The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1849-12-13


the Postmaster General How the Sun pro-
cured copy of this very important and inter
esting document is not stated. We make
the subioined abstract of it:
The number of Post Offices in the United
States at the close Of the year ending June
80. 1S49. was Is 647; there have been Cpl
established and 333 discontinued within the
year-making an increase of 588.
The number of postmasters appointed with
in the year ending June &c. 1949 was 6 1888.
OF that number, 2,782 were appointed IL con
sequence of designations 1873 of deaths 284
of changes of sites of officers: 2,1O3 OF re-
movals II of commissions expired and not
renewed; 26 of commissions renewed; %
becoming Presidential appointments, by in
cone exceeding $1,000; and 921 of new
offices.
| In 1845 important changes were made by
law in the postage and mail service of the
United States. One of those changes was
large reduction of postage. Another, and
almost equally important one to the pecunl-
airy condition Of the Department. consisted in
directing all mail service to be let to the low
est bidder. This regulation reduced the con-
tracts of 1916 in New England and New
Y ork the first section let under the law, more
required Classification Of the railroad service
and fixing the maximum price of those clas-
ses. The effect Of these laws greatly dimin
shed the price Of mail transportation, and
aided in bringing so soon the expenses OF the
service within the income derived from the
reduced postage; so that now, though the
amount of service is greatly enhanced, Its ex-
Ipense bears no corresponding proportion.
The mail contracts, which are Tor four
wears, are made one section in each year; so
SO that the whole service had undergone the
process Of reduction, under the operation of
these laws, in June. 1913. Therefore, the
condition of the department is, as it was ex-
pected to be, found most favorable to its eX-
pense at the close of the year ending June
| 80. 1849. The actual cost of each mile the
mali was transported in the year preceding
June, 1915. was eight cents and one mill, and
under the operation of the laws OF 1915, the
cost per mile of the mail transportations. i'll
June last. was.fye cents and six mills making
a difference of two and one half cents per
mile, being more than one quarter.
The number of mail routes in the United
States, on the first day of July, 1849, was
1913, and the number OF contracts 4,190.-
The length of these routes was 1861 03 miles
On these routes the mail was transported
AZ. 547 069 miles at the cost of 50, AIS, 5l5,
which makes the average cost of transport
ing the mail last year five cents six mills per
mile. To this should be added the transpor-
tation of the foreign mail, by Southampton TO
Bremen. and the mail from Charleston and
Savannah to Havana, and also the Transport
tation or the mail across the Isthmus Of Pan
anna. all which is done at the expense of this
department to the amount of 1885, 692.
The gross revenue for the year, ending
June 80, 1S49, amounted to 81 905 176 IS
| The expenditures for the same period amount
ed $4479, 127 II. The excess Of gross reve-
nue. for the year is therefore $426 1877 Is,
which added to 1866, $50 So, the sum remain
ing unexpended of the appropriations, under
| the act of the 81 of March last amounts to
$691, 6S2 20. This last sum is the amount of
the revenue Of the past year as yet unex-
pended.
Owing to the increase in the service and
the increased cost of transportation on rail
70 ids, the cost of carrying the mail in New
England and New York has been increased
and the Postmaster General estimates that
the cost of the service for the current year,
ending June 80, 1850, will be increased S56.-
! 90l, also by the cost of new routes in other
sections ordered by Congress, $57 1888 and by
extensions and Improvements ordered by this
! Department, about 1928, 0S3 to which must be
added probable sum of $4,000 for California
and a sum to meet other contingencies of $25,-
1000. These additions to the expenditures of
the service of the last year will constitute the
amount Of the current expenses of this year.
The whole expenditures of the service of the
Department for the current year is estimat-
ed at 81 ,75OI39 10.
To meet this expenditure, in addition to the
100000 appropriated to pay for the franked
matter Of the Department, the entire reliance
is in receipts from postage. The Postmaster
General says that the effect from reduction Of
postage has passed, and the two preceding
years show little more than the regular and
natural increase keeping pace with the
growth Of the country The great increase
Of last year was unnatural. The letter post
age for the year ending in June last shows an
increase over that oil the previous year of Is
2 10 per cent, and the aggregate increase
from all sources is IA Is per cent. Mr.. Col
lamer estimates the revenue for the year end
ing June 30, 1850, at $4.783, 848 20, from
which deduct the estimated expenditures for
the same period and the balance at the close
of the year will be $L033. 10 81.
The whole number of letters charged with
postage passing through the mails, the last
year, reckoned on the postage received.
amounted to sixty-two millions.
On all these letters the postage collected
was So, SS2 1862; on newspapers and pam
Iphlets S819,016. The letter postage pays
now not only for It's own cost but also for
what the paper postage falls short of its pro-
portion, and also for all the other operations
and services of the Department, including
the expense of all the matter carried for the
I public without nav from the Government