Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1848-12-22
REPORTS FROM THE HEADS OF THE
DEPARTMENTS.

1t will be out of our power to give more
Z than synopsis of the reports from the seve-
raj Departments which accompanied the Pres
sident's message to Congress. We present be-
low synopsis of the Post Master Generals
report, fIom the Union, as follows -
" In publishing this able and elaborate ex-
position OF the state of a very important and
interesting branch of the public service, we
cannot but express our qualification at the re.
suits which i: discloses, and the testimony
which it bears to the faithful AMI efficient ad !
ministraton of the department under its pres
sent head. Excluding the foreign mail service =,
which is almost entirely the work of the pres
q lent administration, we observe that, during the
spast three years, the amount of service per.
Horned by the department has constantly in
Icreased, and the cost of that service has con-
sstantIy decreased During this period, the
domestic mail service has increased Is per
I cent., and It's cost has diminished more than
5l53 per cent! During the last fiscal year the
! mails has increased more than t1rO millions of
miles, the length of the routes being increased
more than nine thousand miles, and for the
same period the cost of this increased trans
portation has been diminished, as compared
W
tICefUe thousand dollars. Our foreign mails
are transported every other month $500 miles
$ and back, at cost of $1OO,5O0. The post
routes within the United States on the 3Oth of
June last were more than 10000 miles in
4length. and the annual transportation of the
Z mall upon them was more than fortV.One MIL
lions OF miles The number OF post offices att
the same time was l6,159, being ,Ol3 more
than those of the previous year.
-" The report announces the gratifying fact
{ that the financial state of the department will,
with proper notifications of the existing law
previously recommended, justify the reduction
CT letter postage 10 the uniform rate of five
cents for a single halfounce letter, anv dis
lance. This is great triumph for the friends
of free postage, and reflects high credit on the
present administration of the department..
" The first organization OF the low hostage
system was effected in l845 by the presen,
Postmaster General. Many persons were ap-
prehenslve of its success, and predicted its
failure They declared that it would prove q
constant tax upon the general treasury; anC
that 1t would impose higher tariff, to fal
: most heavily upon the South, TO keep the sys
TEN going. We hoped for a different result
and we predicted that, if we'll managed, thu
revenues from low postage would yearly in
crease in consequence of the comparativ,
scheapness of letters; and that it would sup
port itself without any drain on the genera
treasury.
The organization has been admirably con
Quoted under the present Postmaster General
Owing IN part to good management, the reve
nue. is increasing, and the postage is becomin:
lower and lower. We congratulate the coun
try upon this result"
The report recommends the prepayment o
all letters deposited in the Post Office; and tina
newspapers be charged by weight. instead o
per sheet, as they are now charged. After re
viewing the evils Of change in the Post OF
fee Department at every new administration
the report winds up with the following sug
gestionss-
I'll may be well worthy of consideration