Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-01
100000 people and will cost ssi.sooooo

100000 people and will cost $si.90o.ooo
this year.
I The history and advantages Of the rural
delivery should be understood by our peo-
pie. There is feeling in many quarters
that 1t is an extravaganza and an unnnec-
essary drain upon the postal revenues.
The first rural route was established IN
the latter part of 1896. S14.S40 being ex-
pended for rural delivery during that
fiscal year. At that time the postal def
icit was $11.411,7I9. During the fiscal year
ended June 80. 1907, the expenditures for
rural delivery aggregated $26.611, C99.
while the postal deficit showed decrease.
as compared with 1897, Of s.. $4,000. the
deficit amounting to $8,6532S This
would seem to show that while the ex-
pense incurred for maintaining rural de-
livery is great, yet the rural delivery has
been instrumental in increasing the gen.
eral postal receipts. However. its ben
efits to our people can not be measured In
dollars and cents.
Stamp-Vending Machines.
The department is undertaking to dem
onstrate by careful experiments the desii-
ability OF adopting automatic s:amp-vend-
ing machines. adapted to receive our l.
cent and J-cent 2ieces. for the sale Of
stamps and. postal cards. This method Of
selling stamps is in use in other countries
ton in the United States has excited no
little interest The use of slot machines
mas become so universal and popular in
OTHER fields that there seems every rea-
son why they should be adapted to the
sale OF stamps. stamped envelopes and
postal cards. provided machines can be
built which combine the necessary fea-
lures of moderate expense and absolut
accuracy In operation. Any measure that
promotes the convenience of the nublic
should be utilized whenever possible to
do so without undue cost
Their use in post office Hobbies will af-
ford an all-night service to the public
with no expense for clerk hire and their
use in post Office stations. hotels railway
stations newsstands, department stores
and drug stores will add immeasurabfx
to public convenience. An approrriati IN
of So, 900 for experimental purposes along
this line is estimated for.
Manufacture Of Stamped Envelopes
by the Government.
Stamped envelopes and newspaper
wrappers. as exp aimed In the foregoing :.
are now supplied under contract by a
private corporation. Their manufacture
by the department. or at least under
government auspices. is entirely feasible
and would seem to be desirable. The aver
age daily orders for envelopes during the
calendar year 1906 called for approx
mately 3,GO0,0Oo, while for the four
months ended October 81, 1907. the daily
requirement was more than 1900 coo. In
asmuch as such envelopes and newspaper
wrappers are obligations of the govern
ment simi ar in cha acter to Iosta e
stamps, 1t is obvious that every safe
guard should be thrown around their
production and distribution; and this end
could be attained with greater Ger. ainty
under government than under private
yiSin Ispor =
of paper or workmanship would be less
likely to arise and could be settled more
easily. and greater promptitude In filing
orders would be insured, as the govern
ment would be justified in providing ia
ciities for larger output than private
corporation which had a contract for a
limited term with no assurance of a re-
newal.
Washington City Post Office.
The proper location of the Washington
city post Office is adjacent to the new
Union station. The several departments
and bureaus of the United States govern
ment furnish about II per cent of the
business of the Washington city post Of
flee. The approximate annual weight OF
such mai! is 2S,S79. 534 pounds the greater
part being hauled to the post offic, by
teams OF the separate departments. The
expense to the departments would not be
increased by hauling the mail to the
Union station. and there would be a saw
Ing of time for ScreenwagOn service. The
weight of second-class mail mltter pass
ing out of the Washington city post Office
annually is ,26S, 1873 pounds, making a
total of 33.06S, ISS pounds OF mail annually
delivered at the post Office by government
teams and teams hired or owned by pub
fishers that is hauled by tie mall con-
tractors from the post office to the rail-
road stations.
Approximately fo-ty-five minutes are al
lowed wagons between the post office and
the Union Station-that is, mails are
closed at the post office and put in the
wagons that length ~ef time before train
departures. If the post Office were adj
jacent to the Union station a saving of
thirty minutes would be made in the dis
patch of all mail.
The space now occupied by the Wash
ington city post Office is absolutely nee
essary for departmental uses. The fol-
lowing divisions of the department are at
present located In quarters outside this
building, for which rent Is being paid.
with the result that business is trans
acted at great inconvenience:
Third division railway mail service.
Division of stamps
Division of redemption.
Division of topography.
In addition many of the divisions of the
department are crowded, and new quar-
tiers must be secured elsewhere unless
the space occupied by the city post Office
is made available.
Building for Division of Supplies
and Repair Shops.
In the current appropriation act Con-
gress designated a sum TO- the leasing of
suitable premises in which could be To-
Gated the various divisions and shops of
this department occupying separate quar-
ters in different parts of the city. Ac-
cordihgly, lease was executed for GER
tain premises at the corner of LIST and
K streets northeast, Washington. D. c..
consisting of an eight-story building, well
lighted and ventilated, equipped with
modern plumbing, electric light and
power. and a three-story office building
adjoining, together containing approx
mately $4,000 square feet of floor space
The four buildings formerly rented by
this department for the. mail bag repair
shop, the mail-lock repair shop, division
Of supplies and the clerical force of GER
tain divisions of the depa rt baua