The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-14
POSTAL RETURNS
SHOW INCREASE
ANNUAL REPORT COMPILED.
GOOD INCREASE SHOWN IN ALL
DEPARTMENTS HERE.

Postmaster Blum Has Satisfaction OF
Seeing Increased Efficiency in
Force, Which Makes Itself Felt
in Tangible ResuIts-MOney Order
Business Has Largest Gain in It's
Favor, While Net Receipts Go Up
Several Thousand.
For the fiscal year ending June 80,
1904, the report of the Savannah post
office has just been compiled and
handed in to Postmaster Henry Blum,
Jr., by the heads of the various de-
partments.
The figures make a most gratifying
last year tells of the city's growth.
The efficiency of the office force has a
strong testimonial in the fact that
there was a decrease of nearly 10 per
cent in the number of letters sent to
the dead letter office.
The errors in distribution were only
.00017. Considering the very large
number of pieces handled during the
year the showing is regarded as ex
ceedingly good and one which is sur
passed by few offices in the country.
Gain Over Last Year.
The total receipts from all sources,
excepting from smaller offices. for the
year ending June 80 were 1854. 1879, as
compared with $15S, O96.SO for the year
before, a gain of s6,1OO.59.
This total was cut down by the dis
continuance of the purchase of special
request envelopes by the Central of
Georgia, and the decrease in the pur-
chase of stamps by the railroad at
this office, while one or two other mi
nor matters still further effected the
total.
In the money order department per-
haps the finest showing was made.
Supt. Rawls submitted a report show
ing the increase in the money orders
sold over the previous year to be $27
1851, and in the amount of orders paid
out $51, 433.18.
After paying all expenses of the Sa-
vannah postoffice, there was forwarded
to the department at Washington the
sum of $95, 1879, not including the
sums sent here by fourth class post
masters, and forwarded from here to
Washington. The receipts from the
dCIudl DuSln6SS lIdHSdCIGu DV luc 3D.
Vannah postoffice over all expenses
amounted to nearly 100000.
In the mailing department there was
handled during the year of first class
mail only 7,593,3S pieces, an increase
of 51O,2S6 over last year. The total
number of pieces handled during the
year was 9,593,3S6 the number of err
rors made in distribution being 1,49O.
The percentage of pieces correctly
handled was 99,9S3.
In the registry department there was
a total of 20,7O4 letters registered and
1920 parcels, as compared with 20,O14
and 1855 for the year before.
Big Money Order Increase.
In the money order department there
were issued during the fiscal year just
closed total of 37,155 orders, an in
crease of 1857 over the previous year.
There were paid So 1873 orders, an in
crease of 4,5SS over the previous year.
There was received for the money
orders issued the sum of 1927 ,945. rs, a
gain over last year of $27,456. 81. The
sum of $453, 1877. II was paid out on
orders drawn on the Savannah Office,
an increase of $51, 433 Is.
To foreign countries there was sent
$24, 403. SO, "a decrease from the prev
ious year. There was received from
foreign countries $3,973. 90, a decrease
of nearly $4,000 from the year before.
The total amount of money handled
through the money order division for
the year was 1882, 25S 20.
Mail Thoroughly Handled.
While for the year previous there
were 1851 pieces of mail sent to the
dead letter office, for the year Just
closed, with a considerable increase in
the amount of mail handled, the num-
Der was reduced to 12.4O7. From the
fine record made it is evident that
every effort was put forth to locate
the addresses in this city.
One item shown in the tabulated re-
port prepared by Assistant Postmaster
Warning included the receipts from
nearly 1000 fourth-class offices which
send their money quarterly to the Sa-
vannah office. The total received for
the last year from this source was
$56, 1872 10. AS this has no bearing on
the business of the Savannah postof-
flee, except to increase the work of
the force it is omitted from the table
given below.
All in all the report is one eminen-'y
creditable to the adm nistration of
Capt. Blum. and one that will tell in
10 uncertain words the story to the
postoffice department.
And it is also pleasing 20 note that
Savannahians have found no cause
to complain of the service given them,
which has been most satisfactory.
Though hours of valuable time have
been consumed through the Indifferent
direction of letters, or the fault of a
failure to file an address, or change of
residence with the postoffice, all this
has been taken as a part of the game
and the records show that with in
creased mail to handle the number of
letters which cannot be delivered is
steadily decreasing.
The following table shows the opera
lions of the Savannah postoffice for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1904:
Sale of
stamps,
etc.
Third quarter, 1902 ........... s37 ops 80
Fourth quarter, 1902 ........... a.. 254 65
First quarter. 1903 ............ 1878 81
Second quarter, 1908 ......... 35,092 so
Third quarter 1903 ............ 90 S07. 80