The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-12-13
PSsrAAsr.a GsrspA.'s Rsrour.-

ginning 10 assume an interest inferior to
no other. and it's successful man cement
. impnrtant to the peuAs Of the coun. |
try. The fepnri rs MI. Hall evidesces |
. proper understanding Of the do,iss ol
h'sStation and embraces thorough 70 |
view If the basiuess Of the department,
he Ia evidently man Of eminent busi.
ir'eT' capacity and wiisu'Nilly acquainted
with the details Of the duties Of his sta.
tim. he will make gooi and popular
officer.
AT The chse nf the fiscal year ending
hs' Both pf June last. the number Of mail
'outts was $500; lie aggregate length
OF such routes was I7S.672 miles; The
number If contIacinrs employed 4,760;
the annual transportation Of mails 46.
54i.423 miles; annual cost. $2.742. .426;
average cosl fve cents and eight aud
iaiP miils per mile.
The increase ininland mail routes for
the year was $40; in length lO,969; annu.
al tranap"rtation .3.997,35 miles; in.
crease,f c,st S3l2, 40. The Atsign mail
r"n'eS have an aggregate length "F 10.
07o miles; the annual cnsl S264. SOC.
The ESmbeT nH poStmasters appoint.
cd dvrine the year was 6.j4S OF that
number $500 we're appointed To Hil VA.
cancies oecssi"ned ny resignati0ns, 233
by deatb; 262 by change Of Sites. l.444
by removals; 1879 by the estsbIshmeur
Of new oHlres. .a..
The gross revenue-of the Department
was S5 .55? 0H:46; the expenditures S:
2l2,968:43, leaving balance Of S3aO,
0l6:05 To this must be added undrawn
appropriations, which leaves net Bal
auce in favr Of the Department Of 81,
1872 045:s2.
The expenditures Of the Department
will necessarily be increased tho present
year, particularly on account Of the for
eign aud California and o egon mil ser
vice. The total amount is estimated al
So, 0l9, ,S09:90 The additiunal cost ui
contracts in portions Of the West tend
materially to swell the expenditures up
to this amount. The revenue for the cur
rent year is estimated at $6.l66, ,6l6:2s
The Postmaster General recommends
some msterial alterations in the fi,reign
and Oregon and California mail service
in order To expedite the transmission oI
letters aud printed matter.
He secommenlS a uniform postage Oh
hs single letter Of three cents when pre-
paid and Of five cents when not prepaid.
liwi,h' discretionary power in the De-
pertinent tb'reduce il To two cents upon
the sihgie letter wlisne ver the revenue
Of the Department Er two successive
years exceed the expenditures by FIVE
per cent. He alsuTecnmmend mate.
rial reduction onlstteVs for California
and Oregon, land that tie charges on
other sea.going letters be ms,ie more
simple aud uniionn.
He also recommends uniform rate of
one cent upon newspapers TO any part of
tho country and'a charge Of two cents
upon pamphlets or periodicals Of two
ounces in weight and one cent for every
additionahounue or fraction Of an ounce
| Dhuble thuse rates are recommended for
the sea gping charys on such matter.
The average postage, otr lLuers It the
present lirne,- is estimated at S3:l6 pei
pound; on newspapers and pamphlets al
l6 cents per pomnh Mter the reduc
tinns proposed are carried into effect
the average postage Of letters 10 es,ima,
ted at $3.50 perp und whenuor prepaid
aud $l;50 when prepaid. phiSreiers Of
course To inland postage.
The proposed reductions IN postage
will. if carried out, reduce the revenues
Of the department for three or four years
AT the end Of that time, il is supposed
that the revenue will again equal the ex.
penditure. To meet these deficiencies
the revenues already accumulated may
be applied. When these are exhausted
an appropriation from the Treasury will
be required unless Congress shall deem
it expedient to abollsh the present prac
tice of sending certain matter free of
postage through the mails or pay for the
sane or portion of the same out Of the
,unds Of the General Government. The
IranGing privilege aud the privilege to
editors Of receiving exchans papers free
"f postage may be dictated by al enlight
ened public policy aud required by The
public interests; but if these privileges
are continued, the Department respsc
tful ly asks for an appropriation for the
same ou, Of The public Treasury.
The proposed reduction. if made
; should not take place before the end of
the present fiscal year.
A ,hunca 20 III .. II l... :,