CHAPTER XXII MISCELLANEOUS NATIONAL ACTIVITIES THE POST OFFICE business done. 280. The Post Office as a Business Organization. The post Amount of office is the only notable example of a business actually conducted by the national government. More than 150,000 persons are employed in gathering and distributing the mails, over 60,000 post offices have been established, and nearly 150 pieces of postal matter for every man, woman, and child in the United States are handled yearly. Unlike ordinary firms, Uncle Sam does not seek to make money through the Post Office Department, but gives the people the best service possible at less than cost, the deficit in 1907 being $7,000,000 in a total expenditure of $190,000,000. Smith, C. E., in Cosmopolitan, 27 (1899), 1-14. Postmas ters, clerks, and carriers. National Adminis Post offices are divided into four classes, according to the amount of the business transacted. Postmasters are appointed by the President and Senate for the first three classes, about 7500 in number. The other postmasters, Fairlie, whose salaries are less than $1000 each, are chosen nominally by the Postmaster-general, but really by the congressmen tration, from the State or district in which the post office is located. 179-185. None of these officials is subject to civil service rules, and many are changed whenever a new administration is inaugurated at Washington. Most of the employees, including postal clerks, railway mail clerks, and mail carriers, are appointed by the Civil Service Commission (§ 44), being continually reëxamined by inspectors to insure efficiency. The postal system was under the control of the government even in colonial times, but the rates were exorbitant, and the methods in use History of the postal system. Harrison, This Coun very different from those of the present. Letters were usually the only things carried. Stamps were not used, and postage was not paid in advance. Until 1845 it cost 12 cents to send a letter 100 miles, and 25 cents for any distance greater than 450 miles. After Sir Rowland Hill had demonstrated in England the advantage of adhesive stamps and a reasonable rate, not dependent on the distance, we adopted in 1845 a try of Ours, modification of this plan. Charges have since been lowered greatly, the present rates having gone into effect October 1, 1883. The increase of business has certainly justified this last reduction, for the postal revenue is more than four times as great as it was twenty-five years ago, notwithstanding the proportionally larger business done for the same income, and the costly improvements that are constantly being made in the service. 233-240. Mail routes 281. Methods employed by the Postal Service. — In addition and railway to the post offices maintained for the sale of stamps and money orders post offices. and the delivery of mail, postal routes have been established over which the mails are transported. Contracts are made for carrying the Crissey, F., mail on these routes; with companies, for the routes most traveled, in World's as on railways or large rivers; with individuals, in more isolated reWork, gions. Moreover, all other persons or corporations are forbidden to 5 (1902), carry mail for a compensation over these routes, as the government re2873-2880. tains a monopoly of the business. Special fast mail trains are operated between large cities and on transcontinental lines. On all railways the mails are distributed by railway mail clerks at all hours of the day, in order to facilitate its delivery. This system is employed even on electric cars, which are used for collecting letters in cities. International Postal Service. Meyer, G. v. L., in No. Am. Rev., 187 (1908), 330-336. The telegraph. The United States is a member of the International Postal Union which was organized in 1891 for the purpose of establishing uniform rates on all letters, periodicals, and books from one to another. These rates are now the same to nations not in the Union. The rates for mail are the same, however, from the United States to our island possessions, Mexico, Canada, Germany, and Great Britain,1 as they are between points in this country. The United States has not joined the International Parcels Post Union which covers all of Europe, sending packages which weigh eleven pounds or less for small amounts. Special arrangements have been made with South American countries for carrying packages, Germany being the only European power to which they can be sent, but all American nations include parcels with other mail, although at much higher rates than prevail in Europe. By a law enacted in 1866, the Post Office Department has authority 1 To Great Britain letters only are included at this special rate. Germany gives us low rates on letters and parcels. to acquire the ownership and control of telegraph lines which it may need. This authority, of course, it has never exercised. Postal telegraph lines are being operated successfully by most of the progressive European governments. Mails, money orders, and free deliv 75 (1903), 282. The Work performed by the Post Office includes not only the collection and distribution of the mails,' but the issuance of money orders. Free collections and deliveries have been established in cities, large villages, and in many eries. rural districts, the number of daily deliveries depending upon density of population and the distance from the post office. This service is distinctly inferior to that of many foreign Mayo, E., in countries, where the mails are somewhat cheaper and de- Outlook, liveries are much more prompt. This is due partially to the greater distances in America, and even more to the fact that in the United States the letters give a large surplus revenue which is used to make good the deficit from other branches of the service. The mail for rural districts is really delivered from traveling post offices, the former post office usually being discontinued. This rural service has resulted in a marked increase of business, and has been very successful. 298-310. Willey, D. A., in Rev. 55-60. banks. Meyer, G. v. L., in Rev. of Revs., 39 (1909), 47-48. A law of 1910 permits the use of designated post offices as postal Postal savings banks. The system has been tried with success in foreign savings countries, particularly Great Britain, France, and Italy. The government pays 2 per cent interest, but no person is allowed to deposit more than $500. As 981 per cent of all deposits in our state savings banks are in thirteen States, the postal bank offers security as well as opportunity for savings, particularly in the other thirty-three. Valuable letters and packages are registered at the post offices or by mail carriers at the homes on the payment of eight cents besides postage. A record of every registered parcel is kept by each person through whose hands it passes, and, in case of loss, the sender may receive an indemnity not exceeding $25. Both domestic and international money orders are issued at certain offices, at a nominal charge. In 1907, 62,530,408 domestic orders 1 Ordinary mail is divided into four classes. Letters are first-class matter; periodicals, second class; books, third class; and merchandise, fourth class. The rates are highest upon first-class mail, and lowest for second class. Registered mail. Amount of money orders. |