Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 42, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 November 1885 — POSTAL AFFAIRS. [ARTICLE]

POSTAL AFFAIRS.

The Number of New Offices Established During the Year—Salary and Allowance. First Assistant Postmaster General A. E Stevenson has submitted to- the Postmaster General his annual report upon the operations of his bureau for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1885. From the report it appears tliut the number of postoffices established during the year was 2,121, and the number discontinued 886, making the whole number of postoflices at the end of the fiscal year 51,252, a net increase of 1,235 during the year. The number of offices subject to appointments by the President (presidential grade) was 2,233, and the number subject to appointment by the Postmaster General (fourth class) was 49,019. The whole number of appointments during the year was 11,203, made up as follows: On resignations and commissions expired, 6,204; removals and suspensions, 810; change of names and sites, 207; death of postmasters, 412; establishment of new offices, 2,221. The increase in the number of postoffices was distributed as follows: New England States, 48; Middle States and District of Columbia, 11; Southern States and Indian Territory, 638; the ten States and six Territories of the West and Northwest, 375; the three States and three Territories of the Pacific Slope, 65. The greatest Increase in any State or Territority was 100 in Virginia. The increase in Dakota for the year was 71, and in Mississippi 59. The only decrease was in Nevada. The total number of monoy order offices was 6,992, an increase of 749 over the preceding year. The number of changes in postmasters during the year was less than the preceding year, and the largo decrease In the number of cases acted upon during the year, as compared with the preceding year, was due, says Gen. Stevenson, to the fact that very few changes wero made in the offices during the winter months. Under the head of free-delivery system, the report states that the number of free-delivery offices at the close of the year was 178, an increase of 19, and the number of carriers 4,358, an increase of 468. The entire cost of tho service was $3,985,952, leaving an unexpended balance of $79,046. The service has now been extended to nearly all cities having a population of 20,000 inhabitants or returning $20,000 gross reoeipta per annum, and its further extension must, under the law, await the growth of cities to the requirements above noted, or the qualifications must be lowered by legislation. The First Assistant Postmaster General says that the success of this system, its convenience to the public, and other merits, in his judgment warrants the recommendation that authority be conferred by legislation for its extension to places of inhabitants having a gross revenue of SIO,OOO. The report briefly states the advantages that have resulted from the consolidation of large free-delivery offices and rocommends that the same policy be applied to non-free-delivery offices so as to give them the benefits of free delivery. It is believed that this consolidation would reduce the labor of examining accounts by cutting down the number of separate postoffices and result In greater harmony in the service. Under the head of salary and allowance it is stated that the total amount allowed for clerk hire in postoffices was $4,924,569; for rent, fuel, and light of postoflices, $403,939; for salaries of postmasters (2,435) adjusted during the year, $3,701,600: for salaries of Presidential postmasters, $3,630,600. Since April, 1884, 32,. 400 applcations for review of salaries of postmasters under the act of March 3, 1883, were received and filed. The number of salaries reviewed and readjusted was 17,521, and 5,900 applications were allowed, involving the additional amount for compensation or back pay of postmasters of $378,922. As a result of the annual adjustment of salaries, 14 offices wero added to the Presidential list and 134 offices were relegated to the fourth class. The grand total of gross receipts at residential offices for tho four quarters ended Mtnrch 31, 1885, amounted to $31,792,220, and the aggregate salaries of the postmasters will absorb 11.42 per cent, of the revenues. “The postal receipts," says Gen. Stevenson, “forming the basis of, tho salaries of Presidential Postmasters fluctuate with the favorable or unfavorable condition of the business of the country. At the present time reports show that tho country is entering upon an era of prosperity and plenty, and therefore no less than $3,000,000 will be required to pay the salaries of Presidential Postmasters during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1887. The amount of compensation for clerk hire required during the same period is estimated at $5,510,000, making the total estimate for this branch of the service, including allowances for fuel, rent, furniture, and miscellaneous items, $5,897,000". The First Assistant Postmaster General, in conclusion, calls tho attention of the failure of Congress to provide for tho payment jgv tho Government of rent at third-class postoflices. He renews the recommendation that provisions be made for the payment of rent of offices of that class, and for the payment of expenses of fuel, light, stationery, and miscellaneous Items for these offices. It is also recommended that Jan. 1,1887, be fixed as the limitation of applications for readjustment of salaries under the act of March 3, 1883.

THE RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE. From the annual report of General Superintendent Jameson, of the railway mail service, it appears that mileage increased during'the past year only 4,007 miles. The increase in the number of pieces of mail matter handled, exclusive of registered matter, was 428,397,500. In a total distribution of 4,948,059,400 pieces the number of errors chargeable to tho clerks of the railway mail service was but 887,704, or one error to each 5,574 pieces handled, being at the rate of 224 errors per clerk per annum. The average percentage of mail correctly distributed was 99.98. This is the highest rate attained since the establishment of the service. The general superintendent recommends that Congress be asked to empower the Postmaster General to pay to the widow or minor children of any clerk killed while on duty an amount equal to one year’s salary of the grade to which the deceased belonged at the time of his death. The estimate for special facilities (fast mail service) on the trunk lines for the ensuing year is the same in amount as the sum set apart for the purpose for the current fiscal year—namely, $251,725. The amount of the estimate for railway postal cars is $1,888,577, which Is an increase of 7 per cent, over the amount appropriated for the current fiscal year for roads other than those that are subsidized. Tho sum of $4,877,060 is asked for with which to pay railway postal clerks. This is an increase of 6 per cent, over the amount of the existing appropriation. The Superintendent strongly advocates the extension of the benefits of the civil-service law to the clerical forces of tho railway mail service.

THE MONEY-ORDER BUREAU. In his annual report to the Postmaster General, Supt. C. F. McDonald, of the Money-Order Bureau, points to the growth of the business from its inception in 1866, when there were 766 money-order offices that issued 84,000,000 in orders, down to the last fiscal year, when the 7,355 offices issued orders amounting to about 8120,000,000. The fees now aggregate about 81,000,000 per annnm. During the fiscal year 767 moneyorder offices were established and 16 discontinued. Since the close of the fiscal year 303 offices have been added and 4 have been discontinued. The total amount of payments and repayments of money-orders was 8117,996,205, and the excess of payments over issues 8137,283. The gross amount of fees received by Postmasters from the public for the issue of domestic money-orders was 8923,930. These figures exhibit a decrease in the amounts of orders issued and paid and of fees received. COST OF MAIL TRANSPORTATION. Socond Assistant Postmaster General Knott has submitted to the Postmaster General his annual report of the operations of his bureau’ during the past fiscal year. It appears that the cost of mail transportation for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 1885, was: For 12,371 star routes, aggregating 232,228. miles in length, 85,414,844; star service for the next fiscal year is 85,850,000, slightly less than tho appropriation for the current year. The reduction effected by orders in this class 6f service from April 1 to September 30, 1885, aggregated 8148,696. The reductions in steamboat service effected from April 1 to September 30,1885, by discontinuances and curtailments of routes amounted to 874,256, and the sum deemed necessary for the current year is 8870,648.