Evening star., 1913-12-29
DEAD LETTER OFFICE
NOT kept 50 BUSY
Public Shows Increased Care in Pre-
pairing Matter for
the Mails.
Interesting Facts About Postal Serv-
ice in Fourth Assistant Post
master Generals Report.

Although more than 100000 for
eign and domestic letters were sent
30 the dead letter Office during the last
fiscal year, decrease of four one
thousandths of l per cent according
to the annual report of the fourth as
sistant postmaster general, 'indicat-
ing greater care on the part of the
general public in preparing matter for
transmission, as well as more efficient
work i'll the postal service" the report
shows that. nevertheless. S45.173 let
tcrs Of the total number received con-
tanned valuable Enclosures amounting
TO $67,59s.3i and negotiable paper,
money orders, etc, to the value of ST.
5S4.47S.3z.
The revenue derived by the depart
ment from unclaimed matter amount
ed TO s31.645.l9, besides S9.067.96 in
postage stamps found inclosed with
such matter. The unbelievable post
and postal cards amounted to more
than 1000, 600 month. The undeliv-
cradle matter in the foreign mails was
abnormal, states the report, showing
1852 pieces, while the unbelievable
third and fourth class matter tprinted
matter and merchandise) received In
the dead letter office amounted to but
3I9O94 pieces. an increase of only 1e,-
Zoo pieces, Notwithstanding the opera
ton of the new parcel post system
Improvement of Roads.
The report states that but few states
have been found able to meet the pre-
scribed requirements of the act of Con-
eress appropriating 5000 for the i'm
provement OF roads for the operation OF
rural delivery service, by which for
every $4,000 of the appropi iation allotted
10 a state double that amount must De
furnished by the state or Its local sub
division Projects for cooperative road
Improvement, however, have been ap-
proved or are under consideration in
Maine Maryland Virginia North Caro-
lima, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Tex
as. Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Mime
sofa, Iowa and o. egon. In some OF these
states the actual work of construction
was well under way at the close OF the
fiscal year.
For rural delivery, 42.6S5 carriers were
provided at salaries amounting in the ag-
sregate to S4o,3T,iiZ- During the year
1875 carriers iesigned, 211 died and $50
were removed making a total OF 2,Ol6
Under the last increase allowed them,
which became effective September 80
1912, their salaries run from $4S4 year
on routes of six miles in length and not
more than eight miles, to 81, 100 on routes
of twenty-fo miles or more In length
Within the past year. as the Iesult of the
amendment of the civil service rules,
many rural carriers have been transfer
red to other branches of the postal Serv-
ice. and in addition to the fifteen days
annual leave allowed all rural carriers,
provision has been made to allow them
thirty days without pay in addition each
year.
Cost of Rural Service.
The cost of the rural service during the
year Is given at si5. .655.5 .593. an increase of
50, 1911 over the previous year. The
increase for the year 1912 amounted to
$4,133, 792 over 1911. At the close of the
fiscal year June 30 last the total length
OF the rural routes was 1.O3S.076 mics,
and the annual travel 315. 7S1.121 miles.
The actual cost of the new service fur
nished was $40. 126.5i, the annual rate
being S5S2,Si6. and the actual saving be-
cause OF the routes discontinued was
4.322.S9. There were 619 new routes
established during the year, with an ag-
gregate length of 14,7I9 miles, reQu ring
6l6 new carriers. while thirteen routes
were discontinued, aggregating 25S miles.
served BY twelve carriers
At the close of the fiscal year there
were 100 star routes in operation, coy-
ering f5a. 466 miles in length, at an an
nual rate of cost of sI.04I,717. an in
crease OF s2i9, ,6i9.
Fewer Fourth-Class Offices.
During the year eS5 fourth-cIass
post offices We're established and 1886
were discontinued, 451 of which were
discontinued on account of the intro
duction of rural delivery service The
compensation of the postmasters at
the discontinued Offices amounted to
S40,071.52 The remainder of the re-
port is devoted TO the division of post
office supplies and the division of to-
Biography.
In opening his report Fourth Assist
ant Postmaster General Blakslee saws:
y particularly desire to compliment
the employees in all the divisions with
IN the bureau upon the unusual i'm
provement in efficiency under extraor-
dinary conditions. Your particular
attention is respectfully invited to the
Increased duties imposed upon them"
ChXC M0MQnE n0HTRlMC