The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1845-12-26
REPORT OF THE POST MAsTER GEN.
ERAL.

On the 30,h of June last, the transportation o
the mails covered an extent Of 1854 miles
The annual transportation on the routes, on tn
same day, was IS, 63l,26J miies-involvng al
expenditure of 81, 905hOi.
The number of mail contractors on the day
above mentioned was 3,277.
II is stated, that while the annual unnsPorta
ton in 1915 was greater than in the preceding
wear by 22i,6i5 miles, the cost has been less b,
S62,79l.
On the Both Of June, ls45, there were AIS
pos, offices; during the preceding year, 3o3 wer'
created, aud 269 were discontinued.
The revenue o. the department for the PerIoI
mentioned amounted TO Si2S9,Sll 80; and The
expenditures for the same time were 81 0,1ol "
The nett revenue of the department amounted
tos2,9i22l7 II.
1t is estimated, from data given in the report
that there will be alIing.oir in the nett revenue
to the ar cunt Of forty-five per cent? anu, uhuei
the supposlion that the savings on contracts VIII
no, transcend tho expense of new routes, and
other mej,a,ed Improvements, the conclusion IL
drawn. that the means Of the department Tor the
present year will be lesscned 81 ,32399h
his stated. that the cost Of transportation IN
New York and in the New England States Will,
during the present fiscal year, ending IN June
next. be reduced 1852 1872. This reduction has
been accomplished by means Of the provision oil
late act Of Congress, Of which the department
has awaited itself.
Grea. difficulty seems to have occurred in the
making oG contracts with railroad companies
The companies have, for the mos, part, been dis
posed to exact prices beyond tbc legal right al
lowed; and the Postmaster General complains OF
the large amounts taken from the revenues oil the
department, for the payment OF railroads. 1t Is
alleged that that mode Of transportation has inva-
riaby increased the expenditure, and, in some
instances, two or three hundred per cent. OF the
entire service to the department. one-tcntb part
is rendered by railroads; and yet the companies
derive one:fjlh Of the whole revenue. The En-
clsh example Of comforting such privileges, II is
deemed highly inexpedicnt for US in America to
follow. The Postmaster General regrets, in
strong language, the resolution OF the Phllade-
pha and Baltimore Railroad Company no, to
convey mail agents over their road. The course
OF that company in this respect is stated to be an
exception to the sprlt of accommodation gener-
ally manifested by other companies. Serious
consequences to tho revenue, it is supposed, may
possibly have resulted from the persistence of
this company in tho, resolution.
The Postmaster General states that, should a
saving similar to tina, effected in New fowk aud
New England he realized in other parts OF the
country upon the practical introduction OF the
new law then in the western section after
July next, a reduction in the cos, Of ,ransporta-
ton will be effected to the amount Of $4,000 /;
in the Southern section, reduction, in 1917, OF
s23S000: and in the middle section, after July,
lS4S, of $4,000 per annum. The whole reduc.
ton at the period las, referred TO will upon the
hypothesis affirmed, be 81 005,000 per annum.
But the report states that it may not be safe to
infer corresponding reduction elsewhere 10 that
which has occurred in New York and New Eng
land.
We give below the report in full respecting the
operations of the new law in regard to postmas
tiers, frauds on the revenue Of the department, &c
and also the recommendations in regard to alter
ations in the law for an increase Of revenue, &c
The report says:
The compensation Of postmasters,
and the expenses of their Offices, are
the next principal sources of expen-
diturc, and amounted for the year
ending Goth June last, to the sum Of
$l,409,S75 Is.
This class of officers had been
paid by commission depending on
the amount received at their Offices,
and by the franking privilege.
Their compensation under the for
mer laws with the exception of a
few at the large Offices, was less, in
proportion to the service rendered
and the Importance of the duties
performed by them, than that of any
other officers under the general 60
vernment. The new law operated
with peculiar hardship upon them.
1t deprived them of the franking
privilege, and diminished their COM
pensation in proportion to the reduc-
ton of the revenue, and greatly in
creased their labors. The number
Of resignations-over two thousand
created an apprehension that the
public service might suffer from the
want Of competent and faithful men
to take charge of the offices. The
arguments urged by the friends of
the bill, that the cheap rate ofpost-
age would increase the business of
the department, and prevent re-
duction of its revenue-the general
appropriation limiting its expendi-
lures, and the appropriation for
postmasters and their clerks being
nearly the same as those of the pre-
ceding year-satisfed me that con-
gress had not intended reduction
of their pay, or that of their clerks ;
and therefore l determined to allow
them for each quarter of the present
year, the same COMPENSATION thew