Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1841-06-17
FROM THE POST OFFICE DEPART



manner of return 10. the General Post Office forbid
detailed repurt of its operations = the approtrh .
ng session OF Congress. | have, however. felt u /
ny duty at this time, O. call public attention n hc
present state Of its fGancrs. far Us haze yet
been able 10 learn their condition.
When first entering upon my official duties, my
attention was forced tn the constant demands ior
payment beyond the ability of the Department TO
and with n view 90 ascertain. rs nearly
as might be. its undispuicd Liabilities and probabs
means, on the 9Th day of March last n letter was
addressed o. the Auditor of the Treasury for the
Post Office Department requesting from him Infui
nation on the subject. A copy of which letter
marked a, Is herewith submitted. Such statements
have not been furnished. for reasons clearly SGT
forth in letter from the Auditor. dated the - h
day of May instant of which copy hereto up
pet ded, marked b.
II was also important % learn without delay
what were the pressing Liabilities and what the ac-
tive funds oi the Department. For this purpose d..
reciinns were given To the chief clerk state the
amount due To contractors anterior Io and for the
quarter ending 3lst December 1910. 20 far as they
had been reported ny the Auditor. and also the n.
mount IN depose, subject draft, for Tho discharge
OF such arrenrages. lis report is herewith submit
ted, marked &.
BY an examination nf that statement. il will be
seen that there was due aud unpaid To contractors
Of asccrtained balances on the first ay Of January
lasi the Of four hundred and fnrty seven thou
sand and seventy nine dollars, (s4I7 ,079.l cnn-
siderable portion Of which has been paid frUm the
revenue ofIhe quarter ending on the 3lst March
report from the Auditor upon all The outstanding
contracts will undoubtedly increase the amount OF
Indebtedness IN u total exceeding half million of
dollars In addition Ia which, heavy demands are
frequently made IN the Department upon uniqu-
dated claims OF such dem Inds no notice can be
taken at this time nor is II proper that an opinion
as TO u cir JuStcs should he expressed.
Under these circumstances two questions natural
" present themselves: How is the Department To
he sustained under lis present embarrls.menis, and
What are it, financial hopes for the future,
As no estimates, upon which can he based an an
swer In the first inquiry, can he presented until a
full statement of the balance, due from posnasiers
shall have been reported by the Auditor ii is pass
ed, with the single remark. that, although il can
hardly be doubted that large aggregate sum will
be found due, II u TO bc feared that. frnm the small
amount OF most of such Sepa rate bllan ces. scatter.
eel throughout this wide spread nation, the want Of
responsibility ia many of their securities, and the
lapse of lime siuce these balances accrued. but an
nrunsIderable part Of the amount actually due
will be received. IL therefore rcmiiis for
Congress To determine whether the amount now
due To contractors shall TO paid from the National
Treasury. or whether this Department shall sirug
gle On with lis present cmhaTrassmenis. consuming
ITS daily accrung revenues in The partial payment of
old debts, and still leaving large balances which il
bns not the ability to discharge
Notwithstanding The heavy increased expenditures
consequent upon the acts 1Ih July, S33, and al.
though, instead Ofihe supposed grndual increase Of
revenue. the receipts for the quarter ending 3lsI
March last present as compared with the correspon-
ding quarter Of the year before diminuiion OF
more than six per cenI, still ibe Department would
probably find sufficient relief its future operations
from the decrease Of prices which u may he calcu.
lated, will be hereafter demanded upon most Of the
routes, u not for the continually increasing tx
actions IN other branches & the service.
To present this subject ia the most ineligible
form, the First Assistant Postmaster General has
prepared n tabular view Of recent proposals. that
comparison may he made between the amount of
present buds ard the now pail for mail ser
wee upon the same routes. This table is hereto
annexed. marked ID.
On an examination Of this statement, II will DO
seen that, m some cases. the amount demanded by
railroad companies for transportation Of the mails Is
more than two hundred per cent higher than is paid
Tor coach service, upon roads forming connect.
ing links between different railroad GONNA
MES, upon the same main route. and that
~ whereof the night service upon the railroads
- less Than that performed in coaches Such dc
mands deserve more consideration from the fact
that whilst at the recent lettings in New York and
~ the sI Eastern States the accepted service 10y Goa
ohes and other modes Of conveyance has been secur
Ell az average saving Of t,ceRfg io per cent upon
the contracts Of 1897, there arc but few instances
where the demands Of incorporated companies have
not bern increased in such manner as imposed I'D
on me the necessity Of suspeudng the cUntracts-
Nor - the eItraVaganI price demanded for mail
transportation upon railroads the only manner in
which these Interpretations affect the revenue Of
this Department The facilities secured by this
mode Of conveyance for scnding letters by private
Enr FfIaF L.. a.
hce upon these routes. 4 single illustration will
establish this assertion
Boston u one Of the most important points Of roil.
road concentration iu the UDioz Ire business pros.
Ffiy . Proyerbial; and yet in that city The quarter
ending The 3lst March last shows as compared
WIN TIE corresponding quarter Of the year before.
arrfense ~ postage receipts Of three thousand one
hundred and Hrnety.fve dOars-bcing double
The amount Of dimiauiion 10 be found, within the
,lme tune. IN any other post office N the milton, with
TIE single exception or Philadelphia. which is ano
'hef great terminus of railroad communication
ihese ineis are presented ~ spirit Of unkind-
ness towards those ~ whose management these IN.
eofporliiunI are infusled bot ihat have consider.
~ due 10 our whole people 10 refer 10 tbs subject
% one which will ere long call ior naiional and
vote legislation. unless corrective be sioner ap.
Piled by public opinion
\ considerable saving will be found ia the cur. |
late predecessor 90 limiting the transportation oT
ne mails 60 siH trips week upon Of the routes
throughout Tie natiun The embarrassed condition /
= TIE finances q the Department. if u was 10 re-
nam uiaidej BY the Government. clearly indicated /
be propueiy Of sDme reduction Of service. and the
eligous sense Of the community will certainly up /
'foVe the Zee lnR that selects The Sabhath ~ the
ay on which that service should not be performed
'ei o cannot Be denied that This order has borne
oayily upon contractors. and n many instances
auaes great arrangement. in the transportation Of
be mails
Willis IN some sections % opr country this altera
on has not only received cheerful acquicscence
~ . warmly approved here has been great gene.
" complains 81 % operaiion md daily appeals Cor
ie Old iaciliiies are pressed upoo the Department
lHh0ui entering upon his subject nj large d n,
lhicSent ST. my present purposo 10 slate that ne
rs order purpOrts 10 have been given 10 reduce
y eHpeasos ~ he Department. and 10 ad IN b,iog
g hem within iis receipts return 10 The former "
fyce. 81 this time. might well be considered "A = d
'clantoa Ofmy confdencs IN iis ability 10 sustain
. expenditure necessary 6r such restoration Ct