plan whereby clerks Of the rail-
way mail service disabled in line OF
duty or worn out through long and
4 faithful service may retire on an an.
nuity. AS the question of some gem
eral legislation looking to the relief
of all superannuated clerks in govern
ment employ is under consideration, l.
is suggested that the railway mail
service is extra hazardous and It's
work peculiarly exacting.
Mr. Shallenberger says that il some
feasible plan can be devised for de-
| Quoting a small percentage from the
salary of every employee of this sery-
ice, thereby creating fund for the
retirement Of superannuated and in.
capacitated clerks, it would result In
great benefit to the service.
The report says that the manufac.
ture of mail bags and other material
by private contractors had been I'M
satisfactory and recommends that q
suitable plant be built and all the work
done by the postofiice department
Tragedy in Oklahoma.
Stroud. Okla, Nov 5.-An unknown
man rode up to the house of Mrs.
A,mes, nine miles southwest o. here.
shot and killed Mrs. Ames and the
hired man. Henry Jackson, and seri-
ousy wounded Miss Ames, aged 10.
shooting her in the shoulder The muir
! derer escaped
I --------------- ---~---------
Il Bad Fire in Hayti.
i Port an Prince, Haytl, Nov g.
About $50 houses were destroyed at
Jeremle, Hayti, Monday. by FIRE.