Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-17
SS per annum.
5 per annum.
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
VIEWS OF THE MINORITY

yMr. GRuNDY presented the following paper as
containing the views of the minority of the
committee, which was ordered to be append
ed to. and printed with, the report of the ma
jority.]
The undersigned, two of the FIVE members
composing the Committee on the Post Ofhce
and Post Roads, to which was referred the re-
solution of the Senate of the goth of March
last directing an examination to be made into
the present condition ofthe Post Office Depart
ment, differing essentially in their views from
,he majority of the committee, consider it their
duty TO present statement of the result of their
inquiries, which it is believed is fully sustained
by the testimony taken, and by the books and
documents of the Department.
The committee were agreed in the opinion,
that it was duty which they owed, no less TO
The Postmaster General himself, than to the
oublie, to give all the branches of that Depart
ment as thorough an examination as practical
Sle.
The first and leading point which attracted
attention. was its financial condition, The re-
mort of the Postmaster General, OF November
10th, 1892 showed an expenditure, for the year
ending 30th june of that year, exceeding the
amount of revenue for the same period, by ST.
$40 49, Tt also showed an increase in the
amount of mail transportation, within the same
period, at the rate of s, 156, 1872 miles, equal to
;lpwards of million of miles, more than half OF
The whole annual transportation of the mail in
1929. II also showed a surplus of available
FUNDS at the disposal of the Department, to the
amount of $202,S1l 40. The report of the
Postmaster General of November 3Oth, 1883,
showed that the expenses for transportation OF
the mail, prior to the 1st July, 1929, had been
S64,24S rs more than had been reported; and,
that the expenses for the same object from the
first of July, 1922 to the first of July, 1882, had
oeen $l4l,407 81, making together an expense
Of $205,656 OF beyond the amount which had
been reported to the latter period. This exceed
ed the SUN reported as surplus on that day,
and left an actual deficit, on the 1St OF July,
1882. of $2S44 G. beyond the whole amount of
available funds, including all hostages which
had accrued prior to that day. The same re-
port showed an increase in the transportation
Of the mail within the year ending the 30th
June, 1888, at the annual rate of 1928, AGA miles,
end an excess of expectation beyond the reve-
me of the Department, to the amount of $685.
eos 40. The report also exhibited the annual
expense of transportation to be, at the time OF
making the report $2033, 2S9 AZ, and the Incl
Genital expenses of the Department, about $780,,
900, making together the aggregate expense, for
the year which will end the 30th June, 1884,
81 ,2S9 AZ, while the nett proceeds Of post
coes for the year ending the 30th June, 1888,
vas but Sl.79O254 65. This excess Of expense
:nustnecessarily have continued to the close of
he year 1888, from which period the retrench-
er General stated in his report to have been
directed. Taking the report for a basis on
which to raise the calculation and the expenses
II the Department will have been. from July l.
1888, to December 81 1885, $1,061, 644 II
'She nett proceeds of hostages for
the same period, as nearly as can
pe ascertained, 94l, 1868 81
leaving deficit for the half year,
ending 3lst December 1888 of 120,276 10
add to this the deficit existing July
J, 1883, 195,2Os 40
And the total deficit on the lst ia
nuary, 1884, would be, 3l6,454 so
The retrenchments which were to take effect
from the lst of January, of the current year,
ought to have reduced this deficit below the
sum Of $780, 900 by the lst of April. The condi-
ton Of the Department appears to have been at
chat time as nearly as we can ascertain, as fol-
lows:
Que to contractors, as per document No. 2, for
services prior to Jan'y 1st, 1884, $19O,0O0 90
Ditto, from January lst: to April
LIST, 1884. 445O0O 90
Total to April lst, 1884, $4,000 90
Due to Banks for loans and over
drafts, 18th April, 1884, 45l,599 AZ
:Fotal amount due, 1,Os6,5s9 4s
Due to the Department on the 1st
April, from Postmasters and "a
valuable
10 January lst, 1884, ssOoOoo)
From January lst to 100000 90
April 1st 1884, 500,0O0)
Balance against the Department to
April 1st, 1884, ESQ, 500 4S |
To this must be added the interest
payable to the 1st of May, 1884
as per document No. 3, amount
ing to $3.50 90
And the whole deficit is, 1922. 100 4S |
In the above estimate of 100000, due to the
Department on the 1st of April last, of hostages
which accrued prior to the 1st of January, there
is noapossibility of testing its accuracy by any
other estimate, because it is not an estimate of
the hostages that accrued from the 1st of Octo
Der, to the 3lst of December, 1888, the greater
portion Of which had been collected>before the
lst of April, but 1t embraces all the remaining
balances due to the Department on the 1st OF
April, of all the hostages which had accrued
from the beginning of the Government so far
as they are believed TO be available. Ii must |