The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1847-01-01
FTUIII tIIt I CIIIISy IVHIIIaII
Report OF the POstmaste General.

Nothing is 80 well calculated to give faithful idea of
the character and resources OF our country that obtain
ed in reading the reports of the several heads of depart
mens and especially those of the Postmaster General
and Secretary of the Treasury. We have read the late
report of the Postmaster General with some care, and
with great pleasure The skill with which that impor-
tant branch of the public service has been managed by
hmhis economy, integrity and close application to the
mnutest details OF the great machine under his control
are admirably shown in his able and unobrusve report
An idea OF the extent OF the operations of the Post Office
Department and the time idea of the extent OF
our country, may be obtained from the statement that
the mail service OF the United States exclusive of Tex
as performed by $3.50 contractors io5 posroutes,
the aggregate length OF which li06S9 miles Its trans
poraton throughout the year ending the 30th of June
last amounted to 37,3oS,4l4 miles, and the engagements
for said transportation stated by the year. amounted to
When il is recollected that the Postmaster General is
expected to superntend all the workings OF this intricate
machine extending from end of the Union to the 9th
err ana affecting the interests OF more than twenty mil
lions of people, is easy to suppose that his duties
are unusually burlensome and exactlng as it is that
most of the complans-natura to a, system so vast,
no matter how well managed it sare in themselves
just or unreasonable We have never hal much patience
with the complaints against the heals of post offices gem
orally They to be male under any a1mlnstra-
ton and are rarely occasoned By any serious cause,
BY any circumstance which reasonable man, impressed
with the of matter daily and hourly rushing through
the mails, could not overlook with no damage to his
We are gtal to see from Mr.. Johnsons report that
the ancipations of loss from the operation of the
tent estimated the time it went into operation. AL
hourh change drastic has necessarily increased the
eman1 upon the mails AMI upon the mail agents, AMI
has led to the establishment of new post Offices AMI
,o routes vet it is cheering to observe that the result
has been of such character to dlsappon the fear Of
those who doubted the policy OF re ucel posages Some
Of the alterations suggested by Mr. johnson should of
course be mn c but hope that Congress will take
consult an unmistakeable public opinion, by retaining the
great FUNDAMENTAL FEATURE OF the law itself Let pro-
vision be male 10 prevent imposition and frauI but 1t is
be expected that system like this can become
source of immediate revenue, nor do we know that such
result is to be desired If il is TO be produced by cutting
off the means of popular laton In this matter,
unlike the Just notion OF tariff, revenue should be made
the incidental, and the public convenience paramount
and principal
There is one change that we hope Congress will have
no hesitation to make promptly We allu lie to the pay
of the clerks employed IN the several post Offices most
OF whom are worked all day all night, an so misera-
bv rewarded as to be scarce able live along especial
IL those of them who have families. The new law has
greatly increased their labor and yet II would scarcely
be believed, there more force In the Philadelphia,
and other post Offices and better pay than there
many years before the hostages reduced The post
master OF New York. order to prevent his establish
men from being utterly swampei with work, took the
responsibility of employing additional force, and paid
for it from his own salary. Had he not done So the
damage to the public interest would have been most
rious; and we can only hope that Congress will not
merely refund the he has advanced (he depart
men having no power to allow it, but will permanently
increase the number and the salaries OF the clerks en-
gagged in that as well as all other offices. This is sub
ec about which there should be doubt II deserves
to be promptly considered.
Mr.. Johnson's report we repeat, does HIM infinite
credit as just impartial, interchangeable, and economical
officer.