Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-06-27
NV cnty-tIaird COngress.--Ist sess.
VIEW OF THE MINORITY

MIR Grundy presented the following paper, containing
the views OF the minority OF the committee, which was
ordered 10 be appended 10, and printed with the report
oil the msjority.]
The undersigned. two of the FIVE members composing
The Committee ON the Post Office and Posi- Roads, hch
was referred the resolution Of the Senate OF the 29lh
March last, directing examination be into the
present condition OF the Post Office Department differing
essentially ia their views from the majority CT commit
tee consider their duty present Of the
suit oil their inquiries, which is believed is fully sustain
ed by The testimony taken, and by the books and
OF the department.
The committee agreed in the opinion that il was
aduty which they owed, no less tothe Postmaster
himself than TO the public, give all the branches
mat department as thorough examination practical
The first and leading pon, r-ach attracted attention,
was its financial condition The report OF the Posimas
General, OF November Both, 1882 showed expendi.
ure, Tor the ending 30b June, OF that year.
ing the amount OF for the period, by 81 $50
Is IL also showed an increase in the amount Of mail
tranporiaiion within the PERIOD at the rate OF
59Z miles, equal TO upwards OF million Of miles
than half Of the whole annual of the mail
in 1929. IL also showed surplus of available funds a
the disposal OF the Department, the S202
no. The report OF the Postmaster General November
3Oh, 1888 showed that the expenses Tor Importation OF
the mall prior the 1sl July 1922 had been S6i 24S 76
more than had been reported; AMI that the expenses for
the object HON the first OF July 1929 TO The first OF
JuIy 1882 had been $lil407 81 making together
pese oil S2O5,6 OF beyond the bich had bee
reported 10 the latter period Ills exceeded the sum re-
ported as surplus on day. and lett actual deficit
the Let of July, 1882 OF 81 Sa4 81 beyond the hole
amount OF available unds including all postages which
had accrued prior that day The repor an
increase in the transportation OF the mail within The year
ending the Both June, 1888, al the annual Of 229
4ol miles; aud an excess OF expectation beyond The
nue. OF the department 10 the amount OF sI95 ,20S 40
The report also exhibited the annual expense ranspor
iaion TO be, at the time oimaking the report s. O33 $780,
AZ, and the incidental expenses of the department. about
100000 making together the aggregate expense Tor the
year which will end the Both june 1884, So % 2S9 ~
while the nett proceeds OF poslages for The year ending the
3Oh june 1888, but 81 100 254 Co. This excess of
expense necessarily have continued TO the close of
yyhi fher CHI
TO commence; which the Postmaster General stated in his
epor to have been directed Taking the report for ba
sis which raise the calculation and the expenses OF
the department Will have been, from July 1888. De-
cember 81, 1888, $l06l,6Ii III
The nett proceeds OF hostages for the same
period, as nearly as can be ascerained Oil 1868 81
Leaving deficit for the half year, ending
3lst December 1889, of Si20276 10
Add to his the deici' existing July |, 1885, l9520S 40
And the total deficit on the Is January
1884, would be, S3i6454 80
The retrencbments which were to take effect nom the
Isl January oi lie current year, ought 10 have educ
ed ms drhr below the sum oil $500 900 by the LIST oil
April The condition OF the department appears to have
been at that time, nearly can ascertain, as
follows:
Due TO contractors, as per document No. o.
or services prior to January Isl, 1884, $4,000 90
DITTO, from January Isl, April l 1884, 4I5 900 90
Total 10 April Isl, 1884, $685.. 900 90
Due TO Banks for loans and over drafts IIh
April, 1881, 45I 500 4s
Total amour. due, 81 Oss 500 AZ
Due 10 the department, on Isl April, from
Postmasiers aud available,
To January LIST, 1884, $500 600 \
From January Isl, TO April $500, 400 90
1si, 1884, 500 OOOt
Balance against the department to April
r. isI, 1881, $2s6, 500 As
Bile TO the LIST OF May 1884, per dOcu.
ment No 3, amounting to $50 90
And The whole deficit is, 1922, 100 4S
In the above estimate of $500 500, due 10 the DEPART
ment on the LIT OF April last, Of hostages which accrued
prio TO the lt OF January there no possibility OF test
Ing It's accuracy by any other estimate, because il is not
an estimate oil The hostages that from the Isl of
October TO The 3lst OF December, 1885, the greater por
lion Of which had been collected before the Isl of April
but II embraces all the remaining balances due the de-
parmeut on the LIST OF April, OF all the postages which
had accrued from the beginning of the Government so
far as they believed TO be alable 1t must be obyi.
Gus, therefore, that innate can be made of
their amount, without going over every account many
thousands in number, striking The balance of each and
adding these balances together This have not done
and The labor which would require great as TO
der il impracicable at this time.
IL is also proper 10 observe that OF he $500 OOO esti-
mated the proceeds OF the quarter endipg TN the 81 nj
March 1884, part had paid over by deposi,es TO the
credit OF The department, before the termination of that
qusier but so lar as they had been thus paid over they
had been applied TO The payment OF claims against the
pirmeDt; so that II their payment in part lessened The
amount due TO the department. their application lessened
In the same degree the amount due from the department
Ii should here be noticed, that many Of the postmas-
tiers, IN The most productive post Offices, required,
the regulations OF The department. 10 depoe its credit
in bank, portion OF the proceeds OF their Offices before
The close Of the quarter. Seine OF these make their de.
poses weekly, monthly, aud some not till after the
end Of the quarter OF the postage collected at the sc.
veral post Offices, IL s estimated that about half or
little than half is depo tied in banks, and the re-
fnainder il drawn by drafts posnasfs in dyOr
tractors vi the amount deposited in banks, Il is estimated
that about hail is deposited befo the close of the
quarter that the amount thus deposited OF the current
hrl.-
about one fourth of the whole proceeds Of tie quarter and
available by the department TO The payment Of Transport
aon i0T services endered during the preceding quarter
The compensation for service rendered for
quarter being payable IN The next This howe err,
not affect the Of the department for meeting en-
gagemebis because the same by the current
deposes amount, least equal in every successive
quarter. 1t would only produce this result that the de-
par meni 10 close its operations, and wind its bust
AT the termination Of any quarter II would be found
about month behind hand IN s resources beyond what
II would he II lie opei atoms continued These pay
nents have always been relied upon by the department,
and while II continues its operations, they fail
They do not therefore, senbly affect Tie sa.eneh Of The
present condition Of the department.
by the last Report Of The late Postmaster General I7h
November. 1928, The annual transportation Of the mail
hat ime, 10 6i0 O39 miles. From The epofs the
presen Postmaster euesl, which report l. couoborated
by statement OF all the mail routes with their distances
and the frequency al transportation EACH u appears
that The annual Of transportation Of tie mail,
ID 1s July, 1882. % 625 OF miles; aud lie Isl
Jolly 1888 appears to have been further increased TO
26 S5i ls5 miles, nearly double The amount Of what
when the present incumbent took charge OF the depart
men II also appears, r., the reports OF lie Postmaster
General 10 The Senate. OF the 81 OF Mach last, that the
whole amount Of allowances contractors for extra SER