The Yazoo Whig and political register. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1840-1842, 1841-07-30

FROM THE Posr OFTICE DEPART1rENT.
Post Office Departmsnt, Mug %, Is4l.
R:-Ihe arrangement Of business at,
and the manner Of returns to, the General
Post Office, forbid detailed report Of its
Operations at the approaching session Of
Congress-. have, however, felt itmy duty,
At this time, % call public attention rs The
present state Of its finances, so far as have
yet been able TO learn their condition.
When first entering upon my official dn-
ties, my attention was forced to The con-
slant demands for payment beyond the abil-
ify Of the Department to discharge; and with
view to ascertain, as nearly as might be,
itsundisputed liabilities and probable means,
on the 9th day of March last, letter was
addressed to the Auditor of the Treasury
for the Post Office Department, requesting
from him information on the subject. a
copy of which letter, marked A, is herewith
submitted Such statements have not been
furnished, for reasons clearly set forth in a
letter from the Auditor, dated the 25th day
of May inst. of which copy is hereto ap-
lpended, markedB
It was also important to learn, without
delay, what were the pressing liabilities and
what the active funds of the Department.
For this purpose, directions were given TO
the chief clerk TO state the amount due to
contractors anterior to and for the quarter
ending 3lst December, 1910, so far as they
had been reported by the Auditor, and also
the amount in deposite, subject TO draft for
the discarge of such aHearages. HIS report
is herewith submitted. marked G.
BY an examination of that statement, 1
will be seen, that there was due and unpaiC
to contractors, Of ascertained balances, or
the first day of January last, the sum Of fou
hundred and forty-seven thousand and seven
ty-nine dollars, considerable portion o
which has been paid from the revenue o
the quarter ending on the 3lst March. 4
report from the Auditor upon all the out
standing contracts will undoubtedly increasl
this amount Of indebtedness to total ex
lceeding half million of dollars. Ia add
ltion to which, heavy demands are frequent
Iy made on the Department upon ulIlq ul4 81
Led claims 0fsnch demands. no notice
can be taken at this time, nor IS 4 pFope
that an opinion as to-their justice should b
now expressed.
Under these circumstances, two subject
naturally present themselves: How is th
Department to be sustained under its pre-
sent endorsements and, What are II
financial hopes for the future?
As no. estimates, upon which can be base
an answer to the first inquiry, can be prs
scented until full statement of the balaI
ices due from postmasters shall have bee
reported by the Auditor, it is passed, viii
the single remark, that, although itcan hare
" be doubted that large aggregate Sun
will be found due, it is to Be feared tha
from the small amount of most 81 such sci
arate balances, scattered throughout iii
wide spread nation, the want of Responsible
ty il. many Of these officers and many
their securities, and the lapse Of time sins
these balances accrued, but an inc0nsider
Bile part Of the amount actually due vi
ever be received. Ii therefore remains f
Congress 10 determine whether the anioul
!, now due TO contractors shall be paid fro
= the National Treasury, or whether this p
Ipartmeut shall struggle on with its prese
barrassments, consuming its daily accruiI
revenues II the partial payment fold deb
and stillleaving large balances which il b
q not the ability to discharged
e. Notwithstanding the heavy increased e
u penditures consequent upon the act Of 4
lly July, 1898, and although, instead Of u
or supposed gradual increase of revenue, d
rs receipts for the quarter ending 3lst Mar,
last, present, as compared with The core
ponding quarter Of the year before, a dimI
ution Of more than six per cent, slil d
Department would probably find suffice
relief ID its future operations from Tie
crease of prices which, It may be calcuI;
ed, will Be hereafter demanded upon nc
Of the routes, were IT. not for the contih
ally increasing exactions Id other branch
of the service.
TO present this subject ia the most int
he ligible form, the First Assistant Posimas
81, General has prepared a tabular view Of
lie cent proposals, that comparison my 5e M
ed. between the amonnt Of present bids and /
lie sums nov paid ior mai service upon
md same routes Tbs table s. hereto anne s.
Ta. marked u
BE- on an examination this statement
d viii Be seen that ID some cases Tie uc|
demanded BIZ faIl-Ioad companies 1r 8
bal portatlen 81 M mails S more dian mo h|
lig. dred PEI csnl. heI han s paid 20 cca
ale service. upon 30 forming connecting %
qe between differenI aid companies
ihe same maIn route nd ha lob h.
The nigh sIgee upon he Fad
Than that rs NED % eeere such