Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-07-03

practicable, the data upon which this est
mate was made, and they have reason to
believe that this sum is also much above
the true amount
IL Is estimated by the chief clerk of the de-
partment, that the nett receipts for
hostages in the first quarter Of 1884,
VIII amount to $4,000
Your committee have ascertain
| ed that there was deposited in
| banks for the use OF the de-
| partmeDt within that quarter,
and prior to the lst day Of
April, s314,7O4
Which will leave, Of the receipt,
| of that quarter, in the hands
| of postmasters, on that day, s205.7o4
A considerable portion ofthis sum, pro-
badly, was received by the department
in drafts on postmasters, but TO what a
mount your committee have no means of
ascertaining. They therefore take the a.
bove sum as the amount due for that
lsquarter on the LIST of April, 1884.
This estimate Of the sums due and out
standing, will still appear large, if we
compare il with the amount Of similar
claims under former administration; at
time, too, when the department was not
involved in debt, and had no particular
| reasons to press its collections with pecu-
liar urgency. 1t appears by the first re-
port of the present Postmaster General,
made on the Gath of November. 1929,
that, on the LIST day Of July of that year,
the whole amount due and outstanding, in
the hands Of postmasters and others, was
S94, 400 81; and we can see no good rea.
son why the amount of balances should
have been suffered to rise to $3.50 ,429,
much less to the enormous sum of $780,
000, as is estimated by the chief clerk, es-
pecially at time when the department is
| insovent, and borrowing from banks, and
overdrawipg its deposites daily, and even
descending to ask the credit Of individuals
to sustain it in its most necessary func-
tions.
But, admitting the sum estimated by
your committee to be due from postmas-
tiers; the credits of the department will
stand thus:
Amount of available debts for hostages
accruing within the lst day of January
1884, SS3,725
Do. do for hostages &C.
cruing in the quarter ending
the LIST day of April, 1884. 205,7o4
Funds deposited in solvent banks, 31,546
considered Available, ssao,o75
! The amount of debts due on that day,
as stated by the officers OF The depart
ment, was SLIPS, 500
| Balance against the department on final
settlement of all its accounts, would be
Ss03 625.
The above estimate of the amount due
by the department, is taken entirely upon
the credit OF the officers of the bureaux 10
which the superintendent Of those &C
counts properly belong. They profess 10
! have given them with all practicable ar
curacy, and your committee, having no
particular reason to doubt their correct
ness, have no. gone into an investigation
with view to test them.
/ With respect to the credits and outstand-
ing claims Of the department, your
committee could not place the same re-
lance on the general estimate presentc d
them. The amount was much larger
than they had reason TO suppose correct
from their knowledge of the general course
OF business in the department; and their
investigation has satisfied them that the
error was even larger than they at first
anticipated. amounting, as has been alrea-
dy shown TO upwards Of 100000.
Your committee have also made, and
here present an estimate Of the revenue
and expenditures OF the department for
the last quarter Of the year 1888, by
which il will be seen that, without some
real and substantial reform in the manage
ment Of its concerns, there is little pros.
pect that it will extricate itself from the
present embarrassments. 1t appears, as
stated above; that the re-
cspts for hostages in
that quarter amounted
to s467, 449
The transportation for the
same quarter amounted
TO -s522,714
Incidental expenses to 27,9S5
Total expenditure, $3.50. 100
Exces. Of expenditure over
the revenue So, 500
Which continuing in the
same ratio throughout
the year, would bear an
annual deficit of S34O,64o
r An opinion was expressed by the I'M
mediate predecessor of the present Post,
e master General, in his report of Novcm.
I Der 1881, that the department, by a
vigilant administration of its affairs
4 would be able TO supply all the wants oil
/. the community, and in few years TO pay
/, into the treasury An annual sum of $500
600. This estimate seems 10 have beer
{ grounded upon the rapid increase OF the
' receipts for hostages, the improvement Q
e roads and means OF Conveyance ana Tue