The Detroit times., 1910-10-15

those on stamped envelopes. newspa'
per wrappers and postal cards. the
aggregate number used annually u
upward OF eleven billion.
When the revenues OF the govern
ment began to fall OF two years ago
the postofice department started 10
look for opportunities to retrench. II
was found that In the money order
business the labor involved In hand
ling the advice slips mailed from the
issuing to the paying office, involved
an expenditure OF 100000 year. SO
Il was decided by the postmaster-gen-
eral to issue q new form OF order. In
which the advice slip was incorporat-
ed with the order itself and carried
to the paying ONCE by the person In
whose favor the order was Issued.
This single economy. involving no I'm
pairment OF the service. results In an
annual saving OF more than half mil
lion dollars. Another opportunity for
retrenchment was found In the hand
ling of registered matter. II has been
the custom to issue return card Tor
each registered letter or parcel sent.
This required the handling OF more
than 30.000,00 cords year by the
employees OF the postal service. The
postmaster.ge general asked congress to
authorize him to return cards to the
senders only when requested. The
result OF this small economy Will be
a saving Of several hundred thousand
dollars
The growth Of the mail business or
the United States has been one OF the
marvels OF American progress. In
1887 the average individual spent thir-
ty-two cents a year for postage. In
1909 he spent 1920 a year on mail
sent out. The receipts Of the Chicago
postoffice today are larger than those
OF the entire country at the time or
Abraham Lincoln's accession to the
presidency. No part Of the service has
enjoyed such q remarkable develop
ment as the rural free delivery. Four
teen years ago there were only eighty
two rural routes In operation, and
they involved an annual expenditure
OF only $4,000. Today there are
more than 10000 in operation, and
they involve an annual outlay OF some
s36, 900 900. This service Is the most
expensive that the government rend-
ers The entire receipts OF the rural
letter carriers are less than eight mil
lion dollars q year and the government
spends more than four times as much
on the service.
The postmaster-general Is assisted
In his work by four assistant postmas-
ters-general The first assistant has
charge OF the appointment OF post
masters, OF whom there are more than
10000. Under present regulation the
aim Is to appoint men OF recognized
efficiency, and to keep them in ONCE
as long as they satisfactorily discharge
their duties. He also has charge OF
salaries and allowances for the postal
service. Every few years the salaries
OF all presidential postoffices through
out the country are adjusted, the
basis Of adjustment being the receipts
OF the ONCE. Likewise. he has charge
Of the expense accounts of the varf-
GUS Offices throughout the country,
and as these aggregate many millions
Of dollars they must be watched care
fully The city delivery service Is also
under his Jurisdiction. The law pro-
vides that wherever q city ONCE shows
a certain amount Of receipts or the
city has q population Of ten thousand,
city free delivery Is established. Near
ly fifteen hundred cities and towns
now have city delivery service.
The second assistant postmaster
general has charge OF the transporta-
ton of the mails. II costs about $780,
OOO. 900 a year for the operation of mail
service on the railroad trains of the
country, and the total expense Of mall
transportation amounts to more than
$50. OOO, 900. There are star routes to
be looked after, steamboat routes,
mail messenger routes, wagon routes,
street car routes, and pneumatic tube
routes.
There are about $4,000 railway pos
tai clerks who handle the mail carried
In the railway mail service. These
men constitute the backbone OF the
American postal system. They must
be familiar with the location OF from
5000 to 10000 postoffices. Each clerk
must be able to tell instantly on what
road a given postoffice In the state he
works Is located, must know through
what junction points letter dispatch
ed by him to that office may pass, and
a multitude Of other details that can
be mastered only by very retentive
minds. A letter addressed to the VII
fdke Vi MI. StaWiOIu, nhhcu
In Washington any evening will reach
its destination quickest by one route.
Mailed on Saturday evening II will
reach its destination quickest by an
other route. Even such small details
as this must be perfectly familiar TO
the men who constitute the working
force Of the railway mail service.
There are thirteen divisions In the
railway-mail service, each presided
over by q superintendent. II has been
said by postal authorities that the
railway mail service is the only prop
erly organized division of the postal
service. Every postmaster In the
country must transact his business
with the department at Wash
ington. This involves long delays In
the passing of correspondence be-
tween the department and the remote
postmasters. II is probable that In
the near future the postmasters Of the
principle cities OF the country will be
given oversight OF the smaller Offices
In contiguous territory, thus overcom-
ing the disadvantages Of managing the
entire service directly from Washing.
ton.