The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-12-03
Report Made by Fourth AssIs- taRt Postmaster General
RURAL SERVICE EXTENDED
Gross Receipts of Alabama Offices During Past Year Was S1,162, ,a6e,
 Carrier MIze Makes Good Record. ~

Washington, December 2-tspecial.) The annual report of the fourth assist ant postmaster general issued this morn ing shows that during the past fiscal year 292 fourth-class postmasters In the state of Alabama resigned. 30 were re- moved and IS died in office; 1O5 offices were established and a54 discontinued. The number of offices of the first class is 3. second class 10, third class 46. The number of fourth-class postoffices in the state Is 2343. of which number sss arc money order offices.
 Alabama ranks ninth in the number of fourth-class postoffices. The annual average compensation of the postmasters was $l2s.s1. The gross receipts of the postoffices of Alabama during the year was s1,162,S66 the average amount. ges, pended per capita thus being 6e oeAb The number of rural free delivery rodt In operation fin tho state ia 901.a T number of cases pending is qs6 me tai number of pieces of mall matter livered on Alabama routes during
  collected was 1,21s,77s. the value s6f stamps cancelled amounting todcu The amount paid to the rural freA cry carriers of the state was s1s4,
 The number of registered lett parcels transmitted through the Alabama was 4OS,s76. the fees ing to s2s,s1S. At the Birmiaghs office during the year the paid tions amounted to 26,2s and collected were s2097. P. B. Mig rier of the Birmingham postoffk the year. registered 2o2 pieo. ranks sS in the registrations t the country.
 Many Offices DiscontInu
 Extension of the rural free service has resulted In an Inc l125 in the number of postoffice tinued during the fiscal year ent 1904, according to the annual MT. Bristow. made public todd ing the year there were 2549 ps established and 55S7 discontinued was decrease of 1b8 in the nr | postomices established. The cause of the increase in discontls has been the extension of the ru delivery service. The total nun discontinuances was 875S postoffics a saving in salary of postmasters gating $1n121. At the close of the year there were n.fs1 postofflceskin United States. mo w [
 Operations of rural mall deliverYd.a. the extension by private interastsn i. rural telephone service has created < mand from patrons of rural rouT the delivery of small packagesPr chandise on an order to local by postal card, telephone oi The value of such package. and the present rate of ont ounce, the report says, is prohibitive. Mir. Bristow that congress ike rate O per pound or any fractional on packages not exceeding mailed at the distributing any rural free delivery rou
 More Money Nee
 It is estimated that $50
 needed by the department
 the establishment of ruri
 fast as they are favorably
 approved for the remainder
 fiscal year. It is likely tn
 will be reported within
 months alone.
 An appropriation of s3OO0(
 tablishment of new routes
 by the department for the
 ending June 30, 1906 Of the
 service Mir Bristow says:
 There are now in opei
 routes. It is estimated that
 ly POGO additional routes cal
 lished out of the appropr
 available, making 90,070 whicL , operation. or established by ,
 1905.
 ''To maintain service on tn, during the fiscal year from Jl
 to June 30 19OG will require s2l
 the congress should make a supp
 appropriation of s500,0O0 for the fiscal year, as suggested ad routes can be established bringii number In operation June So 1905 approximately g.. 500. In that event $23, 10000 will be required to maint. the service during the next fiscal yea making a total appropriation of S26. oot for the maintenance and installation of the service for the next fiscal year.
 Appointments of postmasters for tha fiscal year numbered 13s12. a decrease of 1249 compared with the preceding year, was due to their having been a smaller number of aspirations of commissions of presidential postmasters, and to the pol4 l icy of the department in dscouragina changes in fourth-class postmasters. ex4 cept for cause.
 Legislation Against Lottery.
 Mir Bristow asks that the interstate commerce law be amended so as to prot | hibit express companies or any of theii employees from aiding or abetting fin green goods or lottery swindles. or any other scheme carried on partly by mail and | partly by common carrier, and which is In violation of the postal laws. Ths reports shows that during the year 159i postoffices were robbed there were sixty | depredations on railway postoffices, staI | routes. rural free delivery routes, and | screen wagon service. There were 9A | robberies of street and rural free de | livery letter boxes Sixty-six postal carl were burned and wrecked, and 580 post. | offices were burned.
 There were 2S7s mall pouches lost. dam, | aged or rifled. The above figures show an increast in the number of postoffices burned, and | the number of letter boxes robbed. Thif | increase in the number of letter boxe3 robbed. is due to the growth of ths | fra Hali h0xea