The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-11
OFFICIAL DOCUMENT.
Posr OFFICE DKpAarmEsr, Dec. 4, 1856.


PosT OFFICE DKPARTmEsT, Dec 4, 1852.
Sis: In discharge of a duty devolving on me,
have the honor to report that the whole number OF
post offices in the United States at the close of the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1852, was % sol. The
number OF postmasters appointed during that year
was 6,255; of these, 1926 appointed to fill
vacancies occasioned by designations; 255 to fill
vacancies ocoasoned by death; 246 on changing
the sites of offices; 800 the removal of prior in
cumbents; and l,7l9 on the establishment of new
offices. There I,7ls post offices established,
and GA discontinued during the year.
From the end Of the fiscal year to November y,
1852, 52G post offices have been established, and
236 discontinued, SO that the whole number in op-
eraton at the latter date was 81 l9l. At it's close
there were in operation in the United States GIL
mail routes, their aggregate length being 2l4 2S4
miles, and employing 5,206 contractors. The an.
nual transportation of the mails on these routes
was $ 9os .72S miles, at an annual cost of 49,.
S39 9Ii being about 10 cents per mile; of these
$3.50 I2S mica Of annual transportation, III 0S2,
100 miles were required TO be performed upon
railroads, at a cost OF 81 ,275,52O, being about Il
cents per mile; 1858 400 miles in steamboats,, at n
cost ii S505,si5, being about cents per mile;
~ 69S $3.50 miles in coaches, at cost of ,l2S $50,
being about 81 cents per mile; and 0,S50. CPL
miles in modes not specified, at a cost of s 029
$50, being about $40 cents per mile,
The inland service, when compared with such
service at the close of the preceding year. as
stated In the last annual report from this Depart
inent, shows an increase Of II 1874 miles in the
length of mail routes; of 57l3 476 in the mics of
transportation; and Of $5lS,2l7 in the annual
cost of transportation. OF such increase of trans
portation the railroad service amounts to 25l4 O6
miles, at an increased cost Of $500 sol, being an
increase OF about twenty nine per cent. both in
the service and in its aggregate COST the steamboat
service to S9S,421 miles, at an increased cost of
So, 1923, being increase of about sixteen and
nTnpr Cnnf in
cost; the coach service to 972 ,342 miles, in
creased cost of $Sl 1927, being increase of
about tve per cent in service, and eight per cent.
In the aggregate cost; and in modes OF service not
specified TO y32S $40 miles, at an increased cost
Or S94 1867, being an increase Of about seven per
cent. In service, and ten per cent in cost.
Compared with the transportation and its cost,
at the Close Of the fiscal year ended June 30 1912
it shows that the railroad and steamboat service
had Increased in the ten years IL OIL ,95 miles.
an increased cost OF s 1871 1884, being about 294
per cent. increase in service, and TIA per cent in
cost; the coach service ,93l 1894 miles, at a de-
creased cost of S57i ,524, being about ten per
increase in service, and thirty three and third
per cent decrease in coat; the service modes
not specified 9,205 1928 miles, at increased
OF $292,045, being about seventy nine per cent.
increase in service, and forty per cent. in cost.
may be proper in this connection to remark
that the actual increase Of coach service performed
Is greater, and that Of service performed horse
back and in other modes not specified, is less than
the above stated, for the reason that since the
contracts not specifically requiring that grade of
service, but only that the mails be carried with
due "celerty, certainty, and security" The
service under such contracts is reported as in
modes not specified, although coach service ia
perfor med under them for a large portion of
the entire year.
There were in operation on the 3Oth day of June
last elk foreign mail routes of the estimated ag
gregate length of Is, $40 miles; the number of
miles of annual transportation thereon is estimated
at 6524o6 The service on three of these routes is
under contract with this Department.; the annual
transportation thereon is estimated at 260, 592
miles, at cost OF $500 0O0 being about 3 SO
per mile. The service the other three routes is
under contract with the Navy Department. The
ass 1874 miles, at annual cost Of 1876 $50, (n
GLIDING the additional compensation voted to the
Collins line at the last session Of Congress,) being
about So 26 per mile.
The annual cost of conveying the mails across
the lsthmus Of Panama ia uncertain, as it depends
on their ireight-the coat for the Iast year, at %
cents per pound, the price paid. was S4S, O39. 1t
is estimated that, for large portion of the contents
OF these mails, (being printed matter,) the amount
received in hostages under the act Of August 81,
1852, does not exceed i've cents a pound, in pay
ment of the whole transportation from the point of
mailing to that Of delivery. As that act did not 60
into effect until the 30th Of September last,
liable estimate now be made of the increased
cost Of mail service across the Isthmus under its
operation, but there can be no doubt that such in
crease will be large.
The temporary arrangement for this service,
which went into effect on the first oil December
last; with the Panama Railroad Company, is still
in force, and lie found to be a great Improvement
On the previous arrangement, although not yet
entirely satisfactory. The completion of the rail-
road Is looked forward to as the remedy for most
OF the existing delays aud defects in the service
between New York and San Francisco.
Under the general head of Transportation of
the Mails" ia hargeable the compensation of route
and local agents and mail messengers The
amount payable this account at the close of the
Iast fiscal year, was Sl96, 936 per annum.
The extent and annual cost Of the entire mail
service under the control OF the Department at the
close of the fscal year ended on the 30tb of June
last, as we'll as it's division among the States and
Territories nd the mode of its performance
CURED by the then existing contracts, will more
FULLY appear by the annexed table, furnished by
the Second Assistant Postmaster General, and
marked A.
As the railroad service is daily becoming more
important and expensive, table showing The ex
tent and annual coat OF that service in each Of the
States, as in operation on the Both day of June,
in each year, from lS4S to 1852, inclusive, haa
been prepared, and is hereto annexed, mar ed b.
Our ocean steamer eeIvce commenced in June,
ls47 lts great and rapid increase ia shown by the
following tabular statement of its cost for each
hscal year, as folows: