Rensselaer Republican, Volume 19, Number 12, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 November 1886 — UNCLE SAM’S MAIL [ARTICLE]

UNCLE SAM’S MAIL

Report or Hr. Vilas, Showing the Tear’s , - Operations of . the PostofflcA: Department. The Tear’s Postal Changes Mere than 22.000 .Changes, ofPostma jtpts During the Tear. . Tb%*eport of Postmaster General Vilas for fob fiscal year , ended June 30, 1886. says in immensity and extent of means, of -expenditures, of performances and results, the postal machinery of the United States exceeds—in some points far exceed* that of any other nation on the globe. The entire length of all railways employed by the United States nearly equals the combined extent of thoso of all other countries of the world, while the other post routes more than quadruple the total of any single people besides; and the mileage last year of our mail transportation exceeded by more than 125,000,000 miles the service rendered to any other government. Of postoffices no other nation has one-third our number. It is estimated that 100,600,000 more letters were mailed in the United States last year than in Great Britain! and nearly that number more than were mailed iu Germany, France, and Austria combined. The proportion to each inhabitant is estimated in the United States at 66, Great Britain 57, Germany 19. At the close of the fiscal year the total number of postoffices was 53,614, besides 497 branch offices. Of these 2,244 were Presidential offices, divided as follows: First class, 75; second class, 400; third class, 1,769. In the fourth class there were 51,370. Among all the offices 7,265 were money-order offices, besides 92 moneyorder stations. Concerning appointments the report says: “The appointments of Postmasters during the last fiscal year numbered altogether 22,747, of which 9,112 were made to fill vacancies occasioned or expired commissions, 587 to vacancies caused by death, 3,482 oh the establishment of new offices, and 9,566 (upon removals. Of the total number of appointments, 1,039 were made by yourself, the vacancies having occurred from the following causes, respectively—viz: By expiration of commission, 468; by resignations, 253; by deaths, 24; by removals or suspensions, 247; and to offices which had been assigned from the fourth to the third class, 47.” During the year the free-delivery service was extended to Aurora, 111.; Duluth, Minn.; and Newport, Ky. The total number of carriers was 4,840, an increase of 483. The total cost of this branch of the service was $4,312,306, an increase of $326,354 over the previous year. The work performed by the carriers is summarized as follows: “The number of pieces of mail matter, counting collections and deliveries, handled by the carriers during the year was 1,949,520,599, an increase over the previous year of 204,983,186, or 11.75 percent., while the carriers increased but 11.08 per cent, in number.” Tbe money-order system has been extended to 311 additional offices during the year, while 10 were dropped from the list. “During tbe year there, were issued 7,940,302. domestic orders, amounting to nearly $114,000,000; 5,999,428 postal notes, amounting to $11,718,000; and 493,423 international orders,, aggregating $7,178,786.21; besides the payment of foreign orders reaching a total of almost $4,000,000. The entire amount of fees received was $1,214,506.38, less by $2,869.60 than the previous year.” The act establishing the special-delivery system limited its privileges to 555 post- • Offices. Ihiring the full year of its-use—- ' to Sept. 30, 1886—1,118,820 letters were received for special delivery at these offices. Taking the full year, the total amount of fees received from this source was $84.782,. leaving a gross profit to the Government of $27,007. From the enlarged system, extending the privileges of the act to all postoffices and all mailable matter, the Postmaster General expects great results. The total revenues of the department for the year were- $43,948,422, and the excess of cost over revenue $8,254,157. Of the total appropriations for tbe year, amounting to> $54,183,642.14, the entire outlay actually.„mada.aa«i .estimated to be. made is buti $50,839,340.46, leaving a balance to be eventually covered into ihe Treasury of $3,344,301.68.

Letter-sheet envelopes, the report says,, have been long authorized, but no real attempt was made to introduce them until last October, when a contract was made with the owner ©f a patent, by which the department receives them without cost, andc pays for only what it sells, tip far the envelope appears- t«v find popular favor, but the Postmaster General thinks longer experiment desirable before recommending; the pumhase o£ the patent and tha manufacture by the Government. The- dead-letter office during tlife year handled 5,1)23,7.15 pieces of mail matter,! of which number 18(5,448 were delivered unopened: to tha proper parlies, and,3(53,373 1 foreign pieces were returned to the opuntry of origin.. Of those opened about one-half were destroyed as undeliverable on-value.-less. Letters to the number of 12.138,. containing money aggregating $21,7:52. besides 18,10-5 letters containing, drafts* checks,, or other instruments for the payment of money of the total face value of $1,121,154.74, were delivered to the ow.nei a. The neveime derived from dead letters which could not be restored to owners, and from auction sale of unclaimed parcels, amounted to $8,87^291 Postoffices Were reported robbed; to the number of 487, and 2(53 were , burned; 7(5 postal cars were burned or wrecked 27 mail stages and 7 mail messengers- were robbed. 70 pouches were lost, ami 127 reported stolen or injured. The records of the-inspectors show the following facts: “For violation of postal laws 6(50 persons w.ere arrested, of whom .243 were in the service and 417 were not; 110 were postmasters, assistants, or clerks, 14 railway postal clerks, 24 letter-carriers, 27 mailcarriers, and 11 of various employment. Seventy-nine burglars and 31 former postmasters are included among the arrests outside of the service. The State courts took jurisdiction of 54 eases and the Federal courts of 606. Of the latter convictions followed in 214, acquittals in 26, trial waits in 295, and the residue were dismissed or failed of indictment.” The story comes from Boston of a duds who, having been aßked to say grace at a formal spread at which he took a leading part, bo*ed his head slightly, languidly lowered his eyelids, and murmured, “Oh, Lord, thanks —awfully.” “Do you remember how you swore on your knees the night you proposed; love?” “Oh, that’s nothing.” “Nothing!" “Youonghtto hear me swear on my knees whan my col-lar-button drops and rolls under the washninr,3 tv ; ; •_ ■_ L_j -Ll ’ stand. The most shocking thing of all—The Oharieatoti earthquake.