Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-12-04
MAIL BUSINESS BIG
Railway Postal Service Handled 21,-
65o,s4e,745 Pieces Of Mail During the
Year - Many Pieces With Improper
Addresses.

N0Ns 0OSVos
washington, Dec 4-Exclusive of
registered matter, the railway mail
service during the last fiscal year
handled 21,650,S49,745 pieces of mail
matter, according to the annual report
of Second Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Stewart Because of practically IL
legible addresses 35,565.361 pieces re-
quired special attention, with the re-
suit that 1S.9sS,626 were returned to
senders or corrected and forwarded.
A new division Of the railway mail
service, embracing the states of Ore
gon, Washington and Idaho and the
territory of Alaska, is recommended.
Favorable consideration of congress
tai clerks be allowed travelling ex-
penses while away from their homes.
/ and also that postal clerks who have
become unfit for active service by rea-
son of advanced age or physical dis
ability incurred in the line Of duty be
retired with suitable pay.
For the transportation of all classes
of mail matter the department during
the year expended S1,157,720. A con-
siderable saving was effected I'M con-
f1ection with the weighing of mails in
the southern states. In consequence OF
the use Of the new divisor the railroads
received .$434,730 less than would have
been paid under the old system. Alto
gether the new system of weighing has
resulted SO far in a net saving of 81
229,10 per annum. Because of the
equalization Of the rates Of pay to
transportation companies. the report
states. a more equitable basis of COM
pensation has been reached, with re-
suits mutually satisfactory to carrier
and the department.
Still further economies are recorded.
A review of the railway postoffice car
service resulted in the readjustment Of
the car space on a number of routes,
thereby effecting saving of $272,040
during the year.
So-called half lines of railway post
Office. cars-that is. where the postal
NEEDS in one direction warranted the
authorization, but in the opposite di-
rectton did not-are dealt with at
length. Numerous protests. arose over
the action of the department reducing
certain lines to half lines, and these
led to the appointment of a commission
to investigate the whole subject The
postmaster general approved their
recommendation that full pay be al
lowed for line of forty-foot cars in
all cases where forty-foot car must
he rim and returned
The report calls attention to the fact
that provision has been made to trans
port additional weights of mails from
Valdez to Fairbanks, Alaska. in the
four mid winter months, so as to al
low $4,000 pounds increase. The
weights on other main lines in Alaska
also have been augmented.
Efforts of the department to estab-
lish Iemi- weekly sailings between New
York and Porto Rico, it is stated,
failed, the steamship companies refus-
Ing to make any changes in their prac-
tice Of having sailings only on 4Satur-
days.
During the year additional parcel
post conventions were negotiated with
the Netherlands. Uruguay. italy,
France and Austria. and the parcel
post rate Of 20 cents pound to Boil
via, Chile. Ecuador and Peru was re-
duced to ~ cents a pound.