Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-07-08

~ paid by this Department into the Treasury The snm of
SioooOO could be placed the disposa the
would effect the desired lief and that witbout in;v IN
tne successful operations OF the Department il could be re-
vsa, 10 .e .reasury, one third in year, one third in
y'' anu he remainder by the LIST OF March, 1887 This
statement was no proposition OF mine II was in answer
,o % winch emsns'ed from the committee never
stated at aid from the Treasury necessary 10 enable
me 10 carry on the operations OF the Department ne
yer obtained loan upon the credit Of the Treasury nor
asAeu eei IRON that The operations Of the De-
Pratment can be carried without the Treasury
ne means are within the of the
raj. The retrenchmens made in December last are not
Sy iest Oy the community, end from the beginning Of
me current year tie expenses Of the DEPARTING Mt are less
,nan us revenues Ano her rerenchment to the same
ahoun', VIII sun leave much extensive mail fac
es TO The country, than IT enjoyed when came into the
department, ond in little time relieve il from debt,
anu place surplus in the hands of the Department.
The majority OF the Committee further state that at
appears om the hrst report Of the present Postmaster
the LIST day OF July of that year, the whsle amount
a a, anu outstanding in The hands of Posmaers
report does 10, state 1t have been the fact There
never was time since the Department was hut
que oulh part as extensive as il is at present, that
on he hst day oil any quarter the whole amount of out
standing debts was less than double that amount NV first
report stated that, alter deducng amount due
rom Poslnasters and Others the Of july 1929 the
expenses Tor transporting the mail and the incidental ex
penses OF the Department for the quarter ending that ay
(whlct amounted TO upwards OF $500 600 there remain-
ed balance due from them $9I 400 and 81 cents The
actual amount oil balances due from pomasters on the LIST
july 1922 was not less than 400 900 dollars; and the
amount due TO contractors and Others for the service. of
the quarter ending that day, upwards OF $500 600
anu my statement showed the balance which remained
aher deducting the one from the other. The law proh-
hib the payment OF contractors till their services arc
performed On the frs, day of July. 1929 The whole
amount Tor transportation from April L. To that day. was
due amounting 10 than 800 600 dollars besides tor
ner balances and other expenses II 'ihe whole amount
due aud outstanding in the hands and
on that days was but 81 400 dollars and 81 cents as the
majority aHege, the Department must have been i'm a
much condition when came into n tIan hvar
Preehded or than what they, in her part their re-
Por aver But their object here is, show the prac
eaOlS Q. collecting at given day, the outstanding
10 fllscr
the low condition in which my predecessor left the De-
partmen But this is in character with their other allie
cations
They next attempt upon the alton and If
tue brddIeys prove errors in my the amount
o, an"ua, transportation They state that they
voaeh o the accuracy oil The report OF the Badeys but
hey seem to presume its aud bear
mony' upon its authority, against the statements which
nave furnished, though accompanied such data az
VIII enable any person error if an error in
them exists part of the OF the Bradleys pur-
porting TO have discovered errors the length of the mail
roads, was too glaringy inconsistent Cor even the majority
OF The Committee introduce their report and tey
sTe omitted though confirmed! they say, by the oath
The late Postmaster stated in his last renort
oHemoef' 1873, that the annual transportation OF the
In stages, 64S9 59i miles.
oh horseoacK' 7,I70,445 miles.
Making the total amount 10 be 1860 .Os0 miles
mad taken this as basis which to rhine the
amount Of increase which had given it, have never
examined his calculations, but presume thew are
had caused route books be made containing the Names
O me seVeraI post Offices each
ces from each other, showing the length and the ire
quency OF the transportation OF the mail on each ron
where the roads had not been surveyed, the distances
were taken from the statements of poslmastes on ench
route From these books, statement was made Of The
length oil each route, the frequency OF the transportation
oil the mail upon IT, and The number of miles was trans.
ported In a year The Of these ed the whole
aanoal transportation of the mail, which was
In 1882 1852 $50 miles.
~ one .n 1900 26,S54,4S5 miles.
In 1928 it was, by the late Postmaster.
Generals report, but 1870 039 miIes
az from To of
The majority OF the Committee state thai they had not
ime TO examine this document though they appear not to
nave wanted Time TO examine the OF the Brad.
ieys; and The minority found time TO examine this
To dscredii this statement, BradIsys took the adj
verletnents Tor proposals TO the mail the
there stated, and measured the distances on the man ben
not noted in the took the of ns
called Tor by The advertisements, and calculated the
amount OF annual transportation. The Bradievs knew
when making this statement, though oath that
contracts were oien made for carrying the mail
quen'y on route than called for by nj and
often Tor extending them greater distance The Com
mit'ee also had evidence of The Iac and iat il was
done in great many instances by existing contracts vet
they affect 10 give full credit to the calculations o ha
Bradleys, ipon these false data
The majority Of the Committee anniadv vert upon ,ba
contracts oil Messrs. Stockton 81 Neil observing that
In the report OF the Postmaster General furnished TO
CengFsss' during the session Of 1872, he quoted
NEE cohfacta at lew rate; but that his report of
81 March. 1884, he stated them to be at much hgher
rae. The facts before The Committee, furnished bv
the records OF the Department were, that the promo.
sails OF Messrs Stockton & Neil contained two pro.
positions distinct from each other: one was TO per-
o'm certain amount OIL service for certain sum
me o'ner was TO perform much larger amount of
service for a much greater sum The proposal was
accepted for The smaller sum, but with an express con.
ditIon, that IL the Postmaster. enera should At anv
hhe require oil them the service proposed in their se-
reia proposition, they should perform for the sum
stipulated IN their proposals. The first report of This
cotfact, WIN others, was made from the book of re
eO4aeh proposals, and contained the sum accepted--
This sas in conformity with the custom which had
prevailed with my predecessor. After the acceptance
anu alter substituting The greater amount of service
ueIe was very pressing application made TO me
signed by Mr.. Thomas Ewing, Senator from Ohio
and many hers, members OF Congress still TO increase
lhe service TO That extent which required the greatest
amount OF additional compensation Agreeably 10 The
earnest recommendation Of Mr. Ewing and oilers Il
was done. And now complying with what MIR Ew-
ing Then 80 earnestly pressed proper and right he
rePooales as Improper and wrong. Whether he WAS
sincere IN his ads coating IL, in cOudemninp it, know
no or whether Tie relation iD which he now stands 10 The
Stale Of Oho-"hich Stale deeply interested in the
improvement has so changed have changed his opin-
ions on the subject of the mail accommodations ia which
10 decide.
The same remarks made in relation 10 The con.
iracis Of Jane Keeside, and Of Messrs. Reesde & ssy-
MAKER Tue same idcts also applied to them They
made m eac case two propositions the smaller was first
accepiedj afterwards, Tor tie better accommodation Of he
pubic The greater service ssequed and Of course the
higher compensation given These aud OIL err cases which
ibc state 10 be similar, though they have not specified
hen they feprobae "nyogng almost every conceiva-
bic variety Of abuse" On all these roncs there s no,v
greater amount OF service performed in proportion 10 The
compensation allowed, thdu under any former contracts:
and ms the Committee knew or had the Of know
u Is aud as Mf Ewing himself earnestly the
most eHpen'iye Of these improvements, the public will
judge what credit is due to bis decision.
VE.t.. =.