The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-08

detail the application Of tins fund
There remained unexpended Of this appropriation
on 30th June, 1912, So9, 992 49, to meet such othe
demands may be established to be due prior to 3ls
| March, lS4l.
This sum Of S392,664 81 constitutes part of thu
S4,546,246 IL, given above the revenue for thu
last year dervable ftom postage and fines. IL does
however, constitute part OF the 1927, ZIG 62, III,
gross expenditure for that year, and II deducted
will show the gross expenditure, for ordinary cur
rent service, to be "a ,235052 III.
inns would present an apparent balance,to an ex
cess OF revenue, over expenditure Of 1911, l94 W.
As IT is highly probable that there yet claim'
unsatshed, not having been presented for payment
and claims which were due prior to that time, anc
which, If presented, would have been audited anc
paid within the year, and which have been paid since
3Oth June, 1872 and consequently will be charged
IN the expenditures for the current year. 1t is not IN
tended TO convey the idea that this S3ll 1874 w Is
surplus on hand, but it is fact from which am au
thorlzed to state that the income OF the Department
has been equal to its current expenditures during the
year ending in June, 1912 and II induces me TO hope
that unless the burdens of the service shall be too
greatly augmented by the additional rates created by
the act of the last session of Congress- the Depart
ment 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 relieve the De-
partment from the heavy annual demands made upon
its income by railroad tram bortation, and protect II
by appropriate legislation, Agalnst the nroads upon
it by private expresses and rival mail establishments
1t affords great satisfaction to report to your
Excelency, that every legal demand by the conrac-
tors, properly vouched, upon the Department, foI
services rendered since have had the honor OF su
perintendng its operations, has been promptly paid
Justice TO contractors requirs that soon as they
have performed the service, they should be paid
To enable the Department to do this, punctuaity OF
the part Of postmasters in the payment of the baan
ces due from them at the end of each quarter is all
important.
Is every instance where there has been failure
on the part If 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 banshed defacation from the Department.
Ii is fact worthy of notice. that although the ag-
gregate amount received from postage during the
past year has been greater BY the sum stated the
cepts at the large offices, for 1912, have been less
than in lS4l. The aggregate increase has been at
the medium and smaller Offices
This is accounted for by the fact that the means of
INSTRUMENTATION between the great commercial
points nave been such as to invite constant and in
creasing attractions and violations of the laws Of
Congress regulating the General Post Office
took occasion to invite your attention to this sub
Ject 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 etectual-
ly to protect ITSELF
1t is made the exclusive duty of the General Gov
eminent to establish post offices and post roads The
State Governments have no right to interfere with
the subjects neither has any individual or company
of individuals such right.
Upon most Of the railroads in the United States,
over which the mail is transported at an immense
expense, there are to be found individuals engaged
in the transportation of mail matter, in violation Of
the laws Of tie land-laws which prohibit the Of
fence, bnt do not punish it by adequate sanctions.
modification of the laws regulating the Thanking
ia al fn ritu #
the Department The original grant of this priy-
lege was designed the better to enable the public
officer to discharge his official duties without burden
upon his private cans. 1t is now generally esteem
ed more as private and individual right than an
official privilege. If persons entitled to this priv-
lege were content to enjoy it themselves, without
lending their franks to others, the burthen and loss
to the Department would not be great, and there
would be less cause OF just complaint by the public.
Although the act OF 1925 expressly declares that
if any person shall frank any letter letters, 9TH
er than those written by HIMSELF or by his ORDER on
the business Of his office he shall conviction thereof,
pay fine OF ten dollars, and it shall be the especial
duty Of postmasters to prosecute for said offence"
The penalty declared by this law has not been sufi-
cent to prevent the too frequent violation OF Its pro-
visions
If Congress shall deem it inexpedient to limit, or
further restrain, this right imposition of the same
penalty upon him who the frank Of another, as
Is imposed upon the person who abuses his privilege,
would tend greatly to lessen the evil.
The whole number Of free letters sent through the
post office annually far the returns OF postmas-
ters 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 that scarcely one-ninth of all the
matter which passes through the mail, passes free Of
postage. The loss to the Department does not stop
here Two cents are paid to postmasters on each OF
these letters, constituting annual charge upon the
revenue of 10000. 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 burden the business and friendly cores
pondence of the community with this heavy charge
The public voice has called for a reduction Of the
rates OF postage upon letters and whilst have felt
its force, and constrained TO acknowledge its JUS
tice have heretofore been deferred from making
any specific recommendation upon this subject; lest,
by a 81 den reduction, the only source Of income
might fail to the demands of the service. With
proper regulation of the Thanking privilege, and a
further protection against the violations of the laws
of the Department, have doubt considerable
reduction In postage might be safely made, and the
benefits and advantages Of the Department extended
TO many portions OF The country which are now, in o
great measure, destitute of proper mail accommoda
tons More especially could this be done, If Con-
gress, by some permanent arrangement with the rail
road companies, would relieve the Department from
the immense and constantly increasing amount an
nually paid those companies Tor transporting tht
public mail
| ventured to recommend, in my former report te
you, that Congress should then leglslatc upon this
subject Nothing has occurred since to cause me tC
doubt the correctness of the opinions then expressed
On the contrary, subsequent developments have
strengthened the views then obtruded upon YOU
consideration
Without the right in the Department to contro
the arrival and departure Of the mails, regularit,
and despatch cannot be expected. This is
right which the railroad companies, in their pc
rodlca contracts, will not yield willingly and, wher
they do yield it, make it ground to increase their de
mandsupon the Department for transporting the mail
For the service of railroad transportation there
can be competition Why then subject the Depart
ment TO the useless ceremony of advertising period
cay for bids to carry the mail railroads, requiring
it to take the lowest bid, when there will be but on,
bid for the same roue Each letting has heretofore
been, and will hereafter be, but an Invitation to thu