Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-12-09
RAILWAY mail SERVICE


Second Assistant Postmaster General
Reports Upon the Amount Of Mail
Mater Handled During the Fiscal
Year.
Washington, special.-Exclusive of
registered matter, the railway mail
service during the last fiscal year
handled 21,65O,s49,745 pieces Of mail
matter, according to- the annual re-
port of Second Assistant Postmaster
General Stewart. Because of prac-
tically illegible addresses 35,565,36l
pieces required special attention, with
the result that 1S,9SS,626 were re-
turned 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 Als ska, is recommended.
Favorable consideration Of Con-
gress is asked to a recommendation
that postal clerks be allowed travel
ing expenses while away from their
homes, and also that postal clerks
who have become unfit for active SER
vice by reason Of advanced age or
physical disability incurred in the
line of duty be retired with suitable
pay.
For the transportation Of all class
es of mail matter the department dur
ing the year expended $Sl, ,157 ,72O.
A considerable saving was effected
in connection with the weighing OF
mails in the Southern States. In
consequence of the use of the new
divisor the railroads received $434,-
73O less than would have been paid
under the old system. Altogether
the new system of weighing has re-
suited so far in a net saving of ST.
229,1OS 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 record
ed. A review of the railway post
office car service resulted in the re-
adjustment of the car space on num-
Der of routes, thereby effecting saw.
ing of S272,040 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-
rection 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
commission TO inestigate the whole
subject. The Postmaster General ap-
proved their Recommendation that
full pay be allowed for a line of forty
foot cars in all cases where forty.
foot car must be run and returned.
The report calls attention to the
fact that provision has been made to
transport additional weights of mails
from Valez to Fairbanks. Alaska, in
the four mid-wirter months, so as to
allow $4,000 pounds increase. The
weights on other main lines in Alas
ka also have been augmented.
Efforts of the department to estab-
lish semi-weekly sailings between
New York and Porto Rico, it is
stated failed, the steamship com.
panies refusing to make any changes
in their practice of having sailings
only on Saturdays.
Durings the year additional parcel,
post conventions were negotiated with
the Netherlands, Urguary, Italy,
France and Austria, and the parcel
post rate of twenty cents pound to
Bolivia. Chile, Ecuador and Peru was
reduced to twelve cents a pound.