Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1906-06-20
UNCLE SANS ONE BUSINESS.
New Yolksnn

moreover, this Is Che largest business
concern In the country.
just how vast are it's operations may
be- seen in the development of the New
York postoIlice since the FIRST year of
Washington's Presidency. The aver
age receipts of the New York office for
just little more than half day
during 1868 exceeded the entire re-
oeipts of the national postoihce during
the year lls9
The gross revenue of this metropoli-
tan office for the fiscal year ending
June 3Oth last exceeded boy good
margin the combined receipts of Ala
hama, Mississippi, Alaska, Arizona,
Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Flor
ida, Idaho, Indian Territory, Maine,
Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire,
New Mexico. North Carolina, North
Dakota, oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode
Island, South Carolina, South Dakota,
Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Nir-
ginin, Washington and Wyoming. 10
exceeded 10y more than one and halt
millions of dollars the combined
postal revenues of Boston, San Fran
cisco, So. Louis, Buffalo, Milwaukee
and Cincinnati.
New York did % larger postal busi-
ness ma that year than the whole State
of Illinois, including Chicago; than
/ Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia
and Pittsburg; than Massachusetts,
including Boston.
The territory covered by the Now
York postoilce embraces only the
boroughs of Manhattan and The Bronx
| The postal needs OF other parts of the
/ greater city are served hy independent
/ postoihces, ranging in importance from
| brooklyn, with its annual revenue OF
! two millions, TO hayalde, n. V, with
I a revenue of % little more than two
| thousand. The gross revenues of the
! postoliicos in the greater city aggrc-
| gate slS,537, 776 95.
The New York postoilice not only
| collects and distributes mail matter
/ written by OF addressed to ITS own citi-
zens 10 is also the gateway through
/ which foreign mail enters the country
and the funnel through which almost
all letters, papers and packages must
| pass to the rest of the world.
During last year, the New York city
| delivery department collected ana de-
/ livured, in round numbers, q billion
and half pieces of mail matter
| More than nine million dollars worth
of stamps and post cards we're sold.
/ Tho entire revenue of the Office was
/ Sl6 coo, 600. -Four and a half million
letters and post cards were handled
| daily.
The New York postollico has 3, 500
| employees. IL has 81 branch stations
for which mail is hagged ON incoming
ships and trains as If each was a sep
arate town.
In addition there are 2lO sub-sta.
tions-chiehy in drug stores, where
stamp and money order business is
done. ThiJty-hve per cent. of the
matter mailed in New York is for local
delivery.
In one very important phase of its
work the metropolitan postoiiice
excels the services in any other city
of the world In the inquiry and dead
letter department at the general office
most interesting and varied task Is
accomplished.
All the undirected, misdirected, in.
sufficiently stamped, unclaimed anc
unmailable pieces of mail pass through
this department. Last year there
we're received more than ~ in.
| quiries for missing mail. fiity-hvt
per cent Of these were recovered oi
accounted for. Nearly 33, 600 600 pieces
were sent to the dead letter Office at
Washington.
More than million and q quarter
of letters misdirected 10y the senders
! were forwarded, the correct addresses
having htcn supplied by the alert,
experience clerks in this department.
Often considerable ingenuity, as vel
as linguistic and geographical knowl
} edge, is required to guess what tn,
sender meant 20 write.
= Another interesting phase Of thil
departments work is the locating o
owners or consignees of money founC
loose in the mails. Last year NOR
than 6,500 different sums were found
in amounts ranging from cent e
$1,000.
o New York is the main gateway o
the United States, and the New Yorl
postoillce is the national mail funnel
The bulk of the Canadian foroigl
mail-incoming and outgoing -passe
, through New York and is handled-il
I bags-hy the New York Office.
When Europeans write TO Austria
; lasian points almost all their letter
pass, in bulk, through New York ant
are dispatched, via our transconti
mental railroads through San Fran
i, cisco to their destinations. Much o
y the European mail for the Far East
for Mexico and for South Americ
finds that the American metropoli
marks one stage of its journey.
A careful examination OF the equip
ment and operation in the three grea
capitals OF the Old World London
u Paris and Berlin-is encouraging {
tke New Yorker in many respects, an
somewhat discouraging IN others. b
n the development of the pneumatic tub
in the two Continental cities, it
d possible to send a car known as petit
/ bleue in Paris and as a postkarte II
e Berlin) from almost any portion of th
:. city TO any other portion in less to
an hour. That this is not possible D
New York does not need statement
OF course. the London postman ha
duties which are unknown TO hl
: American brother. The postotiice q
= the British capital, in addition to u
y purely postal functions does a tels
y graph, parcels post, savings bank an
u insurance business. The London col
lector and carrier also has his salar
= graded more scientifically than that {
the New York carrier, and when every
II thing is considered, he is better paic
The London postoiiice is, all thing
considered, probably the most admin
q ably managed and efficient postal ~
e stitution in the world. The Londo
N postal district which takes in all Oh
e territory within a circle extending
ali directions eight OF nine miles frol
q st. Martins lie Grand (the generi
postoflico mt Cheapside, near Ludgai
q HID, is inhabited by nearly 1000 OI
q people.
This area is divided first into post'
d districts and again into sub-district