Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1841-06-26
PosT OFFICE DEPARTM1
l. DEfAhA MLSAp
Nav 30, 1871.

Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT, I
May %, 1871. !
! SIR: The arrangements of business at, and tn
manner Of returns to, the General Post Office
forbid detailed report of its operations al TIT
approaching session of Congress. | have, how
ever, felt II my duty, at this time, 10 call public
attention 10 the present state of its finances, 81
far as have yet been able 10 learn thor condi
ton.
! When first entering upon my official duties, my
attention forced to The constant demands fol
payment beyond tho ability of the Department it
discharge; and with a view to ascertain, near
| ly as might be, its undsputed liabilities end
probable means, the Goth day Of March last,
| lot,er was addressed TO the Auditor Of The Trca
sury for the Post Office Department, requesting
from him Information on those subjects. copy
or which letter, marked A, is herewith submitted
Such statements have not been furnished. fn!
reasons clearly set forth IN letter from the Au
ditor, dated tho 2Jth day Of May instant Of which
a copy is hereto appended, marked d.
1t was also important to learn, without delay,
what were the pressing liabilities and what the
active finds of the Department. Fer this pur-
pose, directions given 80 the chief clerk TO
state the amount due to contractors anterior to
and for the quarter ending the 3lst December
1910, SO far as they had been reportered by The
Auditor, and also the amour, in deposte, subjec,
10 draft, for tho discharge Of such arrearages-
His repor, is herewith submitted, marked &.
By an examination Of that statement, i, will
be seen that there was due and unpaid to contrac-
tors, of asceraned balances on the frs, day Of Jan
uary last the of four hundred and forty
seven thousand and twenty, nine dollars, (Sii7,-
O29) a considerable portion of which has been
paid from the revenues OF the quarter ending on
- pla' March "er~-. r-- -, .,-i;t1-
the outstanding contracts will undoubtedly, IN
crease the amount OF Indebtedness TO total ex-
ceeding halt million of dollars. Ia addition to
which, heavy demands are frequently made on
tho Department upon uniGuldated claims. or
such demands, no notice be taken at this
time, is IL proper that an opinion OF their JUS
tce should be now expressed
Under these circumstances, two questions mt
urally present themselves: How IS the Depart
ment to be sustained under It's present enabaccass
menfs? and What are its financial hopes for the
future?
AS estimates, upon whIch can be passed an
answer to tho h7st enquiry, can be presented I'M
iii full statement of the balances due from Pest
master shall have been reported by the Auditor,
it is passed. with the single remark, that although
II can HARDLY be doubted that large aggregate
sum will be found due, II Is to be feared that,
from tho small amount Of most Of such separate
balances scattered throughout this widespread
nation,,he want of responsibility IN many of these
officers and many Of their seeurlies and the lapse
of time since these balances accrued, bu. in
considerable part of tho amount actually due will
never be received. 1t, therefore remains for Con
gress to determine whether the amount duo
Treasury or whether this Department, shall s.Eug
gle on with lis present embarrassmcn.s. consum-
ing It's daily accrulng revenues in the partial pay
ment, of old debts, and still leaving largo baan-
ces which it has not the ability to discharge.
Notwithstanding the heavy increased expen-
diture consequent upon the act of 9TH July, 1888,
and althogh instead of the supposed gradual in
crease of revenue, the receipts for the quarter
ending 3lst March iast,present as compared with
the corresponding quarter OF the year before,
diminuton of more than per cent still the De-
partment would probably find sufficient relief in
its future operations from the decrease of prices
which, il may be calculated will be hereafter de-
manded upon most of tue routes, were il not tor
the continually increasing exactions in other
branches Of the service
To present this subject in lis most in ,egibIe
form, the FIRST Assistant Pos tmaster General has
prepared tabular view of recent proposals, tina,
comparison may be made between the amount Of
present bids and the sums now paid for mail ser
vice upon the Same routes. This table is hereto
annexed, marked ID.
Ga examination of this statement, it will
be seen ihat in some cases. the amount demanded
by railroad companies for transportation Of the
mails is more than ttco hundred per cent. higher
than is paid for coach service. upon roads forming
connecting links between different railroad com
paules, upon the same main route, and that too
where the night service upon tAe railroads Is less
'han that performed IN coaches. Such demands
deserve more consideration from the fact that
whilst at the recent lettings in New York and
IN The six Eastern States the accepted service by
coaches and other modes OF CONVEYANCE has been
secured nj an average saving Of trenty- ttrO per
cent upon the contract of 1887. there are but
few instances where the demands of incorpora-
ted companies have not been increased in such
manner as imposed upon me the necessity of sus-
pending the contracts. Nor is the extravagant
prize demanded for mail transportation upon rail
roads the only manner III which these pcorpora-