Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-12-09
VIRGINIA POSTAL AFFAIRS.
3,5I5,E ourth Glass master-ReceIpt
Sl,895,44O.

The annual report of the fourth as.
sistant postmaster-general for the ifs
cal year. which ended June 30, 1904,
just given to the public, con-
tains a great deal of matter of interest
about Virginia postoffice, rural free
delivery routes and other postal af-
fairs.
There was an increase of two presi-
Dental postoffice in Virginia during
the year. making total of seventy four
presidential offices in the State. There
are four first-class offices, sixteen Sec
ond.class and fifty.four third-class.
Fourth-class postofices are not filled
by presidential appointments. They
are handled entirely by the fourth as
sistant postmaster-general.
Few people in Virginia know that
with one exception, there are more
fourth-class postoffices in the Old
Dominion than in any other State in
the Union. Pennsylvania being first.
At the present time there are 3.515
fourth postofices in Virginia.
Last year there were 1876 more offices
than this year, that number having
been discontinued. The money-order
offices number 821. The average COM
pensation of fourth-clrss postmasters
in Virginia is $13425 year. In this
respect Virginia ranks below forty
nine States and Territories. The sal
aries of fourth-class postmasters are
higher in almost every jurisdiction than
in Virginia.
GROSS RECEIPTS 81, 1895, 440.
The gross receipts of all the post.
offices in the State for the fiscal year
was 81, 1895, 1902. The average amount
expended per capita for the use of the
mail 81 cents, making the State rank
thirty. eighth in this respect.
One of the most important parts of
Mr.. Bristow's report is the one refer
ing to the rural free delivery. This
branch of the postal service has grown
20 such an enormous extent that it
low ranks next to city postofices in
Virginia has been treated well in the
natter of rural free delivery routes.
During the last fiscal year 262 new
outes were establl shed, and carriers
.ppointed. This doubled the number
which were in existence at the begin
ing of the year. On June 30, 1908.
here were but 255 routes in operation.
)ne year later the number had increas.
d to SIT. Up to June 30, 1904, there
ad been $40 adverse reports on appli-
ations from Virginia for the establish
lent of routes.
DELIVERED 1898, OS5 PIECES.
The ST. rural free delivery carriers
4 the Old Dominion State delivered
Dtal number of s, 293, 0S5 pieces of mail
uring the fiscal year. Nearly one half
f these were newspapers, the number
t newspapers delivered being 4, 024, TAI.
his shows the remarkable circulation
f newspapers in the State. Before
be establishment of the rural free de-
very the circulation of newspapers
7ere retarded by the fact that delivery
7as almost impossible within reason
BILE time. The number of letters de-
ivered during the year aggregated q
81 1887. The carriers collected 2,227,-
SO pieces for the mails.
The salaries of the carriers of Vir-
inia amounted to 1921 1910. The
Iverage pay month of the rural free
delivery carriers in the State is $4S. 40.
A total number of 1872 complaint
Eases which arose in Virginia were in
Most of these we're traced
o accidents or to outside persons. |
There were fifty one mail rObberies in
Virginia during the year.