Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1847-01-08

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..s Jsfaunca JSr.rg tho year. "a .rcs-ssf
n lost Oaice durng The yrnt eldrs - sCia
June, le46, Ihs Lr-; under ths rev isw, wua g.
4e7, 100 35, Which shews accrcss efse0a.f2t
%. THIS duminuton stiss ch eiy from Ices o.
letter posisgc but among oiher cau.ss are msr.
ion, expresses. by which letters uns regularly
delivered, the collection snd transmission eli lei.
.ers, directed 70 different persons, ut3sr one en-.
yelops; BY which the department g.is, On the az
gregale weight, bui . dollar or tWo in gosisge,
when il should have five or ten dollars. Car
20 letters" ore also msde the vehicles e haud
and the immense mass Of printed cireulars, ,Tahs-
lent newspapers, &c., which are not called for CT
refused, constitute heavy item Of expense IN
Ihe matter Of transportation. To these nusi b.
added the "dced letters which amount 10 nrahy
two-millions annually.
To remedy these evils, he recommends that
The rate for single leuers BE- reduced TO oAe sncr
ter Of an ounce, except in case of letter weigh
ing less than half an ounce and written on a sin
gle sheet. That the same power granted TO tho
Revenue Department to prevent violation Of is
revenue laws, be granted IN the Posi- Office De-
partment, This il need hardly be said, would
not be tolerated. Men may be permitted to
tumble about goods, and hunt after silks among
teas, or fine wool among cotton, but twill scarce
ly answer 10 make The fingers Of The department
busy around the seals, and intimate with the
contents Of the private correspondence Of the
country.l
/ Letters relating TO csrgoss, he thinks, should
be unsealed aud subject 10 The inspection ofPost
/ Office agents, and that postage en- new Fapers te
so adjusted as 10 approach more nearly the cost
Of transportation and delivery. We are afraid
/ the Postmaster General will find the matter Of
cheap transportation Of newspapers q necessary
evil. Transient newspapers, or others by
those who are not publishers should, he thinks,
be rated ghcr than others. All printed matter,
also should b. pref aid, and al le 'ds prePa T
rated double. This last suggestion IS q very good
one, foriia correspondence is worth anything at
all, it is wsrh paying for.
The income duringthe period above mention-
ed was "a ,O84,> 81 ,22 and the deficiency as com.
pared with the receipts ofS597,G97,5 81. This de-
ficiency was supplied by drafts on the coLtingen;
fund Of S65O,OOO provided orby law.
The mail service Of the United States, exclu.
,, sive Of Texas, is performed by 3 $50 contracts
on ,2S5 post routes, the uggreqats length Of
which is 1868 miles. The transportation Of
the year up to The 3Oh June last, amounted TO
878. This is an excess Ur service over last wear,
in the length of routes, Of 5,739 miles and Of an
= nual transportation, Of l,764,145 miles, Of q d-
= mnution Of expense Of S2O9 9l3. There is an
i excess in the cost Of mail agencies, Of S4893,
and about S9,l89 for four aud halt months
. transportation ofmais in Texas from 9Th Of Feb.
= ruary 10 3Olh Of June, 846 which is 10 b. de.
Quoted from this saving, which will reduce it to
! Sl88,83l. A great saving has been eff, cted in
. the re-lei,ng OF contracts in New England and
: New York, and another equal 10 Ihiny.lhree per
cent, has been made in the re-leting Of contracts
? in the Northwestern States and Territories.
The deductions from the pay Of contractors
: for irregularities in performance Of mail duty
D amount 10 S26 1884.
Is The mail service in Texas has not been salts
G. factorly performed, one Of the mai boats havin!
= been lost in a storm-bul is expected TO bo place,
~ soon on permanent footing.
OF On the 3Oth June there were l4G0l post off
rs ces; 877 were established during the year, an
" 459 Notwithstanding an actual increase q
We 418. Now the number is l4,I93. Nearly one
Us third Of the post offices in the United States hay
'S, been voluntarily vacated since The act Of l84t
~ owing 10 the consequent increase oflabor and III
!" abatement Of privileges and compensation. Th
" onerous manner in which the law presses o
IL Posmasters and clerks is briefly but clearl
o. shown; but while the evil Is amented no remed
~ ~ is suggested.
~ ltis evident the Postmaster thinks the Depart
ment should have control oflhe lines oftelegrapt
and he again urges his opinions upon the atteE
ton Of Congress.
he The contractors to carry the mail bctwee
of New York and Bremen, are progressing as r,
- pidly as possible in the completion of the steam
ol. ships. A line from Charleston by Havana
he Charges, in steamers, and from Panama in sa
or steam vessels, to Oregon, is again recommend
is. ed as a subject for legislative authority to al
=, thorizc.
In conclusion he speaks again Of the Tel
), graph-of the fact that it supercedes the Pc
- Office; announces that he has possessed himsa
.o of all necessary information in case Congre
- should think of making purchase of the line
.r.-U. S. Ga=eHc.