The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-06-27

writer of the world. If he were to pas
regular rates Of postage on all the
mail handled by the postal service fol-
him, his postage bills would amount
to $2o.000.000 year. He is always
prone to refer TO the postal service as
being operated at deficit. But as 9
matter of fact, in spite OF rural free
delivery and other improvements
which call for the expenditure Of vast
sums of money, the people of the United
states pay more than 1t costs to handle
their mail Deducting the amount OF
free matter which was sent out under
franks and penalty envelopes, u was
found that the postal service received
81, 0O0, 900 more for carrying the paid
mail than 1t cost to carry 1T. In other
words, had Uncle Sam paid, the ordin-
airy postal rates for his ranked and
penalty matter, there would have been
surplus of 100000 In the postal
revenues instead of q deficit Of $751;
900. 600. 81
Heretofore there has been but a
vague idea of the amount of mail sent
out by the Government every year But
the recent report, whose preparation
was called for by Congress, and which
is based on the weighing and counting
of all classes of mail for six months,
reveals some interesting data ABOUT
Uncle Sam as a user of the mails !.
The Weighing and counting took place
during the last six months of 1907, the
dullest half of the dullest year the
country has had In long period, as
measured by the quantity of free mats
ter going out Congress was not In
session, and the free seeds and Govern
ment documents had been distributed
during the other half of the year. NOR
was there a political campaign on IN
which tons of ranked speeches would
have been distributed through inc
mails--yes, carloads of them. Yet
even In this dull half year there were
more than $4,000, 600 pounds of Govern
ment mail turned loose on the nation,
which was at the rate of $4,000 tons
year. 1t Is probable that the average
year would show Uncle Sam sending
out 10000 tons of mail matter. WIN
more than that in election years.
The figures show that during the six
months there were handled 2,277.000
hounds of ranked MISUNDERSTANDING
with Congress: there were 2l.66s,Ooo
pounds of penalty matter-origihauns
with the departments. Anyone VINO
knows what great volumes OF mali
Congress SENDS out In the course Oh q
year knows to a certainty that II is
vastly more than one-tenth as much
as is sent out by the departments.
when one takes cognizance Of the vast
amount of free seeds. free horse-books,
free 1napE and free everything else
which Congress distributes through the
mails, including the millions OF Tree
speeches sent out for home eonsum-
tiou, it will be perfectly apparent that
the National Legislature was not IN
its stride when this test between
ranked and penalty mail was made.
During seven days the postal service
handled 4,44I,00 pieces OF penalty
rail. which is at the rate OF 74l,OO0
pieces for every working day, or 2z1,-
600, 900 pieces year. Add TO TINS the
quantity Congress SENDS out ourihs
an average year, and IT Will pesln 70
appear what liberal patron OF tne
mails Uncle Sam really is. ne mas
every other nation completely sur
nassed in this respect. Perhaps none
~ the other nations sends half as much
governmental matter through the mails
as the United states.
washington Is the great center OF
government mail distribution. Wnile
Congress is in session there Is more
franked stun sent from the Capital
than from all the rest OF the country
mt terether When Congress goes
away. other places handle the greater
bulk. of the thanked mail With pen
atty mail, it is different While ~
ner cent of all the mail handed Dy the
washington postofiice Is, either TOT tn ~,
Government or from the Government
vet the vast amount of penalty Dusl-
ness, originating Wherever tnere 20
Government business to be transacteu'
makes that portion of Il originating In
.Washington seem like a small guam
tity.
Although Government mail travels
free and private mail has to pay It's
wav Government mail travels farthest.
The data gathered by the postal ser
vice shows that the average pound OF
Government mail travels about 100
miles further than the average pouno
~ Maid matter The latter Is carried
son miles. while the ayerage pound
~ ranked matter goes $50 miles, and
penaIty matter 7s2 miles, = - =.
About. so per cent of the registered
mail business of the city OF Wasnlhs
ton is Government mail. All the post
age stamps sent out are sent tnls way
and the same is true OF internal reVe-
nue. stamps, to say nothing of the vast
quantity of other matter which is reg;
istered. Most of this goes In closed
nouches. Years ago it was the custom
for ALI registered matter to be handled
loose II being passed from hand TO
hand to its destination, each mail CLERK,
through whose hands it passed, receipt
ing for IL to the man before him. AS
registered mail matter began to traVei
further and further, and to muluply
In quantity, II became necessary ZOE
some method to be devised so that
many pieces could be grouped together
This resulted in the invention of reg
istering lock. In 1t is a rotary regis
ter. like a bicycle cyclometer. EVeFy
time that lock is opened the resIs.el
moves up one number. TWO men M =
pouch with registered matter. hacli
checks 1t OF and certihes 10 i.s CO..
tents. keeping one copy of THIS LOT
+heir record and enclosing another In
The noueh. Then they fasten the pouch
with the lock, having placed the mum
her of the lock and its rotary nuhioer
on the certificate of contents Wren thls
nouch arrived at its destination the
clerks who receive 1t first look TO see
20 the rotary number corresponds with
-,hst II was when it was locked at the
beqinnins of its journey. II IL does
ali is well: If 1t does not they Know
that someone has opened II VINO mao
no right to do so. IL they ma tne
contents all right voucher to that et-
feet is sent to the men who nlled the
pouch, and this is filed with the oris
inoI statement of contents. 1t is
+nroueh mis- method that nearly all
tha stanaps sent to postmasters and the
ravenue stamps we buy are distributed
~, the postoflce and treasury depart
The last count of pieces of mail re-
ceived by Senators sand Representa-