The St. Louis Republic., 1905-11-20
POSTAL SERVICE
GROWS RAPIDLY
Report of Auditor Shows 81, Ill.,
100000 Passed Through His
Office During Fiscal Year--Ru-
raj Delivery Branch Popular.
The Republic bureau.
WYATT Eui.diHH. l{t6 and r Streets

"Satt fuisuIEk. lfth and r St!r~'S
Washington. Nov. l9.-The forthcoming
annual report of the Auditor OF the Poet
Office Department. Captain J. J. Nc
Cardy. shows that the accounts passing
ing June ~. 1906. aggregated S.ll2.VoO.0
This affords striking illustration Of the
magnitude Of the United States postal
service. sance II easily ranks this division
Of the department as the largest account
ing office In the world.
The most startling single feature OF the
report IS the growth Of the rural free-de-
livery branch Of the postal service. In
1850 this service could boast only the mod
est number Of l.2.5 carriers. while more
than 5000 are now on the rolls. Incident
ally, II Is Interesting to know that the
expense Of maintaining this army Of men
and women who make life In rural com
Inuni,ies 81 much more enjoyable has In
creased from $40 10 In lsO to the asionish-
Ing figure Of 32s.ooS.co in 1896
In this connection &, Is somewhat sur
prising TO note that the increase IN the
number of city letter carriers for 'h.
same ftvc-year period has been only %
per cent, or from u. 30 To J,yO. This u
glowing s1ampl. of the comparative pnpu-
lar.ty Of city and rural delivery. In the
one the Increase has been gradual. but
steady. while In the other II has been by
leaps and bounds.
From July l. 1904 TO June 30. this year,
100000 domestic money orders wer" puI-
chased and forwarded through the mails
three postal money orders TO every mSe
OF the population Of th. country. tn"
total amount Of money represented by this
enormous aggregate is more thSh WV
go 90
In addition to the large number o. DO
mestic money orders. upwards OF zVSVo
foreign money orders we're issued, av-
eIasins nearly 81 apiece. or an Aggregate
OF more than 3poO.HD. sent out or the
United States through the malls durhx
the year The money-oTder division OF
tn. postal service also Is rapidly grow
Ing. the number Of orders issued having
almost doubled in the last i've years.
In the Esishborhooi % %.'SO pieces OF
mall matter Of all kinds were received at
the d.aI-ictt.r Office every working day
during III. period gDdsr discussion. This
branch o! the service IL not generally con-
siierei v.-y important. but the astound-
ing total of daily receipts speaks ior IT.
rsH In the fiscal year 1904 the daily re-
and the ratio OF increase woula bring
Tits years figures UP to the 900 mark
In 1914 I3'ss' In actual money was
found in IN. letters opened In this ofncs.
abou; 81 per cent Being delivered to tn.
sendsrs and th. remainder being placed
on isnosit Ia the United states Treasury.
IN addition 10 this large amount OF cur
r.ncy. about $500 90 In checks. drafts.
money orders and other valuable paper
came into the a.ad-Ietter ONCE. In the hs-
cal wear 1874. OF course. practically all
Of the commercial paper vas later safely
forwarded. or returned
The aRxr~sate Of currency received IN
the n.rai yea- 1915 was far In eHc~ss %
sha, received IN lta. about the same per.
c.nrsce being returned.