East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-12-14

The six largest items or expense in
the postofflce department for 1906,
as shown by the report of Postmaster
General George B. Cortelyou, are as
follows:
Transportation OF mails
on railroads ....... .s41 14l, bob
Compensation to post
masters .,.......... 23,b44 5S0.U5
Compensation to clerks
in postoffices .... 22,717, ,013.76
City delivery ......... 22,057,176.70
Rural delivery ........ PATHS, ,9S0.79
Railway mail service,
salaries .......... 14,023,133.70
1t cost s9S9,804 to manufacture the
stamped envelopes used in the
United States during the past year
and s410,S24 to manufacture the
needed postage stamps.
The transportation OF mail on star
routes, cost s7,292,660, and postoffice
inspectors cost S347,447.
The receipts of the department for
the past year were $167, 1927
and the expenditures we're s178,449,-
1889, leaving a deficit OF $10,516,-
1855. The deficit for the preceding
year was s14,5e4,3s7.12. or 81 per
cent greater than in 1905.
or the estimates for 1907 the post
master general says:
The estimates for the service at
large aggregate s2o6.ee2,1s0. an in
crease OF about SIS, 100000 over last
years appropriation. the principal in
creases being In the compensation OF
postmasters and postoffice clerks, let
ter carriers. both city and rural, in
the railway mail service, and in the
transportation OF mail by railroad
routes and pneumatic tubes.
To provide for the compensation OF
postmasters, assistant postmasters,
and clerks In postoffices an increase
OF s4.651,20o is asked, the present
appropriations covering these items
being inadequate to meet the growing
demands of the service. An increase
OF S1,l56.7ob will be needed for the
compensation of city letter carriers
and an Increase OF s1,475,000 for
rural carriers.
Pay Railroads More.
The estimate for the transporta.
ton of mail by railroad routes calls
for an increase OF s4.660,00o. as a
result OF the readjustment OF compen.
sation to railroads based upon weights
taken during the weighing season ir
the fourth contract section.
For the payment OF salaries in the
railway mail service, an increase Of
S9S7,360 is asked. The pneumatic
tube service requires s350,000 addi-
tional. The present appropriation
authorized considerable extension
which together with present obliga-
tions. aggregates an annual rate OF
s1,250000. the appropriation re-
quested.
The estimates show several de-
creases For separating mails at third
and fourth-class offices. $4,000;
railway transportation, special facili-
ties, s16172S.75; postage stamps
s41,000; postal cards. $4,000; and
official and registry envelopes, $2O,-
900.
Railway Mail Service.
The report gives the following brief
statistics of the railway mail serv-
ice:
At the close Of the year the railway
mail service comprised 1883 Officers
and employees. an increase in the year
OF 1924.
The record of the service shows a
large frowth.
During the year there were 16
clerks and one mail weigher killed,
II seriously injured, and Ala slightly
injured. The number of clerks in
jured this year was less than last
year, and the number of accidents TO
mail cars has been decreasing since
1903.
Not so Many Offices.
There are now $500 postoffices in
the United States, a decrease of 1850
since 1896, when the number of Of
fioes reached 70,360. The decrease is
caused by the extension of rural
routes and the abandonment of small
offices.