The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-08
The Report or the Postmaster General.


Posi- OFFICE DEPARTMENT, Dec. l, 1862
SIR-Ths whole number Of postoffces in the United
States At the close the last official year. June &c. 1859
$780, OF this number 256 Of the highest class
the postmasters ct which BY the President
AT the present date st December 1853 the total num-
Der pest Offices is $685. During the past year, con
mencns 1s July, 1852, 1888 post offices estab.
shed 40 discontinued and there appointed
to Office during said year. besides the 1888 postmaster
to the newly established Offices aforesaid $3.50 upon
signston g25 DEATH 1872 change Of sits Oh where tn
rrio, incumbent. being 1907 postmastsrs appointed
curing the year ending Goth June, 1885,
Al The close Of the fiscal year endog on the aoth day
Of June last there !. operation within the United
States 6,692 NAL routss Their aggregate length
7,74s miles, and 1888 contractors employed
thereon.
The annual transporta Ion Of the mails those routsa
was so2 b42 miles; the annual cost theres, 81 49,,
8eS; being about sevsn cents two mills per mile
Or these 1892 tA2 miles Of annual transportation,
12,es87o5 miles are required to be performed rail:
roadr at of ST. soia2a. being about twelve
at cost Of se3256s being about nine cents four mills
Ss mile - mss IN ache 81 Cos. 81
446 miegi modes not specified, at cost Of
be. ns about Ave cents per mile
The inland service at the coge OF the last fiscal year,
when pared with service ut the close OF the
cedng howa an Increase OF $50 miles in the length
Of mail routes; of 26G Yl4 IN the number OF miles of
nua transportation and Of $685. 9s in the annual cost Of
tIPns fortaton.
Or such OF transportation, railroad
steamboat service amounts to ,593 miles, at in
creased cost CT $45 362 increase OF II 81 loo
per cent in the tr usporaon and about rs SO 100
cent in the aggregate cost the coach service to
miles, at Increased cost Of S57912 being increase
OF about 20 per cent in transportation, and 10
cent aggregate coat and the transportation in modes
not specified 70 niles increased cost Of $685.
$685. berg increase about 40 100 cent in trans.
poltation and A, 100 cnt in the aggregate cost
The annual transportation in California, INCLUDED ia
the foregoing stiate at the close of the fiscal year
6S5 SOC mica at annual cost Of $43 2l4 being
increase within the year OF % Sl7 miles, 10 90 100 psr
cent OF annual transportation and $l4 1874 II 1900
per cent in the cost thereof.
The snnu, tanspor alton Oregon the close OF tho
fiscal year was ies at annual cost OF 622
about AZ cents por mile. OF this service II 278 miles
is performed in at an annual cost of SIT 0oo
and the residue Of 90 $50 miles In modes not specified at
cost OF SaS,522 or about 81 cents and three mila
per mile.
There should be addtd ia the other cost OF
tion above stated the compensation OF route agents
Sl65 ga So; mail messen gers $563 1874 Of: and local
agents Slia8 10; making in all $sa3 o67 additional in.
GLIDING the pay 10 agents on the foreign routes.
Postmaster General ed D. the length of railroad
The paid to these
ME liked under The acts OF 7h July 1885, January
act is made the duty Of the Postmaster General
and divide ths railroad routes into three classes.
speed with which They conveyed and the impo tancs
OF the service. Considerable difficulty has always exist
ed with this branch o. .hs service Sums demanded
from the department which, in justice to great public
interests cannot consent 10 pay. The importance OF
the service 10 the public tie get question OF c,ntider
alton for the head OF ne rment but IL he and tho
presidents AMI Of the raroa mpanes do
view its importance alike thu mail is thrown down
the public caused stsrshy most grevousy to suffer- This
Ii one sometimes, too Ia the most summary manner,
without notice being given by which the department
could be prepared 70 put other servce and when tha
is doIe, whether dsdsnedly or not, the department il
10 suffer. Ths oilzens of the different States
csepy interested in this queson and If they wish tn
continue TO receive their et.srs and newspapers at
cheap rate OF possge they must not permit these co
panes to dictate 20 the department. their own terms In
Of tho States Of the Union provision has been in
serted in the charters Of tbs railroad providing
for reference in case o. eisageemtnt between the
Postmaster General aad hs compane, In neither OF the
acts which have eod IL any p given to the Post
mastr General to ssres 70 any such reference and *
there were shout. very much doubt its policy 10 Eng
land this greene 20 refer has acted unavoraby to the
government and ss reason why Congress, hrst Civ
ing each company iul opportunity OF being heard,
SHOULD not fix ;hs sum rhca they are each respectively
! to receive.
In England also Ia france, and In the other continent
tai States time for arrivals and dep s Hxed
by the Post Office departments as best TO suit the public
interests.
In our own ordinary mail contracts the time Qr arri.
val and departure entire ~ subject TO the oreeof THO
der art nent BY which 1t Ia enabled to maintain
broken link Of c,nnsction but in toe great ma rity o.
cases though contracts have been drawn and Submitted
to railroad companies they have not chosen sign them
The con quence has oseo, that though receiving tho
pay they may BIO sud TO be entirely beyond the control
tf tho department and the public interests have thereby
greatly suffered Alter entering upon my duties ~ head
of the department comp siua mxdo Of tho insult.
cheney of the mail cara and fthe want OF proper accom-
modations and so glazing these defects In come In
stances that the mail agents unable properly TO ds
charge their dutss becoming daily more important,
owing TO the increase Of the distributions 10 remedy
this evil had prepared model OF mail car, which
had transmitted to the presidents Q. the desens
been complied with In those cascs where the contracts
| gave the power TO build malc when the one in
"i nd y, e ss ~ e ssS