The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-12-04
LEAVING a Net revenne of

Leaving net revenue of GS40,7S7 Os. lid
Again, the gross revenue for the eight years,
from 1882 to 1899, both inclusive, { Is 245,-
5S7 l2s 3D. and for the eight years next succeed
ing the reduction only Ella, S43,955 6s. 3D.; al
though the ranking privilege was abolished on the
adoption OF the penny postage, and the govern
ment paid postage at the ordinary rates The post
age paid by the government in lS47 amounted 10
El63,S55 Is. Id
Our rates of pos tage on newspapers, pamphlets,
&c were not materially changed by the act Of
1915, but the letter postage was reduced about SO
per cent, as was then estimated in the Depart
ment
The receipts from letter postage for the year pre-
ceding the reduction were ,660,23, and for the
succeeding year only $2,S8l COZ; being reduc-
ton OF about "a per cent. The letter postage for
the nine years next preceding the reduction was
$34,27l 1886 90, being average Of 3 S07 1892 50
per year; and for the five years next succeeding
the reductions the letter postage s II $685.
ITO II, or $3,539,342 IA per year The increase
from 1915 to 1850 in the postage OF newspapers,
pamphlets, &c, (Which had not been reduced
was $426,365 81, or about TO per cent.
1t is true that the expenditures of the Depart
ment for the ten years prior to the reduction OF
lS45 exceeded its revenues, and that its revenues
Tor the last hye years have exceeded its expendi-
lures; but before the act of lS45 the Depar tment
received nothing for the free matter of Congress
and the Departments Since lS45 the Department
has received $l,45S,lS7 60 from the Treasury,
which sum has been included in the statement of
Its revenues; and also the further sum of S7250O0
appropriated by Congress to meet the deficiency in
Its revenue which followed the act of lS45l The
aggregate amount of these sums exceeds by about
$175,0O0 the available balances to the credit of the
revenues OF the Department on the Goth of June
last. 1t shout also be remembered that, by pro-
vision of the act OF 1915, the Postmaster General
was required to accept the lowest bid which in his
Judgment secured the requisite certainty, security,
and celebrity in the transportation of the mail and
that, under this rule. the cost OF transportation
was reduced from 1905, 504 in 1915 to 2577 l07
IN lSi9; although the extent of our mail routes was
increased during that period from 10 TO l6f 70J
miles. The contracts for mail transportation are
made for four years, and one OF the four contract
sections is let each year. The whole service had,
consequently, in July 1913, undergone the process
of reduction under the act OF 1915, and the annual
cost of transportation has from that time been
Oily and necessarily increased. 1t will, therefore,
be seen that the reduction OF postage in $40 was
accompanied by great reduction of the cost of
transportation, while no such reduction can follow
the act of 1851 On the contrary, that act by the
reduction OF postage on printed matter, and the
consequent increase OF such matter in the mails,
will add very largely to the cost of transportation.
In connexion with these facts it should also be
remembered that the receipts from postage in Great
Britain have been greatly augmented by the estab-
lishment, since 1885, of numerous lines Of
steamers, yielding large revenues, the expense of
which lines is not cl rged upon the Post Office De-
partment of the United Kingdom. Great Britain
also collects considerable for transit post
age. In this country al5o, the receipts from post
ages have been considerably augmented by the es
adjustment of lines of ocean mail steamers, under
contracts with the Navy Department and with this
Department; the present cost of which, and the
hostages thereon, appear IN this report.
The expense of packet service, foreign and in
land paid by the Admiralty, and not by the Post
Office Department in the United Kingdom, is be-
lieved 10 have been E70l $50 Ids. Sd. for the year
ending January s. 1913; while the amount paid by
the Post Office Department for the conveyance of
the mails, including riding work. and Expresses by
the deputy postmaste,s OF the United Kingdom,
wages 10 mail guards, other coach expenses, and
tolls on mail coaches, was only G4l9,l7S lis. 2zd.
tracts have been made, after due advertisement,
for furnishing blanks, wrapping-paper, Irvine,
sealing-wax, and marking and rating stamps for
the of the post offices of the United States; for
furnishing leather and mail bags and
pouches, mail locks and keys, paper, blank booss,
and other stationery for the use of the Department
and for the printing and binding required therefor
Under these contracts nearly all these articles will
be supplied on more favorable terms than under
the former contracts.
A contract has been made for the supply of the
postage stamps authorized by the act of March last,
These stamps are believed to be of superior quail
ity, and are furnished at less price than was for
merly paid Some of those furnished soon after the
execution of the contract were found to be deficient
in adhesive qualities, but il is believed that there
will be no ground for future complaint.
Directions for the destruction of the dies and
plates employed in the manufacture of the postage
stamps formerly used have been given, and for
counting and burning such of the stamps as have
not been issued to postmaeters, or have been re-
turned.
The streets, avenues, roads, and public high
ways of the cities of New York. Boston, Philadcl-
phia, and New Orleans, have been established as
post routes under the 10th section OF the postage act
of March 3, 1851, and letter carriers appointed for
the service thereon IL it is the intention of Con-
gress transfer the whole despatch busiuess of the
cities 10 the letter carriers of the Department, fur
Their legislation for that purpose is desirable
Some weeks since, agents of this Department
were despatched to the North and to New Orleans,
with the view Of ascertnining whether the mails on
the great route between the States Of Maine and
considerably expedited.
The greater expedition aud therefore formidable
competition of ocean steamers, running between
prominent points this line, seemed to render
this favorable moment for negotiations with the
contractors on the present mail route From the
information obtained by the persons thus sent
along these lines, ii is believed that, ii the contrac-
tors viii meet the wishes of the Department, the
mail between this city and New Orleans can be OK
peditcd twenty. four hours; that the time required
between this city and New York can be rcducedio
eleven hours; and that the mails from The South,
leaving heso ian the afternoon, may be delivered in
New York in time TO be sent east to Boston, north
to Albany, ON their way to Buffalo, and West,
along the New York and Erie railroad, by the morn
ing trains from New York. While pursuing this
object effort viii be made TO preserve at New
York close connection of the trains carrying the
mails which leave here In the morning, with the
evening trains which take such mails beyond New
York
The liberal disposition avowed by the contractors
who have been applied to, and the general berali-
ty Of those not yet consulted, well tho strong
more rapid and more satisfactory TO the travelling
public. would seem to justify the hope that these
improvements can be effected without mourning
expenditure disproportoned to the Importance
of the object TO be attained. II, however, the ne
gotiauons now in progress shall lead 70 no ayofa-
bic result the attention of Congress will be called
to other feasible modes of expecting the great
mails between the eastern and the southern States
The necessary orders have been mado 70 charge
failing bidders and their guaranors the difference
between their accepted proposals and the amount
which the Department subsequently contracts TO
pay for the service specified in such proposals.
This 10 required under the provisions OF the z'th
section Of the act of July 9 1896, which it is be-
lieved will now be systematically and faithfully
carried out. The Auditor reports that the sum of
Ss5762 90 was charged against falling bidders
and their guarantors, according TO the provisions
of that act, during the last iiscal year. large
portion Of this sum was charged FOR failures occur
ring in previous years.
Having aerertaincd from partial examination
of the bonds of postmasers, that the penalties OF
very many Of these bonds were, in consequence OF
-. flieir he