Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-19

an average increase Of revenue throughout the current
fiscal year OF ten per cent, ana saving of SO 900,
when tie contracts recently let shall be executed with
necessary alterations an estimate of the gross revenue
and accrung responsibilities for the year ending j0tl
june 1916, Indicates the following results, viz:
, Gross revenue for the year ending Both Of
June 1916: $32G2,632 90
Compensation TO pos:inas-
ters, $l,O3o,953 90
Incidental expenses, 10000 20
Transportation Of the mails, 1,7oG,5o7 90
Total expenditures, 2,s1G,lG5 CO
Balance in favor Of the Department. Si76,227 co
Although tho whole of this may not BIZ available
on account Of the usual losses and dealcatons it is not
doubted that, aided by collections Of outstanding bal
anccs, it will be sufficient to Pay off the debts Of tile De-
parment and leave considerable amount applicable TO
an extension of mail accommodations
When the undersigned took charge OF this Depart.
menl his attention Immediately called TO the condl-
ton of its finances; but it found that no salts.
factory account of its debts its could within
any sl ,rt period be obtained from its books 1t
" perceived, from current incidents and detached ac-
counts that the dissatisfied demands OF contractors from
every quarter Of the country, daily nccunuatng
that there debt of near :}O0,OOO due 10 Banks;
that the outstanding acccptanCcs Of the Treasurer en-
cecded $3.50 OO0 that considerable portion OF the reve-
nue. of some Of the large Offices for the present calender
year, had been anticipated by drafts discounted IN
Banks which they had been instructed TO pay al maturi'
ty; that additional allowances had been recently author
lied considerable amount; that 10 provide The means
to meet the demands the Department at Washington,
created by the system of accrplanccs upwards OF Two
thousand of the most considerable post offices had been
directed to deposc their income in banks and that these
means proving insufficient, the Department was subject.
; ed 10 continual embarrassments in dcrsng ways and
means 10 meet its engagements At the same une IL
was belle we'd on all hands, that the current revenue OF
the Department considerably exceeded its cxPcn
durc and that the aggregate OF debt was III progress ol
dninuton. In this state Of things. 1t was deemed exPe
dent to make an effort cxrcae the Department from
,b,rro
purpose, as follows VIZ
a suspension of all recent allowances from The Gre
dit Of the contractors.
2 refusal to accept or pay any drafts drawn on LIE
Department. except by special arrangement
3 The application Of the income OF the current quarter
to the payment Of that quarters expenses, the surplus
only to be applied to the payment OF Pre,exisung Claims
a. The introduction of system which should effect
moro prompt collection and application OF the current IN
come of the Department.
| The allowances SUSPENDED amounted TO about one
hundred and fty-sevc thousand dollars. "ithcut re-
ference to their merits it believed that preference
ourbt 10 be given to other claims IN making payments
The discoutinuance of accepances was esSenllal 10
enable the Department to command lis heahs.
nuc arises wherever the mails are carried, ana
seem obviously appropriate as well as convenient, i'
r services of contractors should be paid Tor IN The Sec
tons of country where they rendered, ana as 'hI d.
practicable out of the income which they Pfoauce nut
The practice Of suffering the contractors 70 uFa" o w
r,y subieclcd the Department TO the inconvenience oi
pHn,r liz funds from the post offices throug bout the
IIninn and transferring them to Washington to meet
the drafts The slowncss and uncertainty OF this opera
lion made it an insufficient reliance 10 meet Its accept
rccs produccd the necessity of looking elsewhere Tor
The means and rendered difficult 10 manage its finances
with any convenience regularity.
By paying the expcnses5of the current quarter at its
close and announcing determination to pay in like
manner at the close Of each succeeding one, applying
only the surplus the discharge of former debts was
believed that the credit of the Department would I'M
,ncdatey be elevated, and thenccforward sustained.
Orders to deposit in banks and drafts on postnaSS,tcrS
in favor OF contractors, constituted the system OF
t;on found in operation Upwards of thousand post
offices had orders to deposit and upwards OF egt .nou
sand were instructed 10 retain their hostages nne
upon Many of the deposit offices were aa'Sy snv s1u
defalca,ion among them was not fr several
egs ON account smaness of their income or othe
crenms,ances The necessities of the Department com
need it 10 draw on the productive oises al ie ens
of each quarter, before their accounts cou'o DC