The Washington times., 1915-12-12
Billion Parcels n Year.

|
! looking to the conclusion of conventions
| Tor that purpose.
Billion Parcels Year.
notwithstanding the adverse busi-
ness conditions resulting from the war.
the year just ended records desirable
and gratifying growth Of the parcel
post. In operation less than three
years. this service has become a trans
portation agency Of the greatest inn
portance.
ITO enable the department to ascer-
tain the growth of the service as we'll
as Its revenues and costs, periodical
counts have been made and detailed in
formation obtained at all first and Sec
ond class Offices and at a number OF
ofhces of the number of parcels han
died. the amount of postage thereon,
and the costs Of the service. Statistics
IN the minutest detail are compiled
from these data for the nifty largest
offices, which represent approximately
one-half of the entire postal business.
The latest count, from October | to
Is, 1915. shows that 3o.s39, ,73O parcels
were mailed at these offices. on which
the postage amounted to 81 ,s5S. 500. 50,
and the total weight aggregated A.
Sl5. 452 pounds.
These statistics indicate that the
Postal Service is now handling 1,o0O,-
const5orpsd C"voo parcels els, annually: When il is
ment OF the parcel post not more than
one-fourth Of that number were hand
led, the immense popularity and growth
or tne t%e IerV1ce e is f at once apparent
cars in use and in reserve at the end
Of the fiscal year. = per cent were
either of all steel or steel underframe
construction. These figures represent a
very substantial advance toward Sc
curing stronger and safer cars through
out the service. In all. 40 wooden
railway postoffice cars and forty-seven
wooden apartment cars were retired.
and ninety-six all-steel full railway
postoffice cars. 1Go all-steel partmcnt
cars and sixty-one steel underfrane
apartment cars were pot in service.
Rural Delivery Funds Ample.
"Of the funds appropriated FOR the
maintenance OF rural delivery during
the fiscal year 1915 there Is an unex-
pended balance OF approximately s2.15G,-
Co.,
War Hits Money-ordc Business.
In no other branch of tho postal
establishment has the disturbing effects
of the European war been more gener-
ally felt than in the money-order serv-
ice. The effect on domestic business
was similar in many respects to the
heavy falling Oft in postal receipts that
, commenced with the outbreak OF che
war and continued in varying degree
throughout practically the whole fiscal
year. The recovery was more rapid,
, however. for by the end of the year
internal transactions were again on a
normal basis. International business,
. on the other hand. declined continu-
, ously throughout the year. BY tar
{ the largest part OF foreign money or
ders are drawn on the countries of
, Europe that are now engaged in the
war or seriously affected by It. The ex-
{ change OF money. orders with most OF
these countries is extremely difficult
with some of them it is impossible.
Foreign-Born Deposttors Lead.
"A compilation of data with respect to
the nativity Of postal savings depositors
made as OF June 30. 1915. is noteworthy
> or the total number of depositors. S.
per cent were born outside OF the United
States and had to their credit $47. Isl .62l
or rs per cent Of the total postal sav.
ings deposits.
2 Successful as 1t is. the postal savings
service still falls short of bringing tc
the public. its fullest possible benefit
) The records show that at the close OF
the nscai year approximately 81 pei
3 cent of the total number Of postal saw.
ines depositors had the maximum bal.
= ance allowable of $500 to their credit
, and under the present law no more
B could be accepted from them. or these
40 per cent were foreign born.
: Automobile Service Satisfactory.
; 1.-The first actual test of the efficiency
and economy Of a combined screen
0 wagon. city delivery. and collection
service under Government owned and
l operated equipment was inaugurated in
y Washington. D. c., on October 10. 1914
I The great advantage in this combined
service is the Improvement of the City
: collection and delivery through quicker
c and more numerous dispatches of the
Q mails, incidentally cffecting a vast saw
= ing in the cost of operation.
The Postmaster General renews the
recommendations made in his last tive
annual reports that early action b'
o taken by Congress declaring a govern
: NEST monopoly over all utilities fo
Il the public transmission of intelligence
=, AS soon as practicable, the telephone
, and telegraph systems of the United
), States should be incorporated into thu
u postal establishment. In this connec
y ton he says:
4 "As the former reports pointed out
y the private ownership Of telephone an
e telegraph utilities places in privat
e hands the control OF important vehicle
for the transmission Of intelligence. an
o therefore infringes upon a function re
T. served by the Constitution to the Ma
II tional Government. Operation of thes
ne facilities inherently as well as constr