Rensselaer Republican, Volume 17, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 November 1884 — POSTAL AFFAIRS. [ARTICLE]

POSTAL AFFAIRS.

Reports of tho First and Third Assistant Postmasters General. The annual report of the First Assistant Postmaster-General shows that the number of postoffices established during the year was 3,414, an increase of 161 over the preceding year. The number discontinued was 1,260. a decrease of 361; a net increase of 522. The whole number aj postoffices on June 30, 188,1, was 50,017, an increase of 2,154.1 The nnniber filled by Presidential appointment was 2,323; the number filled by the appointment of the Post-master-General was 47,694. During the year 11,953 postmasters were appointed. The net increase of postoffices during the year is much larger than any increase lor several years past. The increase was divided among sections as follows: New England States, 49 ; five Middle States, 225 ; fourteen Southern States and Indian Territory, 1,070; ten States and six Territories in the West and Northwest, 707; three States and three Territories on the Pacific slope. 3,104. The greatest increase in any of the States or Territories was 156 in Texas. The increase in North Carolina was 126, and in Pennsylvania 124. The only decrease was in New Mexico. Comparing the number of postofflees in the different states the six highest on June 30 were: Pennsylvania. 3,840; New York. 3,122; Ohio, 2,707; Illinois, 2,167; Virginia, 1,982; and Missouri, 1,968. Of the Territories, Dakota had the largest number, 837, exceeding the number* in either Massachusetts, Maryland, or South Carolina. It -is recommended that the free delivery system be extended to places of 10,000 inhabitants, provided the postal revenues amount to SIO,OOO yearly. The attention of Congress is invited to the importance of erecting buildings for postoffices in all cities of 20,000 inhabitants and upward. The annual report of A. D. Hazen, Third Assistant Postmaster General, shows the number of postage-stamps, stamped envelopes, and postal-cards issued during the year was 2,166,130,396, and their total value $41,515,877. There was a decrease in the value of issues of ordinary postage-stamps of $1,229,735. The total deciease in the value of all issued, including postal-cards, stamped envelopes, postage-due stamps, and wrappers was $1,397,442. The weight of second-class matter during the year, not including free circulation within the county of publications, was 94,479,607 pounds, the postage on which was $1,889,592, an increase of $184,414 over the previous year. The whole number of pieces of undelivered mail matter received in the Dead-Letter Office, including 278,618 pieces on hand, was 4,843,099, and of this number 31,479 were misdirected. There were destroyed 2,539,477 letters, and 17,513 parcels of fruit, cake, etc. Among letters opened, 13,052 contained money and 19,014 drafts, etc. Of letters sent to foreign countries, 210,436 were returned as undeliverable. The total number of letters and parcels registered during the year was 11,246,545; the amount of registry fees collected $957,059, an increase of $30,509. The loss of registered letters during the year amounted to 1 out of every 21,795 pieces mailed. This is the smallest average loss since the organization of the registry system.