The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-12-07

1901.
the States OF Virginia, North Carolina South Carolina,
Georgia, and Flordao which were made under the let
tngs IN April last show increase Cup 10 The 30h day
OF Sepember OF 9i7707 miles OF annual transportation
and OF SOL oil in the annual COST the transportation
and cost under The which expired with the 30ih
day OF June, lo5 being increase OF about ~ SO 100
per cent IN service and s7I0o per cent IN aggregate
cost
Erie railroad; OF the railroad from Cleveland to Colum
bus and OF other railroads the different sections OF the
Union; the establishment of two daily lines carrying the
mail from Baltimore, by the way of Cumberland Wheel.
ing, and Columbus, to CINCINNATI the increase OF mail
facilities the routes leading from the Atlantic cities to
important points in the West; the greatly increased mail
facilities the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, and in
almost every section OF the Union, have added and SINH
lar improvements will continue 10 add, largely TO the ex.
The placing of The steamers Franklin" and Humboldt
the New York and Havre line has also added $4,000
to the cost OF the foreign mail service charge
able upon the revenues of this department, 4Ns
Until the passage OF the act OF March 8, 1851, the in
crease in the OF transportation. occasoned by the in
and extension OF the service had been almost
rey within the discretion OF the head OF this department
That act declares that post Office in existence
shall be discontinued nor shall the mail service any
mail route in any of the States Territories be discon
hnued or diminished in consequence oil any dmnution
OF the revenues that may result from this act aud il
shall be the duty Of the Postmaster General establish
post Offices. and place the mail service any
mail route established or that may hereafter be estab
shed, in the manner as though this act had not
passed" And there having beeen large surplus TO the
credit OF the of the department at the time of
the passage of the act would to have been the in
tenon Of Congress that the Postmaster General should
continue and increase the service 10 the extent
il the old rates OF postage and large annual increase in
the revenues had continued BY adopting this rule the
expenditures OF the department for the transportation OF
the mails must be increased from ten to fifteen per cept
per year. if the wants and interests OF the country require
it, unless other rule for the government OF the de-
parlnent be sanctioned by Congress.
The other expenses of the department he principal
items OF which the compensation OF posnasters and
their cleks) necessarily increase at nearly the same rate
the business OF the department and its receipts for
postage when change occurs in the rates OF postage
The usual compensation OF posmastes, being commits
sion calculated at certain rates per cent upon the posages
collected at their Offices, increases nearly the
proportion the Since 1916 the average increase
in posages and in the business OF this department has
been about thirteen per cent year During the present
fiscal year the receipts from posages may not exceed two
thirds the amount received last year. while the abors Of
postmasters are likely be increased from fifteen
thirty per cent in consequence Of the increase in the
number OF letters and Of other maabe matter, under the
reduced rates OF POSTAGE and the free delivery Of
papers in the counties OF their publication. provided
by the act OF March 8, 1851.
By the sixth section of that act the Postmaster General
was authorized, in his discretion 10 increase the com
missions posimasiers in certain 1t desirable
that this authority should moi be exercised until the ac
counts for the last quarter were so far adjusted and set
tied enable the department 10 make reliable
estimate OF the amount TO be derived from posages in the
present fiscal year But The anxiety OF postmasters and
the desire OF the Auditor 10 fix the amount OF commits
sons allowable 10 each postmaster al the time OF settling
his accounts for the quarter seemed to render At expe
diem, fix the of allow before the settlement oil
those especially such settlement could not
be completed in less than three months after the expra
ton of the quarter, GE
An order was therefore made on the oslh day of Octo
Der last. of which the following is copy
! Increased Commissions to Posfnast,rs
Numerous applications having been made TO this de-
parment Tor tfs allowance OF increased commissions 70
posmasters, authorized under certain conditions by Tue
sixth OF IAN reduce and modify de rates OF
proved March g. 1861, and il having been clearly shown
that the laboTs Of posnasers have been in
and their commissions reduced by The operation o
ordered That whenever The Auditor Of the Treasury
the Post Office Department shall have satisfactory proof
by affidavit other rwe that the asof OF any postmaster
have been increased and bis commissions reduced as pro-
vded by said act he shall allow and credit such post
with commissions according TO the following rules
| to wit.
fiscal ending Both June, 1851, did nor exceed fy dol
lars the same amount 81 dA9oa for thai year
creded the postmaster for the fiscal year ending June
30, 1852
fca year ending Both June, 1851, exceeded fifty dollars.
and did not exceed hundred dollars The a"o,n
aHo,otd for that ruth esn ptr cent added
a.eo shall be allowed and credited TO the postmaster ior
the fiscal year ending 3oth June, lsa2
fiscal year ending Both june 1851 exceeded hundred
did exceed five hundred dollars hs'dme amount of
alocsd that NTH tretre dnd haV PER
cent added aso shall be allowed and sded 10 the post
master Tor the fiscal year ending SOIh June, 1852
4h. Where the commissions o such postmaster ior he
fiscal year ending 3oh June, 1851 exceeded five HUNDRED
dollars. the arrounf II commis'son oHord Jor that
YEAR Nth per added thereto. sbnl be allowed and
credited the postmaster for the year ending so june
1882
PROVIDED oipay That the commissions to be allowed at
any post office (ohe than distributing oico) shan not
exceed the posages collected at such office during ne Pc
Rod ior which such allowance Is made Proptded, aho
That .peciai application for further allowance 10 any
distributing office may be made whenever the Auditor sbhl
certify that the commissions authorized TO be allowed un
der bi. order ere insufficient The actual and nece
nry such office, Including the compensation Oh
the postmaster And prop,dd, further That there shsi
not be allowed any Office where The improvisation OF he
o.tmaster by law limited 10 hred salary or eomPef
sation greater than shall DO required TO pay such
salary compensation, and the actual ana necessary eh
penses of his office - :, =
served for future consideration and will be up
ON the first of the pres
en isc al year have been adjusted by the Auditor
II is oi course, the power OF Congress TO abroga'e
this ORDER and fix by law different rate oi compensa
ton IL was intended TO make the allowance az liberal
as The OF the department would Justify, bui
believed that the increase OF compensation, under lhs
ORDER will not be commensurate with the required IN
crease of labor and that al the old rates OF compensa
ton posimas,es rendered more service IN proportion 70
the remuneration allowed them than the officers of any
9th er department OF the government II IS believed, TOO,
to be polite well just TO pay TAR compensation 70
posmas,e that they may cheerfuly and zeaously co
operae in rendering successful the perhaps hazadonse ex
permen, Of adopting in this comparatively new country
large portion of which s but sparsely populated rales
Of postage which, considering The expense OF
ion the area ,raversed by mail routes and the nu
nerous points Of delivery, gveus beyond all queshoh
the cheapest postage in the world.
The expenditures for the present fiscal year are estma
ted as follows:
The annual cost Of transportation, for-
eirn and nland.) authorized and un-
der contracts at the close OF the last hs-
col