The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1912-03-23


postmaster in Philadelphia in 1877.
inaugurated the carrier system and
through his and General Braddock's
Influence in 1855, the forerunner OF
the modern trans Atlantic mail oc-
Cured In the establishment of a gov
ernment packet service. The fast
mail train Of today had It's precursor
in the establishment of the stage
coach service in IT'S, which was
eleven years before this occurred Id
England.
While figures are lacking to make
possible an indication of the growth OF /
the postofice since 1898, when the re-
cefpts at New York totalled a61 ster-
aing, or q trifie more than $780, or
even from the time of the activities
OF Franklin and Little Independence
day, they have now been kept for an
even century. Could they be seen by
our earlier postmasters they probably
would cause them to doubt their
senses. According to these figures the
entire coutry 100 years ago had only
$500 postoff1ces as against So, $50 in
1910 The total receipts in the earlier
year were $551,6S4. Since then they
have been multiplied more than 40
times to reach the $224,12S,85 of 1915.
In one respect however, the post
office made better showing 100 yeats
ago than it has more recently, for Ii
had a surplus OF $55,715 at the end
Of the year as compared to a deficit
of $5,S4S,567 for 1910. For 1910 1t Ii
true a surplus Of about S220,OOO il
claimed.
Undoubtedly their failure to foreses
the great growth of the publishing
business or even to guess at the vital
part which the then unknown rail-
roads were to play in the development
of our postal business, were the two
factors which initiated most strongly
against any realization on the part of
Franklin and other early postmasters
or the future of the postof1ce. But OF
the two great problems with which
the postoffice is now wrestling. those
of second class postage and railway
mail pay, they were not wholly an
acquainted with the former. So lonf
ago as the beginning of the eighteenth
century, indeed, postmasters were all
lowed to send their own mail free ana
as printing presses were introduced
about this time most of the postmastI
ers became publishers, the most FAM
Gus illustration perhaps being Frank
lin himself. This practice continued |
for many years until the crown saw
At to withdraw the privilege because
of the fact that it did not relish til
tone Of the matter disseminated. Whfl
the situation is by no means parable
to that OF today II is interesting ii
note that the seeds of the presen
eser ali nnf1 !
more than 200 years ago, and though
the wider dissemination of knowledge
made possible by the then practice
greatly assisted in the Fastening OF
American Independence.
OF railway trains ad their functions
as mail carriers, the early postmastS
eors had of course no thought. I'm
doubtedly, however, the greatest single
factor in the development of postal
communication has been the railway,
not only because 1t has provided much
more rapid transportation, but also
because through the introduction oc
the railway postofflce car and other
improvements 1t makes possible the
sorting of mail in transit and thereby
greatly hastenfng its delivery.
However, while therJ later day come
pications conveying an idea of the
rate at which the postofflce has grown
and ramified, it is in the number OF
pieces Of mail handled and the size OF
the army of employees necessary to
this work that the most striking IL
dustration is furnished of what has
taken place since Little Independence
day.
There are no statistics available as
to the number OF pieces of mail handl-
ed in the course of the twelve months
succeeding Little Independence day,
but the total could hardly have been
more than 100000 while in 1910 IL
fell just short Of 1500O, 900, 900 pieces,
according to the estimates of the post
office authorities. Thus the volume OF
business transacted has increased
probably $1,000 fold since I775. To
handle this enormous bulk the labor
of nearly 100000 persons is now ne
cessary.
Altogether this growth since the
establishment of the first independent
institution on July 26. 1775, constitutes
what is probably one of the most re-
markable records In the development
Of the country, and lends color to the
claim for recognition of the inportancn
Of Little independence day.