Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-06-17

ending on the 3lSt OF March, 1854, part Hdu
been paid over by deposites to the credit OF lhe
department, before the termination OF that quar-
ter; but so far as they had been thus paid over,
they had been applied to the payment OF claims
against the department.; SO thatiftheir payment
in part lessened the amount due to the depart
ment, their application lessened in the same de-
gree the amount due from the Department.
1t should here be noticed that many OF the
posmasters, in the most productive post oflces,
are required, by the regulations OF the depart
ment to deposite to its credit in bank portion
of the proceeds of their Offices before the close
of the quarter. Some of these make their de-
posites weekly, some monthly, and. some not
till after the end of the quarter. or the postage
collected at the several post offices, 1t IS estlma
ted that about one-half, or little more than
one half is deposited in banks, and the remain
der is drawn by drafts on postmasterS IN FAVOR
of contractors. Of the amount deposited IN
banks, it is estimated that about one-half Is
deposited before the close OF the quarter; SO
that the amount thus deposited of the current
proceeds, before the close of the quarter is es-
timated at about one-fourth of the whole pro-
ceeds of the quarter, and is available by the
Department to the payment OF transportation,
for services rendered during the preceding
quarter The compensation for services rem
dered for transportation in one quarter being
payable in the next This, however, does not
affect the means ofthe Department for meeting
its engagements, because the same means recur
by the current depositeS, to an amount, al east
equal in every successive quarter. lt Wouiu
only produce this result: that if the department
were 10 close its operations, and dup lis pu-
siness, at the termination Of any quarter, IL
would be found about one month behind hand In
its resources, beyond what it would be If its oper-
ations continued. These current payments
| have always been relied upon by the depart
ment and while it continues its operations. they
can never fail. They do not therefore, sensl-
bly affect the statement of the present condluon
of the Department.
Bv the last report of the late Postmaster Gen
erai, 18th November, 1925 the annual transport
| tation of the mall at that time, was 13,61O,O39
miles From the report OF the present PoSt-
master General, which report is corroborated
by statement of all the mail routes with their
| distances, and the frequency of transportation
on each it appears that the annual amount OF
| TRANSFORMATION of the mail, on the 1st July,
1882, was 23,625,021 miles; and on the LIST
| July, 1888, it appears to have been further
increased to 26,054, 495 miles, nearly double
! the amount of what 1t was when the present
incumbent took charge of the Department 1T
also appears, from the report of the Postmas'
| ter General to the Senate, OF the Sd OF March
| last that the whole amount OF allowances to
contractors for extra services by which TINS
great increase Of transportation was mainly Ell
! fected was $4S5,66 Al per annum. 10 THIS
sum should be added the expense OF carrying
into effect the law Of the 18th OF June, 1852, es
tablishng additional post routes, which IS est
I mated in the report of Sd OF March, CAST page,)
| at 1925 34l SS. On these new routes, no reve'
| nue. of any considerable amount could be eX-
0ected for some time, especially for the first one
| or two years.
The allowances for these extra services Gall
taken together) appear to be quite within the
| bounds OF moderation, when compared with
| the amount Of additional services rendered; and
taken in connexion with the expense of estab-
| fishing the new mail routes, required by the law
| of 1892 and the loss of revenue occaSlOned by
the extension of the Thanking privilege to mem
| bers of Congress, throughout the year, and
the circumstance of the expenses in 1929
! being much greater than the revenues Of the
department, the present deficit is fully account
| ed for. These extra services were designed
| for no other end than the benefit Of the commu-
nity. At the earnest solicitation of many citl-
zens, urged in most cases by members OF Con-
gresS, and others high in public confidence, the
facilities were granted by the Postmaster Gene
raj, aud have been enjoyed by the community
In his great desire to satisfy the wishes OF eve
~ section of the country and to render the
Department as extensively useful as possible,
he has gone too far, because he has exceeded
the moneyed means OF his Department. But he
appears for the reason assigned in his report,
which has been communicated to the Senate,
to have been unapprized Of the exact condition
till the deficiencies actually appeared. He then
made the investigation, which resulted in dis.
closing the cause, and applied the corrective
with as much promptness as the public interest
would admit
The want of more perfect organization of
the Post Office Department by law, is calculat-
ed to produce embarrassment and often to sub
iect its head to unmerited animadversion. The
other Departments of the Government are orga-
nized with sub officers, holding their appoint
ments from the Executive, who superintend the
different branches, and share the responsibility.
The Post Office Department was but small in
the beginning, and has grown rapidly into its
present magnitude and Importance. To this
circumstance it is probably owing that it has
hitherto been left without proper organization.
The individual who may happen to be at its
head. is held responsible for every thing; though
its business is so multifarious and extended that
no individual can possibly superintend all its
branches. 1t was formerly the case, that all ITS
funds were at the disposal of single person,
without any check whatever upon him. or even
the means of knowing whether the surplus funds