Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1844-12-26

! A further extension of the usefulness
OF the department would have been
( made, bat for the embamassments and
difficulties it had TO encounter by the
operations of private mails upon the
leading lines Of post roads connecting
the important commercial cities and
towns of the U. States.
In the absence of that legislation
heretofore suggested as necessary to
protect the Department against the in
roads upon its revenue, there is cause
Ct congratulation, if not surprise, that
have not yet been compelled to curtaii
the service below its present amount.
The total transportation of the mail
by horse, and in stages, railroads and
steamboats,, for the year ending the
Both June, 1874, supplying 14,103-
Post Offices, at a So, 1888, Dol, was
80, 409, 624 miles, exceeding the trans
portation for the year 1871 by 413, 100
miles.
The income Of the Department for
year ending Both June, 1914, was as
follows:
Letter postage $3,676,161 50
Newspaper postage 549,743 50
Fines 1876 90
Miscellaneous receipts 1926 At
Total revenue reported Sd, 237 ,285 50
The total amount OF expenditure
settled and paid for the same period is
1885, 1867 10.
The year which has passed has been
distinguished in many portions of the
country, particularly in the South and
/. West, by excessive rains and floods,
interposing distractions to the regular
transit Of the mails, which It was i'm
possible for the most vigilant and en-
terprislng contractors to overcome
With exceptions of this kind, the ser
vice has been generally we'll perform
ed by contractors.
The revenue collected by postmas-
tiers, with very few exceptions, has
been promptly paid and accounted for;
and it is worthy of remark, that Of the
SIT Ass, O87 Is collected by postmas-
ters within the last four years, no ma
tefial loss has been, or will be, sustain
ed by the Government.
Contractors, and all others having
legal claims against the Department,
have been, during the same period,
promptly paid.
1t gives me pleasure to say Of the
discussing agent of this Department,
has discharged his duties with com
mendable fidelity. The whole amount
of appropriations, for the last four years,
which have been disbursed by him, is
I S404, S52 IS. His accounts have
been regularly settled at the Treasury,
up to the 30th Sept. 1914, and every
dollar legally and properly accounted
for.
The various duties of the assistants
and clerks ofthe Department have been
well and efficiently performed.
The report Of the First Assistant
Postmaster General, Of the extent and
nature of the service for the last eight
years, with costs of transportation, &C
companies this report. ! refer to this
report as containing valuable statistical
information Of the amount employed in
the transportation of the mail. It will
also be seen by the same report, that
the recentlettings ofthe middle section,
without any injurious alterations Of the
service, the sum Of $9l All has been
saved, compared with the amount paid
under former contracts. M
The number of cases of mail depre-
dations reported to the Department for
three years preceding the 18th October,
1874, is nineteen hundred and thirty
four. Amount of alleged loss, $462,-
135. Amount of money recovered,
or loss satisfactorily ascertained, $780,
242. One hundred mail depredators
have been arrested and tried during
the same period.
| am warranted in the expression of
the opinion, that the number of mail
depredations has been diminishing with
In the last few years, and greater secu-
rity, by greater vigilance, has increased
public confidence in this-mode Of trans
hitting money from one portion Of the
country to the other.
From the above facts it may be in
ferred that the special agents of the.
Department have not been altogether
unmindful of their duty, 1t is not a.
lone to silent Investigations into cases