Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 December 1887 — THE POSTAL DBPARTMENT. [ARTICLE]

THE POSTAL DBPARTMENT.

Rrvfiuiieii and K<p Aniiituro *—-Figure* and Sw jyeationn. • • 'i' ■ ' * . ‘ ’ i Therenortof the Third Ass slant Post- : Mas er General for the last fiscal year ' has been made public. It shows that the i total postal revenue ot the year was $48,■118,273. The revenue-Jrom the money order business was 1717,336. which i should be added to the above. I'he total expenditures of the year were $53,138,252. The total cost of the service over its revenue, was $5,482,670. The receipts of the year were 11 1 per cent, greater than for the previous year, w tile the rati r of expenditures was at a ratio of but 3 4 per cent'. It is estimated that within the next year the receipts and exp«nditures'‘‘Will nearly balance. It is recommended that an investigation of the pneumatic tube system in use in the large cities of Europe be made with a view of introducing them here. The j total value ts ah stamped paper issued i by the department during the year was $46,619,680, which is an increase over the previous year of nearly 7 percent. The postage collected on second class matter during the year was $1,262,348, which represents a weight of over 63,C00 tons. This is an increase of nearly 15 per cent, over the previous year, ftecommendat'on is made that in all cases where oaths are required .in the transaction of postal business, postmasters be authorized to administer them. It is also recommend- d that all postage on second-class matter shall be paid by the attachment of adhesive stamps, as is required for all other mail matter; anil (2) that certain periodicals, now 7 enjoying second-class rates, be required "to pay third-class rates. By this is meant the so-called libraries of etc. The special delivery system has increased about 21 per cent-, during the year,and ie. growing in favor. First Ass’t Posmaster General Stevenson’s report shows that 3,043 postoffices were established during the year The whole number of postoffiees in operation June 30, was 55,157. Appointments of postmasters were made during the year as follow : On resignations and commissions expired 6 868; on removals and suspensions, 2,584; on deaths of postmasters, 589; on establishment of new offices. 3,043. The. largest increase in the number of offices in any of the States and TeTritortes'diirifig the year was as follows: Pennsylvania, 118; Georgia, 92; Texas, 77; and Virginia, 74. There was a decrease fn the number of offices in but one State—eight in Nevada. There were seven States which on_June.3oth.,coataiaftdjnanilhah.2j)oo---offices each, as follows: Pennsylvania, 4,119; New York, 3,248; Onio. 2,833; Virginia, 2,355; Illino-s, 2,266; Missouri, 2,117, and North Carolina,2,lll). Among the principal contract articles consum_ ed by-tire~po3r,al service were about 383 tons of wrapping twine, over 193,000, 000. facing s' ips, over 6100-1,000 blanks, and 7,000,000 letter heads. The following recommendations were made: That—the deposit of 50 cents for each postoffice box-key be reduced to 25 -cents; that authority be granted and the necessary appropriations be made by • Congress for paying the rent of third class postoffiees-