Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-05
CHAPTER Z.

The Post 0Mce. The Greatest Public
Utility.
Benjamin franklin was the first
Postmaster General Of the United
States. He served from July, 1775,
to November. 177S. This was the
stormy and trying period of the revo-
luton. Communications were then OF
nrst Importance. even though the bus
mess was small.
1t is a huge business now. The
Post Office Department Is far and
away the greatest public utility In
the world today. 1t was not always
SO. America has grown enormously.
so has The post office. Look at this
record.
In 1890 there were seventy-five
post offices in the United States The
total revenue was 1877 e25 and the
total expenses were $32.140. There
were 265.000 letters handled. In 1923
there were s4asl pest t,1 9 as and
total expenses were $55S.s60. 900.
There were 1870. OO0. 900 letters han
died by the railway mail service
alone. This does not include local
deliveries. nor any second. third. or
dropped into the post ONCE In 1893
there were approximately $4,000 let
tiers in 1928
Not only is the Post ONCE Depart
ment the greatest public utility In
the world; 1t is also the cheapest.
addressed to, John Smith, 10 Smith
street London, England. in the mall
box. ten miles from the main omce
In San Francisco; have It called Tor
col pHsl r. a.
liable. careful mail carrisr. taken to
the railway department.. cerried 3.1ll
miles from San Francisco to New
York, transferred 70 g. mail steam
ship and carried 3.8t2 miles to Eng
land. carried by q letter carrier fifteen
office and delivered to John Smith at
his door-for what? For Just 2 cents
in American money: 4.s4s miles for
2 cents!
Department Shows . ProAi.
Now the strange thing about all
this Is that the 2-ceut natl depart
ment is making money. 1t Is show
ing a profit. Why? Because it Is
not required to pay inte1es on its
huge investment, as privately owned
public utilities are.
There are 2,277 citiar, large and
small, in which all mail is delivered
daily to the individual homes by reg
ular mail carriers. This H. stupan
dous work. Then we must add 1S6
villages in which likewise all mail
is delivered daily to individual homes
ing a population of 1900 people, AND
doing q gross postal business Of at
least $1,000 year. can receive this
service. Undoubtedly this feature of
the service will be greatly enlarged
during. the coming years.
Then there is the railway mail ser
vice. On juno 80. 1923. there were
6.0S6 full and apartment mail cara
owned by the severa: railroads and
operated by the postal service: The
railroads for this service for the Ms
cal year 1923 a total of $93.262.000.
This Is one of the most expensive de-
partments of the service.
AS l write the railroads have petit
toned the Interstate Commerce Com
mission for an increase in rates. Here
is q weakness in the system. The
department at this point loses control
of its costs. We need only quote a
few figures to see how important the
railway post is. In 1928 this depart
ment handled, roughly, 9,256,000. 600
pieces of first-class mail, 100000. 600
pieces of second. third ana fourth
class mail and 100000 pieces of
of IS.77S.000.000 pieces of mail han
died by. the railway department. THIS
Is estimated to be approximately "a
per cent Of the total business OF the
Post Office Department.
AIR Routes New Development.
A new development which needs a
word Is the air mall routes division.
Really, there Is only one air service
SO far in operation-from New York
to San Francisco, \ flying distance OF
1850 miles. Mail from Chicago and
tina. section can reach either coast in
day. At present IS airplanes are
being used. The record for 1928 shows
1.S0S.00O miles flown, with ,815.S40
pieces of frst-class mail carried IN
the service. The Unite1 States lass
far behind many OF the nations OF
Europe. Here. again, is division
which bids fair to see marvellous e1-
pansion during the next few years.
And now we come to the most ex-
pensive activity OF the Post ONCE
Department-thato of the rural mai;
service. At the close Of the hscsl
year 1928 there were 1853 rural
mail routes, serving S.4sa.o00 families,
or approximately 100000 Ameri-
cans, in the country districts. Inc
1882 mail carriers trave.ed up the
hills and down the valleys and over
the prairies q total of 1,113,0o0 miles
daily. This service cost the oepart
age annual AIS salary larry RI, s4t the ruf'' car