The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1912-06-28

Boston for thirty years made but one
trip a month.
The postal service in colonial days
was a sort of go-as-you-please ar
rangement and postmasters and post
riders sometimes ran the business to
suit themselves.
King George Takes Notice.
In 1853 his majesty, George III,
awoke to the fact that he vas re-
eeiving no revenue or profit from the
postal service in America, and that
the service vas being conducted m
what loosely. The result Of his cogita-
ton upon the subject was the appoint
ment of Ben Franklin deputy post
master general, who organized the
service on a business basis and ran
1t for twenty years in such a manner
as to yield a profit for Great Britain.
In It's, however, the colonies ON
cluded to manage the postal business
IN their own account n appointed
Franklin postmaster general with a
salary of $1,000 a year.
Service Under Federal Government.
The p~ostoffice department as we
know 1T today, was organized in 1888
and from that date began the real de-
velopment of the service in the United
States. In that year there were sev
enty-1ve offices in operation, the ag-
gregate revenue of which amounted to
1919 This sum would not pay for
more than one-fifth of the wrapping
Irvine now used in the service.
Individual Offices which are at pres
ent the backbone of the service furnish
interesting stories in connection with
their early operation. Sebastian Bau-
man, the first postmaster of New York
under the federal government, kept the
Office in his grocery store. Today that
office employs approximately 5000 per-
sons and it's revenue for the year end
ed March 81, 1912, were more than
$24, 000, 900.
Chicago, the second largest post
Office, was not even established until
1881. That Office now furnished en-
ployment for nearly 5000 and yields a
revenue of more than 5000, 900.
Our postal system has outgrown it.
self from time to time and In obe-
dience to the public demand extensive
notifications have been made.
Prior to 1854 the sender of a letter
must have counted well the cost be-
fore finally intrusting it to the hands
Of the mall carrier. The postage on q
miles was 6A cents and for a dis
lance of 400 miles rs cents.
The Postal Service Of Today.
We ell hnOW LkiG pOGlOLANC Y
ment is divided into virtually six bu-
reaus--the postmaster general the
first, second, third and fourth assis-
tant postmaster general and the post
al savings system. Each of these bu-
/ reaus of large oces handles the more
closely related features of the service
Postoffice inspectors.
The division of p~ostofice inspectors
Is a part OF the bureau of the post.
master general and is under the i'm.
mediate supervision Of the chief
1 apector. OF the $50 inspectors who are
connected with the service at the pres.
ent time, fifteen are designated In
spectors Ia cslsrge, and are assigned
to certain divisions with a force of in.
spectors under their supervision.
Postoface inspectors are the specia
and personal representatives of tn
postmaster general,
One can gather an idea OF the ex-
I tensive operations of the inspectors
force and the rapidity with which thu
work Of this service has grown, ever
within the past decade, when it II
/ shown that the number of cases re,
ferred to the field for Investigation II
1901 was 17S,514, and for the flsca
year 1911, 29S,S33, an increase in thu
ten years OF over SIS rs per cent. Il
1911, L61I arrests for violations OF tn
postal laws were made and in tn,
year 1911. 2,4s1 persons were ar
rested.
Postmasters' Appointments.
The division OF postmasters' ap,
p~ointEnents has charge OF the work re
lating to the appointment Of post
masters.
The number OF -postmasters appoint
ed during the last fiscal year was 10,
i $50 az this number 2a22& hEeMe a&nERa