New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-12-10

s482, 657.
OF this sum, there has been expended, during
the last fiscal year. the sum of 1892 ,664 81, in
satisfaction of demands agains, the Department.
prior to the month of April, l94l. The report OF
the Chief Clerk upon this subject, No. l. will
hlbit more in detail the application Of this fund
There remained unexpended of this appropria-
ton on Both Jane, 1912, So! 1872 49, to meet such
other demands may be established to be due
prior to 3lsr March, 1871.
This OF $500 664 u constitutes no part OF
the Sd $40 ,245 49, given above as the for
the last year dcrivable from postage and fines. 1t
does, however, constitute part of the $3,627, 746
62, the gross expenditures for that year, and, if
deducted, will show the gross expenditure for o.
binary current service, TO be "a ,235, 052 II.
This would present apparent balance Cor an
excess of revenue, over xpenditure OF S3I o.
AS it is highly probable that there are yet
claims unsatis6sd, not. having been presented for
payment, and claims which were due prior to that
| time, and which, if presented, would have been
audited and paid within lie year, and which have
been paid since 30th June, 1912, and consequently
will be charged i'll the expenditures for The cur
rent year. it not intended to convey the idea that
this S3l1 ,l94 is surplus hand, but it's fact
from which authorized to slate that the in
come OF the Department has been equal to its CUT
rent expenditures during the year ending in June,
1912; and it induces me to hope that unless the
burdens of the service shall be too greatly aug
mented by the additional rates created BY the act
of the last session of Congress, the Department
will, in future, be enabled to sustain itself
cannot anticipate however, any great extension
of the service, beyond its present limits and
amount, unless Congress shall, in some mode,
eve the Department from the heavy annual de-
mands made upon its income by railroad trans
portaion, and protect it by appropriate legislation
against the inroads upon it by private expresses
and rival mail establishments.
1t affords me great satisfaction to report to
your Exeellency, that every legal demand by the
contractors, properly vouched, upon the Depart
ment, for services rendered since have had the
honor of experimenting its operations, has beer
promptly paid
Justice to contractors requires that, as soon as
they have performed the service, they should be
paid. To enable the Department to do this, pune
tuaity on the part of postmasters in the payment
of the balances due from them at the end of each
quarter, is all important.
In every instance where there has been a failure
the part of such postmasters To meet the drafts
of the General Post Office, have felt it duty not
TO be omitted to relieve such from the burden of
official duty. The knowledge of the existence OF
this rule has basished defalcalion from the De-
partment.
1t is fact worthy of notice, that although the
aggregate amount received from postage during
the past year has been greater by the sum stated,
the receipts at the large Offices, for 1912, have
been less than in 1871. The aggregate increase
has been at the medium and smaller offices.
This is accounted for by the fact that the means
of intercommunication between the great COM
Il hep
slant and increasing infructons and violations of
the laws Of Congress regulating the General Pos,
Office.
[ took occasion to invite your attention to this
subject in my report of last year. under the hope
that some legislation, in aid of the present laws.
would take place. to enable the Department more
effectually toprotect itself.
1t is made the exclusive duty Of the General
Government to establish post Offices and post
roads The State Governments have no right to
interfere with the subject; neither has any indi
vidual or company of individuals such right.
Upon most of the railroads in the United States,
over which the mail is trans ported at an immense
ex pense, there are to be found individuals enga-
ged in the transportation of mail matter, in viola
ton OF the laws of the land-laws which pro-
hibit the offence. but do not punish 1t by adequate
sanctions.
A modification of the Laws regulating the
franking privilege Is essential TO the contin-
ued prosperity of the Department. The origi-
nal grant of this privilege was designed the bet
ter to enable the public officer to discharge his OF
fetal duties without burden upon bis private
means 1t is now generally esteemed more as
private and individual right, than an official privi
lege. If persons entitled to this privilege were
content to enjoy it themselves, without lending
...h. -. no
Department would not be so great, and there
would be less cause CT just complaint by the public.
Although the act Of 1925 expressly declares that
"if any person shall frank any letter letters
other than those written by himself, or by his or
der, on the business of his Office, he SHALL on con-
viction thereof, pay fine of ten dollars, and it
shall be the especial duty of postmasters to prose
cute for said offence" the penalty declared By
this law has not been sufficient TO prevent the too
frequent violation of its provisions.
If Congress shall deem i, inexpedient to limit,
or further restrain, this right an imposition OF the;
same penalty upon him who uses the frank of ano-
,her, as is imposed upon the person who aliases
his privilege, would tend greatly to lessen the
evil.
The whole number of free letters sent through
the post office annually so far as the returns OF
postmasters exhibit, is about three millions.
Assuming fifteen cents as the average rate OF
each letter, if charged with postage, four hundred
and fifty thousand dollars would be the amount
received. Thus it will be seen that scarcely one
ninth of all the matter which passes through the
mail, passes free of postage. The loss TO the De-
partment does not stop here. Two cents are paid
TO postmasters On each of these letters, constitut
ing an annual charge upon the revenue of $780,
600. An evil of this magnitude, trust, will not
fail TO arrest the attention of Congress, who alone
can apply the proper corrective. 1t is wrong TO
burthen the business and friendly correspondence
of the community with this heavy charge.