Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 November 1883 — HATTON’S REPORT. [ARTICLE]

HATTON’S REPORT.

A Year’s Operations of the General Postoffice. Annual Report of the First Assistant Postmaster General. The annual report of Frank Hatton, First Assistant Postmaster General, has been laid before the Postmaster General , The reporter says: The average amount of work performed in each division of the office exceeded that of any previous year, and the bureau has, so far as the appropriation would permit, endeavored to meet the necessities. It is believed that in no preceding year have fewer complaints been made concerning incompetency or dishonesty of Postmasters or delay or confusion in the delivery or dispatch of mail matter in the different postoffices. The whole number of pqstoffices on June 30. 1883, was 47,863, an increase ol 1,632 duringthe year. Ap[X)fitioned by sections, the increase in the New England States was 36, Middle States 223, Southern ; States and Indian Territory 720, States and Territories West and Northwest 580, and the ! Pacific slope 68. Pennsylvania had the largest ; number ot postofiices—3.7l6. New York fob ; lowed with 3,082, and Ohio third, with 2,620. i The number of money-order offices is 5,857, an increase of 421.■ ■ • ■ The removals and suspensions during the 1 year were OiGless than for the year before, an indication undoubtedly of the improvement in character and habits of the persons now serving the public as Postmasters. During the year 10,705 letters were written to ; Postmasters and to private individuals in- | volving decisions under the jtostal regulations 1 and laws, and $2,000 was collected from publishers of second-class matter for the violai tion of the law in inclosing third-class matter in second-class publications. Publishers of . legitimate newspapers are specially interested in sustaining the department, in its i efforts through the division of postal Itfcwsand , regulations to exclude from the pound rate , all publications designed primarily for adver- ; tising purposes or for free circulation, or for circulation at nominal rates. The enforce- ; ment of that law will enable legitimate publi- ■ cations (favored.by statute as an instrument ; of popular education: to sustain themselves by securing such local advertising support as , would naturally come to them. The adjusti ment of salaries of Presidential Postmasters ■ is now far enough advanced to warrant the i statement that the result will t e satisfactory, 1 and for the first time in the nistot yof the department thesalaries of “Presidential Postmasters will be equalized and placed upon a 1 basis of the gross receipts o’s their offices. | Beyond the benefits of the free-delivery service as at present restricted is a class of towns in densely-populated portions of the country which it is believed could be served by carriers with benefit to the people and economy to the department. These are towns within short distances of one another, which have not singly required the qualifications in population or gross revenue. The law should be amended so {is to authorize the department to extend the system to such places by establishing it at the principal or central office of the group and discontinuing the other offices, or substituting for them inexbranches of the main office, from which carriers could‘serve the surrounding localities. Excess of postage on local matter over the cost, of free-delivery service, and taking into consideration the fact that ; local coriespondente increases in proportion to the .'facilities offered, it should be extended and liberal appropriations made to bring it up to the highest practicable standard iff cities where it is now in operation. This service eueots the general demands of by s.ne-s and social life, but fails to the dispatch required in the delivery of letters of Cxcepii: nal importance. Under the present system fetters received after the carriers go out 'upon their trips, whatever their importance, must lie in the office till the next trip. At 6 o’clock p. m., when the delivery closes for the day, they must lie over till next morning, and this delay frequently fails to meet the object of the eommiinteation. Out of this want off More speedy delivery’, have grown up in several large cities private enterprises, which are now conducted in competition with this service and are diverting from thelegitimate revenues of the department thousands of dollars yearly. The patronage bes'.owod upon them evinces a public demand for a more speedy delivery of a certain class of correspondence. To meet this want it is suggested that a special stamp be provided, which, when affixed to a letter, whether local or otherwise, shall entitle the letter to immediate delivery up to 10 o’clock p. m. To provide for their delivery it-is suggested that boys be employed, and required to procure receipts from the party addressed, or some authorized person. In view of the excess of the receipts of postage on local matter alone over the coat of its delivery ($1,021,894), it seems the time has arrived when the postage on local letters at offices where the carrier system 'is in operation can be reduced from 2 cents to 1 cent. Such a reduction will surely result in a very large increase in local business. I <