Evening journal., 1922-07-20


salvage, amounted to s517.324.
In the equipment and supplies
division 1877 men and women are
employed. Between six and seven
million dollars are expended for the
purchase OF supplies for the $4,000
lpostofiices throughout the country.
Porto Rico. Hawaii. Samoa, Guam
and the Virgin Islands.
1T takes 100000 pounds OF
twine a year to tic up the letters.
( packages. etc. that are transport
ed from one point 70 another. This
is $4,000 miles of twine, or enough
to encircle the earth thirfy-two
times! Sixty thousand quarts Of
ink are consumed. and 100000
pens are worn out doing the writing
per year. In addition. the postal
workers use 100000 lead pencils
annually. These are just a few OF
the articles furnished by our sup
ply division. The total number Of
! different articles which will be sup
piled for the postal service during
/ this fiscal year will be fifteen hun
dred.
The topography branch Is part
! OF this division and is charged with
the preparation of post route and
rural delivery maps.
The United States mail trucks
which you see on the streets every
day are part Of the motor vehicle
service. In this division we are
operating in 344 cities with AIS
trucks and 4O67 employees. q For
these trucks we buy annually $4,000
tires. S.OOO.OO gallons OF gasoline.
and 244.000 gallons Of cylinder oil.
The appropriation of s15.OOO,O 900 for
this service was the same i'm the
year 1921 as In 1922. yet we closed
the fiscal year June 80 last with a
surplus Of 100000. Notwithstanding
we had an increase OF the service in
rs cities.
Ihis saving was accomplished in
several ways. The system Of allow
ing each postmaster to purchase his
supplies locally has been discontin-
ued. All supplies are now purchased
through the supply division. We
have now standardized into eight
makes OF trucks. whereas formerly
there were thirtytwO different makes
and types. Central repair units have
been established. thereby very ma
terially reducing the cost of repairs.
While the paint OF the trucks seems
TO be small item, yet we are saw
ing $4,000 by changing the color
from red, white and blue to olive
drab. In Wilmington we have four
teen trucks operating.
Probably the most important OF |
the duties in connection with nv
Bureau is the Rural Delivery Ser
vice. This is charged with the es- /
tablishment and revision Of rural I
routes. appointment Of carriers. and |
the control OF the star route service |
except in Alaska. During the last /
fiscal year 627 new routes were es- I
tablished. 4O25 extensions were |
made. and 4.024 carriers were ap- |
pointed, among whom were 2.O5s /
former soldiers.
In Delaware nine new routes I
have been established and 25 have |
been revised and extended.
The rural delivery is the most
potential factor in the DEVELOPMENT
OF rural territory. This great con-
venience, together with the tele-
phone, has brought the country into
close touch with the city. A great
deal Of the isolation which has on
Grated against the development OF
the rural community has been elm
mated by these two great public
The rural delivery
service was the first 10 demand bet
Ter roads. 1t would not go where
The roads were bad. Then the auto
,ame, demanding still better roads.
Now the rural delivery Is carrying
from the city 10 the
farmer. and bringing back produce
rom the farmer TO the city.
To-day there are 44,OS6 rural
,arriers serving 6.4O9.435 families, or
lbout Pass. .401 persons. The car
'iers bring TO these families news
,apers, magazines, letters and mer-
'handise with the regularity Of the
ailway train. Throughout the coun-
ry during some of the severe snow
tOrms last winter in the Northwest,
md the floods in the South and
southwest in the spring. many OF
he carriers displayed great cour-
ge and faithfulness in their devo-
ion 10 the service. and are worthy
Z considerable praise. At times the
uties Of rural carriers are extreme
Y hazardous. Among the recent
asualties. a carrier was killed de-
ending the mails: several have lost
heir lives in billiards.; others were
while crossing swollen
treams.
II have only told you Of the work
( the Fourth Assistant. Each Of I
he other three assistants has a c
pecial and important line OF work 7
lso. 7
The total appropriation for the d.
ostoffice Department for the pres II
Mt fiscal year is S565. .1S9. 1850. OF II
lis amount. S12O.497. .461.5O is ap- II
for The Fourth Assistants II
ureau. X
Il want to impress upon you the
lct that each one of you is a share II
older in this huge organization- II
ne greatest business organization III
the world. And you receive a divi- J.
end upon every day OF the year in
le shape OF service, which is OF
uch more advantage TO you than n
received in dollars and cents. g
"In closing I want to thank you n
II the earnest attention and court
,us treatment you have accorded
e. and 1 wish to extend to each
ember of the Rotary Club
,rdial invitation to call at the
ostofice Department whenever you
sit Washington"
Applause greeted Mr.. Billanyl
hen he finished his cordial and
formative address.