New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-12-18
RepOrt of the Postmaster General.
Posr-orrlcE DEPARTMENT, Dec. 2, i7il
Of The United state:


To the Pres,6en, Of the United States
In the discharge OF the duty OF reporting TO you
The condition of the General Post Office, have 10
regret that nay recent induction into Office Will pre-
veat me from giving you that full development at
this time so necessary to clea- understanding OF
the various and extended operations OF Depart
nent so iportan. and interesting TO every class OF
our fcllow-ctizens.
Unlike the other Departments Of Government,
which derive their support from the na''on"'
Treasury. the General Post Office looks tor lne
means TO continue aud extend its operations 70 'Hs
income derived alone from successful ad'i'N-s
tralion of the laws prescribing It's duties anu pr
ylleges. -, -.
The General Post Office, at first almost inc inc
creature of administrative discretion hecessali1!
20 remains, to great degree, at the present 'i"'c
In its infancy il required the constant and Yigilant
.mae,;n,endence of its head to direct its affairs IN
nh manner as to extend the sphere 0 lis use
rIn.s. commensurate with the increase and extent
IF population and business Equal, ii not greater
yigilaucc is demanded at the present day
II Is to be desired that, in the general admins
ration OF the Government, as little OF discretion
4. possible should be left with those charged with
public trusts and ! regret my acquaintance with
the details of the Department, at this time, Is so
limited as not to qualify TO suggest moro spe-
cihcalIy those improvements in the!aws pertaining
10 it. whereby much of that discretion. heretofore
exercised might be restrained and prof,ably regti-
lated By legislative enactments. The propriety o.
these remarks will be fully demonstrated by re-
carrence to the history OF the Post Office opera
lions from their commencement TO the pres-ni
time.
In 1880, the whole number of Post Offices IN
the United States did not exceed seyenty-hve the
number of miles of post road, 1873; the revenue
.37 .g3G the expenditure, S32, l4O. In l84O, II
will be seen that the whole number of Post Offices
in the United States was 1913 the number OF
miles OF pos, road, 155,739; the gross revenue Tor
the same wear was 1859 go, and the expendi-
ture was $4,759, 10. The necessity of guarding
rs far as practicable, by specific legislation, sech
an amount of income and expenditure, and the
du,ic. and liabilities of so May agents, must be
apparent.
A. has already been remarked, the original de-
sign in the e,tabli.hment of the Post Office De-
partment was that its income should be made 10
sustain It's operations. That principle ought never
10 be- abandoned. Whilst the Department should
not be regarded as a of revenue to the ma
ton it should never become an annual charge to
It's Treasury.
Upon assuming the discharge of the duties per
tanning 10 the office of Postmaster General, my
first object was to investigate its financial condl
tisn; and it becomes my duty to inform you tina,
did not find it in that prosperous state which the
demands upon it require.
The income of this Department is always liable
to be affected by ,he fluctuations Of the business OF
the country Ii is increased OF depressed in pro-
portion to the increase depression OF that bu-
siness.
Besides this cause Of iucluaton in its income,
other causes Of "A reduction, more less in every
year. may be found in the increased facilities which
the travel upon railroads and STEAMBOATS, furnishes
for the transmission OF letters and newspapers by
private conveyance; secondly, In the great extern
sion, to say nothing of the abuse, OF the Thanking
privilege; thirdly, in the recent establishment OF
what are called private expresses, upon the great
mail routes of the United States; fourthy, IN the
faads practised upon the Department, in evading,
by various devices, the payment OF the postage
imposed by law. While ell Of these causes ope-
rate to lessen the revenue Of the Department, the
expenses OF transporting the mail are not affected
or essened by them and | respectfully suggest
whether the evils to which have referred do not
deserve the serious attention of Congress, so fu
to call for some more specific Legislation, whereby
they NAV be removed or suppressed.
The total gross revenue of the Post Office for the
fiscal year commencing the 1st of July, 1910,
and terminating on the 30th June, 1884, was
S4.379.217 78 the total expenditure for the same
time was 81 567 ,23e 80. In this year the cxpend-
lures exceeded the revenue by the sum OF $751;
go 81. statement of the expenditures, more
in detail, will in due time, required by law, b.
reported to Congress.
The precise income and expenditure of the Gen
eral Post Office cannot be known in any year, ui-
iii the close Of the fiscal year, and the settlements
of all accounts have been completed. Consequent
w. any statement of expenditure and inceme for
the present year, is liable to the fluctuations and
changes always incident to the peculiar character
of the service
The expenditures and income of the Department
for the current year may, upon estimate, be stated
in round numbers as follows:
Total amount CT revenue derived from
hostages, fines, and all other resour-
ces S4,ooU,uuo
Expense of mail Transports
ton -, l40,VUV
Commission TO poslmasters,
if the rates OF per centnge
remain unchanged. ,0l5,000
Ship, steamboat, and way
letters 2o,uu9
Incidental expenses, inciud-
Ing blanks, stationery, print
Ing, Nc. olu,UUu
100000
Total estimated income . 1880, G00
Total deficiency $4,000
With this deficit presenting itself SO palpably TO
my mind. have essayed to intuse into the admin
is,ration of the service rigid economy; yet with
all the savings it may be possible to make by the
most rigid economy, am satisfied the expenditure
cannot be reduced within the income, without
either reducing the transportation OF the mail be-
low the just wants of the community or in some
mode increasing the revenue of the Department.
TO continue the present amount OF service, and