The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-12-03
BRIST0W MAKES
ANOTHER REPORT
This Time the Facts Presented
Are Not Sensational.
SOME POSTOFFIcE FIGURES
CONGRESS ASKED FOR A FEW
MILLIONS.

Washington. Dec. 2.-EXtenSiOn OF
the rural free delivery service has re-
suited in an increase OF 1,125 in the
number of postoffices discontinued du-
ring the fiscal year ending July 80.
1904. according to the annual report
OF J. l.. Bristow. four assistant post
master general. made public today.
During the year there were 2.549 post
offices established and 5.5S7 discontin-
ued. There was a decrease of 15S in
the number of offices established. The
principal cause of the increase in dis
Continuances has been the extension
of the rural free delivery service. The
total number of discontinuances was
s, $50 pOstOffices, with a saving in sal
aries of postmasters aggregating SILL,
121. At the close Of the fiscal year
there were 71,131 postoffices in the Unit
ed States-265 first class, 1904 second
class. 1886 third class and 90, 766 fourth
class.
Demands of Patrons.
Operation of rural mail delivery and
the extension by private interests Of
rural telephone service has created a
demand from patrons Of rural routes
for the delivery of small packages Of
merchandise on an order 10 local
otherwise. The value of such packages
is small. and the present rate of 1
cent per ounce. the report says, Is
practically prohbitive. Mr. BriEtow
recommends that congress fix a rate
Of cents per pound or any fractional
part thereof on packages not exceed
ing five pounds. mailed at the distribu-
ting poStOffice of any rural free de-
livery route. II this special rate were
II DIE a. Ia
be a great convenience TO patrons and
would become a source of revenue to
the department.
Appropriations Needed.
1t is estimated that 100000 will be
needed by the department to continue
the establishment of rural routes as
fast as they are favOrably reported for
the remainder OF the current Iscal
year
An appropriation of $4,000. 600 for the
establishment of new routes will be
asked by the department for the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1906.
Appointments of postmasters for the
fiscal year numbered 1882, a decrease
of 1.249 as compared with the preced-
ing year. due to there having been a
smaller number of expirations of COM
missions of presidential postmastens
and to the policy Of the department in
discOuraging changes in fourth class
postmasters except for causes.
Law Recommended.
Mr.. Bristow recommends to congress
that the interstate commerce law be
amended so as to prohibit common car
riers, to-wit, telegraph and express
companies. or any of their employees
from aiding and abetting i'm green
goods or lottery swindles. or any other
scheme carried on partly by mail and
party by common carrier and which is
in violation Of the postal laws. The
postofFices were robbed; there were 50
depredations on railway postoffices.
star routes rural free delivery routes
and screen wagon service. There were
"a robberies of street and rural free
delivery letter boxes. Sixty-siyS pos
, tai cars were burned and wrecked and
$50 postoflices were burned. There were
1887 mail pouches lost, damaged or
rified.
The above figures show decrea Sc
i'm the number Of pOstoffices robbed and
a decrease in the number of postal
cars burned and wrecked. as compared
/ With the previous year; also a de-
/ crease in the number of rObberies re-
lating 10 railway postoffice service.
star routes. rural free delivery routes
and screen wagon service, and an in
/ crease in the number of pOstOfflces
/ burned and the number Of letter boxes
robbed.