Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-12-10

Post Offices, al q cost OF S-'"o'o'i, M'9 ".''N.'
Cpl miles exceeding the transportation iof ihe
wear 1911 by 4l3l 100 miles.
The income of the Department for the year
ending the Goth June, ls4i, was as follows;
Lcl,er postage So,o.o'Ioa >,
| Newspaper postage ol'', 40 90
Fines i3o wv
Miscellaneous receir,s ll,2l5 II
Total revenue reported si,-oii 100 %
The total amount OF expenditure settled and
! paid for the same period is II, 29b,o61 ~.
The year which has passed has been di>in-
euished in many portions oil The country, paticu-
! larly in the South and West, By excessive rains
! and floods r,crposins distractions 10 the regular
! transit OF the mails which il was impossible Tor
the most vieilant and cnlerpri>ing contractors 10
overcome With exceptions oil tas kind, the ser
vice has been generally well performed by con-
| tractors.
! The revenue collected By Posimasiers. with
very few exceptions, has been promptly pald ana
accounted for and il is worthy OF remark, that oil
the Sl7,4sS,0s7 IS collected BY Pos,'naslers With
in the Isl four years, no material loss has been,
or will be- sustained BY the Government.
I Contractors. ana all others having legal claims
/ upon the Department. have been, during the same
period promptly paid.
II gives Inc pleasure 10 say Of the disbur,ing
/ aeon, Of this Department, that he has discharged
! ms lrasr with 4 commemorate fidelity. The whole
! amount of appropriations, for the last four YEAR.
/ which have heen discussed By him, : S10l So
IS. His accounts nave becn regularly settled Al
the Treasury, up 10 he 30h September, ISL and
/ every dollar legally and properly accounted for.
| The various duties Of The assistants ard clerks
/ OF the Department nave been well and efficiently
! performed
/ The rcrort of TIE Firs, Assistant Postmaster
! General, OF the extent ard nature OF the service
/ for the las, eight years with costs Of transpor;a-
! tion accompanies h!s report. | refer 10 his re-
! port rs containing valuable statistical inorma-
| ticn Of Tie amount OF capital employed in The
transportation Of the mail. II will also be seen
. by the same report that al The recent lettings OF
| the middle section, without any injurious alera-
lions oi the service the sum of SS9 AL has neen
saved compared with the amount PAID uaaer the
! former contracts.
! The number of cases OF mail GepredationS re-
| ported to the Department, for three years prece-
| ding the 18th October 1914, is nineteen hundred
/ and lhirv.four. Amount Of alleged loss, :. .G2, :
! 1875. Amount of money recovered, or loss salts
fac,orily ascer;ained, s30i,2l2. One hundred
| mail depredators have been arrested and tried du
ring the same period.
| am warranted in the expression Of the OPT
| nion that the number oil mail Expectations has
| been diminishing within the last few years. ami
greater security by greater vigilance has increas-
! cd public confidence in this mode Of transmitting
money from one portion OF the country 10 the
| other
From the above facts it NAV lie inferred that the
! special agents OF the Department have not been
altogether unmindiui OF their duty. II Is not alone
10 silent Investigations into cases OF losses by mail
| that their lahors have been confined. They are
| charged with general outdoor superintendent
of the service, and the preservation oil The public
! properly ofthc Department
| The necessity and importance OF such >upervi-
! sion and The advantage Of strict system al re-
! sponsibiy may, in some degree, be known from
the value and amount expended annually Tor a
portion OF this public property. Take, for instance.
| the item OF mail bags. The amount expended
for this purpose far tho four yocr" including thu
amount Of accounts suspended prior to the first Of
! Julv, 1910, which aEonnt Of suspended accounts
! was paid in 1871 and isl2, was 26Ss9 dollars.
4 The anoun, actually expended Tor the four years
preceding the first Of July, 1911, is 1O,5:,S ~.
Tie members Of the Convention who f:amec
! the Constitution of The United States, felt the ne
ccssi,y tha, the power 10 establish post Offices
ADD post roads, and TO conduc, The operations of
| the mail was one which 10 he useful and Com
| mensuraie with The waits of our extended coun-
,ry and diversified Interests. mus, be exclusively
vested in the Congress Of the United States,
whose legislative functions and supervision
would pervade the whole sphere oith operations
of that power.
The expense of the system must be sustained
by the same power which created and controls il.
For reasons obvious to those who founded the
Post Office system oil he United States the
principle, that il must sustain itself BY lis own
operations was engrattcd into the first, and has
been adhered 70 in every subsequent act OF legis-
latioa concerning the Department Whilst II has
ever been required 10 sustain itS own expenses,
unlike the system in some o;hcr countries, il has
not been regarded as source OF revenue TO the
general Treasury.
Our predecessors seemed to have adopted the
rule. laa those who used The Post Office Depart
men, ior private or individual purposes or bene
fits, should defray the expenses OF transporting
and delivering their letters. That, as il had 10 be
sustained hy ajax of some sort, Ohe mode OF col
Letting that TAX by postage on letters, &c, beng
voluntarily was deemed most equal, ana la:
heretofore proved acceptable 10 The community
il twas thought, in ,he infancy of our Republic
that il was unwise il no unjust, HAT those who
did not use the Post Office should he directly
taxed Tor the benefit OF those who did Hence
they imposed such Tariff OF posiages as, in
their Judgment would best attain the great oh)ec
OF sustaining the Department, al The least Pract
cable amount.
The wisdom and justice OF this rule are no
overturned BY the fact, that the mode OF collecting
the revenue has been changed from system .
i;Icc; taxation, and excise 10 the imposition OF &
revenue lax upon imports.
II the Gepartmen, is 10 be continued under the
control Of the General Government, as ii should
cannot imagine any mode by which lis eS?en
>es can I've met, more equitable, more just, than By
the collection OF as mnch postage ana no more
upon tie matter which passes through the mail
! ~, (, no IL apIS m
II isto the TACT, tina, the Post Office Department
has been compelled 10 rely upon its own encreie:
and resources, that lis great and rapid extension
and usefulness are mainly 10 be attributed.
The head OF this Department. feeling ms re
sponsibily 10 The public would no, permit Ih'
service to expand without correspondent IN
crease in its receipts, which would, ct the same
time, furnish evidence OF extended usefulness
His responsibility 10 The Government, and a jus
regard for his own reputation, would admoasi
him so 10 regulate The service that, while il gave
The greatest possible benefits 10 The country,
should produce an amount OF revenue equal 10 1t
wants.
Ii The department, in accordance with tn
views OF some, recently promulgated, should b
made an annual charge upon the general ireasu
~, and lis head required 10 disburse the amour
appropriated, from year 10 year. relying upa'
Congress 10 appropriate whatever sum NE rci'
or imaginary wants of the community might &c
mand, it may he well questioned whether mncl
Of that vigilance So necessary 10 supennicnu
department complicated aud extended as this j.
would rot be lost in the simple routine OF duty II
eSpeudng whatever Congress may have appro
pria,ed, no mater whether useiuly or not, 50 iha
the expenditures be properly voGched.
! The very nature oil The operations oil tins &c
panment il its uncertain demands ale 10 be me
by annual appropriations from the treasury
would generate abuse and extravaganza both i
the approprial.ng and discussing power, TIL
limit OF appropriation would he regulated aion
bs the imaginary wan;s in the various sections
the Union, each section veing with The other t
obtain The creates, possible amount 10 be cNpend
ed within lis limits.
I-pon the most mature and deliberate reilet
/. =. L. lnnIi q .Iha