The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-05-26
Interesting Post Office Statistics.
One Years Operations Of tho United States
Post Omce-Nuns ber or Letters Mailed In

ing information relating to the operations Of the
Post Office Department, were laid before the Senate
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT. May 20, 1852.
SIR-Upon the receipt of Official copy Of the
resolution of tho Senate of the 18th of March last,
by which the Postmaster General was requested
to report to the Senate the whole number Of let
ters which passed through the post office of the
United States during the fiscal year ended June 30,
1851; distinguishing the paid from tho unpaid, those
paid by stamps from those paid in cash, together
with certain other matters therein specified, re-
ferred the same with the exception of such parts
thereof as relate to the operations of tie dead letter
ofco) to the Auditor of the Treasury for the Post
Office Department, who has by law tho settlement
of the accounts of the Post Office Department, and
the official custody of the quarterly returns of post
masters, and the other papers and books necessary
to be examined for the purpose furnishing, rs far
as practicable the information called for by the slid
resolution and directed the proper examinations
to be made to enable me to answer so much of the
SAID resolution as related to the operations of the
dead lcttor Office for the last fiscal year.
In compliance with the said resolution, have
the honor to transmit herewith the report of the
Auditor upon so much Of the resolution as was so re-
fened
Presuming that the object of the Senate in calling
Tor the cost of transportation and the amount of
postage collected in each State, to furnish the
means OF comparing the cost of transportation with
The receipts from hostages by States, it is deemed
but just to say that, in the division of the cost of
transportation among the States, the whole cost of
route extending from one State to another, and
even through several States is charged the State
TO which the route is assigned by its number, gene
rally to the State in which the route as entered
the route register is made to commence. Thus the
whole cost of service on route from Buffalo, New
York, through Erie, Pennsy lvania, and Cleveland
Ohio TO Detroit, Michigan, if embraced in u single
contract, would be charged to the State of New
York. Again: the entire cost of n route extending
quite through State, and used for the Transport
tat on OF great mail may be charged to such State
although nearly the whole of that cost is incurred
a ipo f,r k,n
portation Of letters and other matter which the
postage IS collected at great commercial cities in
other and perhaps distant States Thus, $4,000
per annum Of the cost of transportation charged to
the State of North Carolina is for transportation of
the great Northern and Southern mail over route
Which Is OF very little Importance to that State In
Lne same manner the States Of Ohio, Michigan, In
diana, and Illinois charged with the cost of SER
vice, which is important and expensive, mostly in
consequence of tho weight Of the great through
mails, which are made up and delivered in other
states; and the State Of Missouri is now charged
with SlS5cO for the cost of service from Independ
ence. near its western boundary, to Salt Lake. and
for the service from Independence to Santa
re, while probably but small portion of the postage
earned by these routes is collected in Missouri
1t will therefore be seen, that in insttuting any
comparison, those circumstances should be duly con.
sidered, as we'll the fact that the great cost of
on the most important routes is in
CURED to u large extent account of the mails
passing between such Offices rs the following ut
which there were collected in hostages during the
last fiscal year, the sums set opposite the name of
each, viz
New York S531 S3o 50
Philadelphia 1903 OS
1906 63
NeW orleans 1885 81
E;;. 996I0 ~
S;. I: .''................. Sa333 IL
In reply to SO much of the resolution of the Senate
as relates to the operations of the dead letter office
arng the last fiscal year, have the honor to state
that the number of dead letters received ut that
films fnd NV hn nASnn hoxv
thereof at 1850 900, agreeing in that respect with
the estimate of the Auditor; and that during the
same period the number Of dead letters containing
money, opened, registered, and sent cut for delivery,
The aggregate amount Of money found in the ''''
The number Of such letters delivered ssh
The amount of money therein. ........... $36090 81
The number Of letters returned unclaimed. 1.1o8
The nominal amount Of money in the $42l6 IL
A few ofthe unclaimed letters have been restored
to their owners since the close of the fiscal year. and
the remainder are yet on hand in the dead letter
Office.
There is also another class of dead letters which
contain articles of value other than money, such as
bonds, notes of hand, drafts, bills of exchange
checks, certificates of deposite, certificates of stock
and other papers having value capable of being
expressed i'll dollars and cents During the same
year tho humber of letters of this class registered and
sent out for delivery was 10,0SS, their enclosures
having nominal value of 81. 292, l25. Of these
6,63l were restored to their owners g. 263 were re-
turned unclaimed, and 1874 remained in the hands of
postmasters to whom they had been for delivery
All the foregoing facts in reference to the opera
tions OF the dead letter office, and many others of
much interest, will be found to be stated in the re-
port of the Third Assistant Postmaster General, an
nexed to my last annual report (and which has just
been printed) as Il part of the documents accom-
panylng the Presidents annual message. To the
statements contained in such report of the Third
Assistant, and to the tables thereto annexed, beg
1eave most respectfully to refer the Senate.
The money found during the year ended June 80,
1851, in letters which still unclaimed, is now
being examined and registered, and will soon be
prepared for conversion into funds which be de-
posted in the Treasury of the United States. 1t
would have been done if the clerical force Of
she Office had been sufficient to dispatch its business
with promptness and accuracy.
have the honor to be, with great respect, your
most obedient servant,
N HALL, Postmaster General.
To tho Hon. w. X. KING, President of the IT, s.
Senate.
AUDITORS OFFICE,