Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-11
REPORT OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL.
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT,

PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT.
DECEMBER 4, 1852
| SIR: In discharge of duty devoving on me, have
the honor report that the whole number of post Offices
in the United States at the close of the fiscal year ended
June &c. 1852 was 20 901 The number of postmasters
appointed during that year $3.50 Of these 1926
were appointed fill vacancies occasoned by regna-
tons 255 to fill vacancies occasioned by death GAG
changing the sites of Offices 500 the removal of prior
incumbents and 10 the establishment of Of
fees There post Offices established and GA
| discontinued during the year.
From the end of the fiscal year November l, 1852,
526 post Offices have been established and 236 discon-
tnued that the whole number in operation at the lat
ter date 81 9l At its close there in operation
in the United States GILL mail routes their aggregate
length being 2l4284 miles, and employing 5,2O6
tractors The annual transportation of the mails these
| routes was $685., 728 miles, at annual cost Of
$S939,971 being about 40 cents per mile. OF these
58, 9S572 miles of annual transportation 1852, 1913
miles were required to be performed railroads at
cost Of $l,27552O, being about III per mile;
$685. 400 miles in steamboats, at cost of $685. Sl5 be-
ing about per mile 2O69S $50 miles in coaches
at cost of ST. 1886, being about 81 cents per mile
and 90 621 miles in modes specified, at cost of
81, 029, ESQ., being about 90 cents per mile
The inland service when compared with such service
at the close of the preceding year. stated in the last
annual report from this Department shows increase
of IL 1914 miles in the length of mail routes of 476
in the miles of annual transportation and of S5l8 217
in the annual cost of transportation Of such increase
of transportation the railroad service amounts to
miles, at increased cost of $780, SOL being
increase of about 80 per cent both in the service and
in its aggregate cost the steamboat service to $685. 2
miles, at increased of $50 $685. being increase
of about 16 per cent in service and ii per cent in cost
the coach service to 972,342 miles, at increased cost
of SSl 827, being an increase of about per cent in
and fha AID -,
modes of service not specified to 1928 GAG miles, at
increased cost of 1914 96 being increase of about
per cent. in service and 10 per cent, in cost.
Compared with the transportation and its cost at the
close of the fiscal year ended Both June 1872 it shows
that the railroad and steamboat service had increased in
the years 130ll ,9l5 miles, increased Of
81 654 being about 294 per increase in service
and Ia per cent cost the coach service 93l, 1874
miles, at decreased of $5715 being about 10
per cent increase in service and 33s per cent decrease
in cost the service in modes not specified 1928
miles, increased cost of 1922 045 being about 10
per cent increase in service and 40 per cent in
Itmay be proper in this connexon to remark that the
actual increase in coach service performed is greater and
that Of service performed horseback in other modes
specified less than above stated for the that
since the act Of 1915 much coach service is performed
under contracts not specifically requiring that grade Of
service but only that the mails be carried with due
CELEBRITY certainty and security The service under
such contracts is reported in modes not specified
although coach service is performed under them for
larger portion of or the entire year
six foreign mail routes Of the estimated aggregate length
of IL, 349 miles the number Of miles of annual trans
portaon thereon is estimated at Co., 406 The service
three Of those routes is under contract with this De-
partment the annual transportation thereon is estimat
ed at 200 592 miles, of S40O O00 being about
81 80 per mile The service the other three routes is
under contract with the Navy Department; the annual
transportation thereon is estimated at 458 1914 miles, at
an annual cost Of 81 49G 250 Including the additional
compensation voted to the Collins line at the last
sion of Congress- being $500 per mile.
The annual cost Of conveying the mails across the 18TH
mus OF Panama uncertain depends their weight
the cost for the last year. at cents pound
the price pad-was S4S,039 Ii is estimated that for n
large portion Of the of these mails beng printed
matter the amount received in hostages under the act Of
August 3ls 1882 does not exceed FIVE cents pound in
payment Of the whole transportation from the point Of
mailing to that Of delivery As that act did 20 into
effect until the 3Oth Of September last reliable est
mate can now be made Of the increased cost Of mail
wee across the lsthmus under its operation but there
be doubt that such increase will be large The tenn
porary arrangement for this service which into ef
ect on the first Of December last with the Panama Rail
road Company is still in force and is found be great
improvement on the previous arrangement though not
yet entirely satisfactory The completion of the railroad
is looked forward to the remedy for Of the exist
and San Francisco.
Under the general head Of transportation Of the mails
is chargeabe the compensation Of and local agents
aud mail messengers. The amount payable on this ac
count at the close Of the last fiscal year S1969s6 per
annum.
The extent and annual cost Of the entire mail service
under the control OF this Department close of the
fiscal year ended the Both June last as well as its d
vision among the States and Territories and the mode Of
its performance required by the then existing contracts
will more fully appear by the annexed table furnished by
the Second Assistant Postmaster General and marked
As the railroad service is daily becoming more import
ant and expensive table showing the extent and annual
cost Of that service in each Of the States in operaon
the both day Of June in each year. from S48 to 1852
inclusive, has been prepared, and hereto annexed
ed b.
Our steamer service commenced in June I947 |
Its great and rapid increase shown by the folov;no
tabular statement Of its cost for each fiscal wear as
follows:
The cost Of this service for 1S4S was 800 200
for 1S49 was 4747lO
for 1850 was 791 570 |
for 1851 was 023 go
for 1862 was 1896 $50 |
The gross receipts Of the Department for the wear end
ed June Both, 1852 So 971 2s derived from The
following sources, viz:
Letter postage, including foreign postage
and stamps sold S422e. 100 90
Postage on newspapers, periodicals. &C 100 2ae az
Fines, other than those imposed on con
tractors 81 bO
1 r.