Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-01-08

NAMED for more than a year unreturned
In such cases, though the expenses have
been incurred, they do not appear in the
transportation account, and though the
moneys may have been paid to the con
tractors they stand on the books as balan
ces to that amount due from them to the
department, constituting part of its sur
plus fund; when in fact, they constitute
a part of the actual expenses Tor trans
portation of the mail. The consequence
has been, that the expenses for transport
ling the mail within any given period Of
time, as shown in the accounts, and report
ed annually through the Executive, have
been always calculated to exhibit an a.
mount considerably less than what has
Iactually been incnrred. This is an i'm
perfection not of recent origin, bnt one
which appears to have been co'existent
with the department. When the number
Iof contracts was few, and the surplus rev
enue bore large ratio to its whole an
hnal amount, the effect was unimportant,
but in the increased number of mail routes,
and the diminution OF its surplus revenue,
it was calculated to produce serious in
convenience From the statements grow
lug out If this system, thus iilusory I'M
their results, together with the great cx'
pense ofcairying into effect the law Of the
last Congress establishing new mail routes
and a disposition to crafty the wishes of
the public in the improvement of mail IA
cilities, was led to carry those improve
ments 10 an extent which i was found
the resources of the department would
not well sustain. When the inconven-
fence was felt, the cause was carefully in
vestigated, and the following result was
disclosed. Prompt directions were given
for the correction of the error in future.
1t is not possible to determine, to an ex-
act certainty, the whole expense incurred
Tor transportation within atly recent peri
cd: because it will often happen that i'm
provemeuts will become necessary, even
for the fuiilment of existing laws, the ex-
penses of which for want of proper evi-
deDce, must be reserved for subsequent
adjustment, and SO come into the account
for later period than that in which the
services were performed. But these va
rlations arc of an inconsiderable amount
compared with the differences resulting
from hesystem heretofore observed.
On the 3oth of June, 1929, which was
the close of the first quarter in which !
had assumed the function of the depart
ment, the expenses which had been incur
red for transporting the mail were sea-
248 rs more than the amount stated in
my report to that day.
O,, the y st day of July, 1882, the day
to which my last report reaches, there
was stated to be surplus Of available
funds. after detraying all the expenses of
the department up to that day, OF
S2o2,811 4oI
1t is however now ascertain
ed, that the expenses in
cured for transportation
which had actually been
performed prior to the LIST
July, 1882, beyond the
amount stated in that re-
port, were 205,666 o7
SO that instead of a surplus On
that day, the department
was actually indebted on
the LIST day of July, 1882,
beyond the whole amount
of its available funds, admit,
ting that no losses of post
age should be sustained. 2,844 81
The gross amount ofpostagcs
for the year ending the 30th
June, 1882, was e,25s,57o II
The gross amount of posta-
ges for the year ending the
3Olh OF June 1888, was 2,616,538 81
Making an increase for the
year over the former
year of S357,96S 10
The nett proceeds of postages, after
decucting commissions to Postmasters and
the contingent expenses of their offices,
for the year ending the 5oth of June,
1882, was 3,09S 40
For the year ending June,
| 80, 1888, it was 1,790,254 IS
Making an increase of nett
proceeds for the wear, of c47,156 16