Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-12-13
Posr-OrrrcE DEPARTMENT, Dec, 1s49.

PosT-OFFicE DEPARTMENT. Dec, lS49.
To he President Of The United STATES:
SrR-The number of post Offices in the Uni
ted States at the close of The year ending June
30, ls40, was l6,747, there having been 92l es-
tabshed and 1913 discontinued within the year,
making an increase within the year of 5eS.
The number of postmusters appointed within
the year ending June 30 1919, was 6333.
OF that number 1882 we're appointed in con-
sequence of resignation; 1e3 were appointed
IN consequence of death; 264 were appointed in
consequence of changes OF sites OF Offices g.
1903 were appointed in consequence ofrenovals
III were appointed in consequence of commits
sions expired and not renewed; 90 were APP
pointed in consequence of commissions renew
ed % were appointed in consequence Of be-
coming Presidential by income exceeding $1,000
92l were appointed IN consequence of new offices.
In 1915 important changes were made by law
liz the postage and mail service of the United
Stnlcs One of those changes was large re-
ductlon of postage. Another and almost equal
lyi important one to the pecunlary condition OF this
department, consisted iu directing all mail SER
vice TO be- let 10 the lowest bidder, irrespective
OF the mode of conveyance, and abolshiug the
previous regulation requiring the new contractor
TO take the stage stock Of his predecessor.
This single regulation reduced the contracts
Of 1915, in New England and New York, the
first section lei under the law, more than $3.50.
0C0 Another law of 1916 was that reuulrinr
Classification of the railroad SERVICE and fixing
the uaxmun prices of those classes. Tue eff
feet of these laws greatly Diminished the price
OF mail transportation, and aided in bringing SO
soon The expenses Of the service within the in.
come derived lrotn the reduced postage. that
now, though the amount OF service is greatly en-
HANGED, lis expense bears no corresponding pro-
portion.
The mail contracts, which are for four years
are mude one section in each year, SO that the
whole service h ID undergone the process of re-
duction under II G operation Of these laws, in
jane. l846 Therefore the condition oflhe De-
partnent is, as it was expected 10 be, found most
favorable as IN It's expenses at tho close Of the
year ending June Both, lS49. The actual cos,
for each mile the mail was transported, IN the
year preceding June, l645, was eight cents one
mill and under the operation OF the laws of
1s45, the cost per mile of the mail transporla.
ton IN June last was five cents six mills ma,
King difference of two and a half cents per
mile, being more than one quarter
The number o!mai routes in the u. s. on The
first day of July, 1910, was 4943 and the NUN.
Der OF contractors a, 100. The length of these
routes was I67,7O3 miles.
On these routes the mail was transported 40
$4,000 miles, at the cost of So, 42S,5l5, winch
makes the average cost Of transporting The mail
last year five cents six mills per mile. To this
should be added the transportation OF the for.
eign mail by Southampton to Bremen, and the
mail from Charleston and Savannah to Havana
and also the transportation of the mail across
the lsihmus Of Panama all which is done at the
expense of this Department, to the amount of
$255,692
The extent and cost of this service the pas,
year, as compared with that Of the year preced-
ing, will be most clearly seen by tabular view /:
RECEIPTS.
The gross revenue for tho year, ending June 40 ls49
mounted 10 $780, 49, derived from the follow ing sour
From letter POSTAGE inc uding stamps sod sass? 1862 GO
From newspaper aud pamphlet POSTAGE Sl9,Oi6 90
from miscellane' us Items, 1881 81
rom nnes, d3 rs
From dead letter money Sold so so
s4,7o5,l76 %
From tho appropriation made by the 18th sec
tion ofthe act of Sd March, Ie47, for mail ser
vices to the government, ON ono m