Show THE POSTAL SERVICE washington oct 22 the report of first assistant postmaster general perry S heath for the fiscal year ended june was made public today the following is an abstract on july ast 1st there were presidential offices embracing first class second class and 2816 third class the net increase for the year in the salaries of postmasters at these offices to is with the consolidation of af the present independent post offices within the limits of the new city of new york a saving of at least in salaries and commissions of postmasters will be effected another considerable reduction in expenses may be made by the merging or the abolishment in many cases of the several heads of divisions and other officials receiving their salaries congress should not only repeal the law providing that no post offices shall be abolished or discontinued by reason of any consolidation of post offices under the existing law but should also authorize the postmaster general to extend consolidation soli dation wherever in his belief the service may be thereby bene fitted the estimate for the fiscal year ending june 30 1899 embraces for compensation of postmasters for clerk hire rental and purchase of cancelling machines rent fuel and lights miscellaneous items and furniture and advertising A plea is made for the purchase of t the he postal stations in the larger cities the estimate for the free delivery service for the fiscal year ending june 18 1899 to is since the close of the fiscal year 1897 the service has been established in more then than forty offices and d before the close of the current year all offices entitled to the service will receive the same domestic and international money issued aggregated amount ing to aggregate number of payments and repayments amounting to there were pieces of original unclaimed matter received at the dead letter office a decrease of the special letter and collection boxes operated in baltimore in connection with the public street service eare are held to be successful and when appropriations permit will be extended to other cities the affixing of the ordinary letter boxes to the ordinary street cars to facilitate mail collection is also to be taken up the total appropriations made by congress for settling overtime claims of carriers up to date aggregate total claims allowed on this ratio will reach 3 rural free delivery has been put to the test of practical experiment in twenty nine states and over forty four different routes the operation cooperation co of the communities served has in every instance been effectively given the general satisfactory results suggest the feasibility of making rural delivery a permanent feature of postal administration in the united states not immediately and in all districts at once but in some graduated form related to the present experiments public policy requires some advancement to be made and that the postal service should be brought more into line with ing prosperity and increasing population sooner ar or later the united states will have to follow the lead of the more densely populated countries and establish a delivery service over the settled portions of the vast territory under wise restriction it can be extended with great advantage to a class of our citizens who rightly or wrongly deem themselves neglected in legislation the agricultural class and without serious detriment to the revenues rev |