Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1841-12-23
X l. II % X +
OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL
Posr OrrIck DEPARTMENT,
Dcremhnr 2 ISL


/. In he discharge OF the duty Of reporting 10 YOU
's,he condition of the General Post Office, have to
regret that my recent induction into Office will pre-.
/ vent me from giving you that full development a,
this tiTe 80 necessary to n clear understanding oi
the various and extended operations OF a Depart
mcni important and interesting 10 every class OF
! , ar fellow citizens.
II Unlke the other Departments Of Government,
which derive their support from the national Trea-
sury the General Post Office look, for the means TO
continue and extend its operations TO the income
derived alone from successful administration of the
I laws p-c. bing its duIies and privileges.
The Ganerai Post Office, st first almost the crca-
turc Of administrative discretion, necessarily 81 re-
mlins to O great degree at the present time. In its
infancy, Il required the Constant and vigGnt super
incndence Of IT'S head to direct its affairs in such
minn-r rs 10 extend the sphere OF IT'S usefulness,
comn-n,urnte with the increase and extent Of po 70
puation and business. Equal, if not greater vgi-
lance l. demanded at the present day.
n IL is be desired that in the general administra-
Y ton Of the Government, a. little Of discretion as
possible should be left with those charged with pub.
/ hc truS,s; and regret my acquaintance with the
details ct the Department., Al this time, is so limited
as not 10 guilty me TO suggest more specifically
those improvements in the laws pertaining 10 il,
whereby much Of that discretion, heretofore exer-
cised, might be restrained and probably regulated
n by legislative enacIments, The prnprety Of these
remarks will be fully demonstrated by recurrence
4 {, the history OF the Post Office operations from
x their commencement TO the present time.
4 In 1879, the whole number of post Offices in The
United States did exceed seventy FIVE; the mum
Der of NIT OF post roid, s75 the revenue, S37,
$50; the expenditure, S32 lao In 1910, It " M be
seen that me whole number OF post offices in the
Unite S.at's VS. - iSS the number Of miles of
post rDsd. IS -; The gross for the same
year was - $50 26i, and the expenditure was ST.
559, ITO The necessity of guarding as far as prac
ucabir, nv spec ic legislation, such an amount of
incoula Snj expenditure, and the duties and ilabili
ties OF 50 many agents, must he apparent.
a has already been remarked, the orig nal design
m tue establishment % the Post Office Department
Inat us income should be made to sustain l. ;
operations. That principle ought never 10 be bhan
dIued. Whilst the Department should no; te re-
ghrded of revenue to the nation il should
never become an annual charge TO lis Treasury.
Upon assuming the discharge of the duties per-
ta.nlng to the ofhce Of Postmaster General my FIRST
object investigate ITS financial condition; and
ithscnmcs my du'y TO inform yuI that did not
hnd 20 IN that prosperous state which the demands
upon u require.
The income OF this Department is always liable to
he affected 10y the fluctuations OF the business Of the
counuy. 1t IS Incre sed or depressed in proportion
To the mere Sc or depression Of that business.
Besides this cause Of hIctuaton in It's income,
other causes OF reduction, more or less in every
year, Ice found IN :he increased facilities hlch
toe trivel upon r,Ero,ds and steamboats, furnishes
for the Transmission of letters and newspapers by
private conveyance; secondly, IN the great extern.
SION, ic >1y nothing OF the ahus., Cs the Thanking
prVI cc"i thirdly, IN tho recen; establishment OF
what are cliica private expresses, upan the great
maj, rHg'ss o. the DATED States; fourhy in ;he
frauds p- c's-d upon the Department, IN evading,
by vrrrrur devices, iue payment OF the postage i'm
posed ty Jaw. @hiie a OF these causes operate
To lessen the r-vcnu- OF the Department the expen
ses oi Transporting The mail are not aff.cted or less.
encd Wy them; aud respectfully suggest whether
The evils 10 winch have referred DC hot deserve
the sCroaS attention OF Congress- far as to call for
some more specific legislation, whereby they may
be removed or suppr, ssed.
The total gross revenue Of the Post Ofi.. for the
hScai yer commencing on the LIST OF July, 1910,
and terminating on he 30.h June, lsII, was 81
3I9,2E -; The total expenditure for the same tine
was Il j61 2SS 80. Ia this year the expenditures
exceeded me revenue by the sum of SlS7 92O 81.
\ settlement of the expenditures, more in detail viii
IN due time, as required by law be reported to Con-
grcss.
The precise income and expenditure Of the Gen
eral Post Office cannot be known IN any one year.
unit. the close OF the fiscal ysUr, and the settle.
mcnrs u ala accounts have been completed. Con.
seqn-u.Y, any statement OF expenditure and in
come, Tor the present year, is liable TO the huctua
tons and changes always incident 10 the peculiar
Character Of the service
TIE expenditures and income OF the Department
for the curert year may, upon estimate, be stated
IN round numbers as follows:
Totll amount Of revenue derived from
pDstages hdes, and al other sources, 81 $50 900
Expenses Of mail transportation, 3.I45, 900
Commission to post'nasers, If the rates
OF per centise remain unchanged, I0l5,OOO
Ship, steamboat, and way letters, 10000
Incidental expenses, including blanks
stationary, printing sc. $4,000
Total estimated expenditure, AGO 900
Toiai estimated income, 43SO.OOO
$4,000
Thus it will be seen that the probable amount OF
expenditure will exceed the amount Of revenue, as
estimated, by $4,000.
With this dci"it presenting itself so palpably 10
my mind, nave essayed 10 infuSe INFO the admin
is,rl'i1n Of The service rigid economy yet, with
all the savings which II may be possible 10 make
10y the mos; rigid economy, am satisfied the eG-
pendi,ure cannot be reduced within the income,
SIh1ut either reducing the transportation Of the
mai. below the just wants Of the community, or in
some o,ner mode increasing the revenue OF It, De-
pauusni.
Tpc1n.nue tho present amount Of service, and
extend 10 with tie growth and spread Of our popu-
!a,on particularly IN the West, the present reTe-
nue. with its former charges, is evidently Inadequate:
and reduction Of that service greatly below its
present standard would have TO take place, unless
Congress make an appropriation form the public
Treasury, which | neither ask nor desire 10 see
made.
Upon a view Of all tie circumstances, and with
perfect sense of the delicate responsibility assumed
] have fs't myself mperiousy called upon 10 eEer.
else power vested ny the act OF 1926 IN the Post
master General Bnd have read jnsted the commits
SONS heretofore allowed 10 bephiy pDs'naSteTs. By
this regulation, copy 81 which 10 annexed, here
will he ADDED 70 the nett annual income Of the De
ptrmeni about slO00OO thought II better 10 10
this than either TO ask Congress for appropriation
or TO reduce the transportation Of the mail below the
just wants ~ the community.
when 10 Is known that this reduction has been
maize % enable the Department 70 send int igcncs
among the People, Ivy continuing and extending
mai fciiGcs and not in spirit OF parsimonious
economy the liberal and enlightened OF all sections
vii, am persuaded, approve what has been done;
ard will not allow myself 10 believe that those
whom % most Immediately effects will view Il in oil
IIulsrrl spirit.
Should Congress, however not approve Of this
measure tiey will have Il ~ TIER power before the
order takes effect, 90 arrest its force; and will No
doubt adopt the necessary measures 70 require the
dUcuon o. mail service, Or t. provide the means
Of paying the balance which will be due 20 cOntTac-
Tor az the end Of the yer.
The annexed report Of the Auditor Of the Post
OH.c Department (m5rkod b will exhibit the
progress which has been made IN the adjustment
and liquidation Of the accounts Of postmusters since
tie i'h Of Mltch last.
Il Is To be expected that apong the $4,000 deputy
pog'mas'ers iappyinted generally without person
OIL know edge NJ the individuals or their securuos)
ths.e viii be found who viii prove fslthless 70
their truHts ard whose securities arc not gnod for
the amount due the Department. 10 view Of this, I
have instituted rigid rquiry, not only into the IT.
ness and business qualifications Of the postmlsters,
bot tho so,yency OF their securities from which the
best results may be anticipated. This operation,
performed IN part by the special agents of The De-
psrmont undo, the letter Of Instructions annexed
(mnrksd ca ,nd the prompt settlement Of the nc,
counts oi 40 ppetmasters. will moro enrrtun'I q