The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-01-08
Postmaster Ecnsrni's Re po,,.

; la'rs at his department during the wear
The income of the Post Office DURING IN,
year ending the 30ih jane, 1916. the
first under the new law, was S3.4S1.
1919 80, which shows decrease of $500
62i 10, This ,limnution arises chiefly
from loss on letter postage. but among
other causes ATE mentioned expresses, hy
which letters are regularly delivered, the
collection and transmission of letters, di.
reclcd to different persons, under one en-.
velope, ~ which the Department cts,
on the aggregate weight, but a dollar or
two IN postage, when il should have five
or ten dollars. Cargo letters" are also
made the vehicles Of fraud. and the i'm
mense mass of printed circulars, transient
newspapers. &C.. which are not called
for or refused, constitute a heavy item of
expense IN the matter Of transportation.
To these must be added the dead let
tsrs' which amount to near two millions
annually.
To remedy these evils. he recommends
that the rate for sit gle letters be reduced
10 one qu0uCr IF an ounce. except in
case oi a Icuer weighing less than an
ounce and written on a single sheet
That the same power granted ,o the Rev
enue Department 10 prevent a violation of
It's revenue laws, be granted to the Post
Office Department.
Letters relating 20 cargoes, lie thinks.
should he unseal,d aud suhjec, to the in
/ sprci'rn of Poet Office Agents, and that
/ postage ON newspapers he 80 adjusted as
. to approach more nearly the cost If trans
/ poTlaiion and delivery. We are afraid
/ the Postmaster General will find the mat.
ter of cheap transportation Of newspapers.
or Others sent b. those who ale not pub.
/ lshefs, should, he thinks, be rated higher
than others. All printed matter. also.
should be prepaid. and all letters pre- paid
or rated double. This last suggestion Is
4 very good one. for il correspondence
is worth anything at alt, it is worth pay
ing for.
The income during the period above
mentioned was Si,0si,297 %, and the
deficiency as compared with the receipts
of a59,717 81. This deficiency vas
supplied by drafts on the contingent fund
Of a65 900 provided for by law.
The taail service of the United States.
exclusive OF Texas, is performed by , $40
contracts on 4,2s5 post routes, the ag-
grega,e length of which is lf9,67s miles.
The transportation of the year, up to 30h
June last, amounted to 81 1913 ,4l4 miles,
at a cost, by contract, OF 81 eos SIS
ihls is an excess OF service, over last
year. IN the length Of 5,.39 miles, and OF
annual transportation, Of 1874, li5 milea,
AT dImInu,lon of expense Of S202, 9l3.
There is an excess in the cost Of mail
agencies. of 4 500, and about so, for
fur four aud a half months transportation
Of mails in Texas from 9Th February TO
30h June, 1916; " hich is TO be deduct
ed from this saving, which Will reduce II
10 $lsG s32. A great saving has been
effected in the re-IsIling of the contracts
in Few England and New York, and
another, equal to thirty. three per cent.
has been made in the re.letting Ct con-
tracts in The Northwestern and South
western States and Territories.
The deductions from the pay Of con-
tractors for irregularities in the perform
ance Of mail duty, amour, to C26,2T3 81.
The mail service in Texas has rot bee
satisfactorily performed, one OF the mail
boats having been lost in slo:m--bui it
IS expected to be placed soon upon a per
manenl footing.
On the thiruetl, June there was .60l
pos, Offices; ST. were established during
the year and 459 notwithstanding
an actual increase Of AIS. At this time
the number is 1883. Nearly one-lhird
Of the post Offices in the United States
have been voluntarily vacated since the
act of 1885, owing 10 the coLseqneu, in
crease and compensation. The oncrous
manner in which the law presses on Post
masters and clerks is briefly but clearly
shown; but while the evil is lamenied no
r.Eedy is suggested.
Il IL evident the Postmaster thinks the
Department should have control of the
lines of telegraph, and he again urges his
oplaions upon the attention of Congress.
The contractors TO carry the mail be-
tween New York and Bremen, are pro-
pressIny rs rao,aN az nn.siblp in the