POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT. The official title of one of the executive departments of the government ; established in 1794. It is under the management of the Postmaster-Gen eral, who since the time of Andrew Jackson has been a member of the President's Cabinet.
He is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. The department is divided into four great bureaus each under the immediate charge of an assistant postmaster-generaL The first assistant's bureau has charge of the large clerical and carrier forces and all the matters of actual management. It supervises an annual ex penditure close to $100,000,000. The bureau of the second assistant has the immense task of providing for the transportation of the mails at a yearly cost of about V0,000,000. That of the third assistant looks after the financial side, furnishes the stamps and keeps the accounts. The fourth assistant has'charge of the appoint ment of 55,000 postmasters and directs the force of inspectors.
The Railway Post The idea of a railway post office was first brought officially to the notice of the department of First Assist ant Postmaster-General Hobbie, who, in 1847, had been in gurope, and in his report gave his impressions of the traveling post office in Eng land. Under Postmaster-General Holt, in July 1862, the first railway post office was introduced in this country. In 1864 the leading railroads were induced to alter the cars for the purpose of the railway post office, and from that time this service has grown, until now it is a model institution of its kind. In 1916 there were 3,479 railway routes, 8,027 mail messenger routes, 571 electric car routes, 264 wagon routes, 260 steamboat routes, 21 star routes (in Alaska), and six pneumatic tube routes. The cost of the railway mail service was $28,516,000, and railway mail pay $61,692,000.
The system was established in 1864, under the ad ministration of Postmaster-General Blair. In order to accommodate soldiers and others wish ing to transmit small sums of money, he ad vised the incorporation of this idea in our postal system. At its beginning only 138 offices were allowed to issue orders. The number in creased to 34,547, which during 1903 issued 45, 941,681 domestic money-orders, and in 1917, 133,292,000 domestic orders, and 1,973,714 for eign orders this latter a decrease due to the
war. See POSTAL MONEY ORDER SERVICE.
Rural Free Delivery.—The rural free deliv ery service was established under President Mc Kinley, in 1897. That year 44 routes wereput in operation. The service has grown steadily. By 1901 the mileage had grown to over 100,000, the cost was $1,750,321, and over 15,000 car riers were employed. In 1905 the mileage was 721,237, cost $20,864,000, with 32,055 carriers. In 1910 the mileage was 993,068, cost $36,915,000. with 40,997 carriers. In 1917 the mileage was 1,112,556, cost $52,420,000, with 43,338 carriers. The net advantage of the Rural Free Deliv ery system include (1) postal receipts increased; (2) value of farm lands enhanced; (3) farmers brought into touch with markets; (4) social and educational benefits derived in country and town by being kept in touch through the daily receipt of papers and correspondence; (5) benefits to small towns. In three, at least, of these advantages the benefit of the postal serv ice to commerce is distinctly notable. See PARCEL POST.
Dead Letter The dead letter office dates back to 1825. An act of Congress made it the duty of postmasters to publish quarterly, or oftener, whenever the Postmaster-General might direct, a list of letters remaining in their offices, and once every quarter to forward those that could not be delivered to the department at Washington. Here are received annually about 15,000,000 pieces of mail matter.
The Postal Under the terms of a treaty concluded at Berne, 9 Oct. 1874, the ob ject of which was to secure uniformity in the treatment of correspondence, and the simplifica tion of accounts, as well as the reduction of rates within certain limits, and whose provisions were carried into operation generally 1 July 1875, the whole of Europe, the United States, Egypt, British India and all the colonies of France were at the outset, or shortly thereafter, included in the union, and many other coun tries and colonies have since joined it. The international accounts in respect of postages are based on a month's return of correspondence taken every third year.