Washington sentinel., 1853-12-15
9nblit 9stamtnt.
Report of the Post Master General.
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
Dacs,,, LeF 1879

SiR: 1 he WIl0le numDcr OF post OlIces III
the United States at the close Of the last Off.
cial year, June 80, 1853, was 22,320. Of this
number 255 are OF the highest class, the post
masters at which are appointed by the Presi-
dent. AT the present date, list December,
1889 the total number of post Offices is
22,6SS. During the past year, commencing
lst July, 1852, Il, ,S9S post Offices were estab
lished; 479 were discontinued and there were
appointed to Office during said year, besides
the 1893 postmasters to the newly-established
Offices aforesaid, 1850 upon resignation, 225
deaths, lS2 change of site, 81 where the post
master had moved away, and 2,32l on reno
val prior incumbent; being 1867 postmas-
ters appointed during the year ending 3Oth
June, 1853.
AT the close of the fiscal year ending on the
30th day Of June last, there were in operation
within the United States 6,692 mail routes
their aggregate length was 2l7,7f3 miles, and
5,583 contractors were employed thereon.
The annual transportation of the mails on
those routes was 81 ,S92,5 ,542 miles the annual
cost thereof, $4,495,96S; being about seven
cents two mills per mile.
Of these 6l,S92 ,542 miles of annual trans
portation, l2,9s6,705 miles are required to be
performed on railroads, at cost of 81 ,60l 1923,
being about twelve cents three mills per mile;
6,6S5,065 miles in steamboats,, at cost of
S632,369, being nine cents four mills per mile;
2I,330,326 miles in coaches, at cost Of
$l,206,959, being abont five cents six mills per
mile and 20,890, 4i6 miles in modes not spe-
CITED, at cost of 81, ,O55,3l3, being about five
cents per mile.
The inland service at the close of the last
fiscal year, when compared with the service at
the close of the preceding year, shows an in
crease of 3,i59 miles in the length Of mail
routes; of 2,906,Sl4 in the number of miles of
annual transportation, and Of S555,997 in the
annual cost of transportation.
OF such increase of transportation, the rail-
road and steamboat serviceamounts to 2, 1885, ,593
miles, at an increased cost of $452,362, being
all increase of II S2-l00 per cent. in the trans
portation, and about % 39-l00 per cent. in the
aggregate cost; the coach service to 63l 1896
miles, at an increased cost of $77,972, being
an increase of about 3 l-20 per cent. in trans
portation, and 6 $40 per cent. in aggregate
cost; and the transportation III modes not spe-
Gifted to 39,S25 miles, at an increased cost of
1868, being an increase of about | 43-l00
per cent. in transportation, and 2 49-l0O per
cellt. in the aggregate cost.
The annual transportation in California Tin
cluded in the foregoing estimate) ut the close
Of the fiscal year was 595,s06 miles, at an an
nual cost Of $l43,2l4, being an increase with
in the year of 95Sl7 miles, or 10 s3-lG0 per
IL l2-l00 per cent. in the cost thereof
The annual transportation in Oregon at the
close of the fiscal year was l0S,274 miles, at
an annual cost of S45,522, or about ~ cents
per mile. Of this service 1928 miles is per-
formed in steamboats,, at an annual cost of
$4,000, and the residue of 90,996 miles in
modes not specified, at cost of $2S,522, or
about 81 cents and 3 mills per mile.
There should be added to the other cost OF
transportation, as above stated, the compensa-
tion Of route agents, $l65,224 30; mail mes
sengers, $56,33i 05: and local agents, $ll,-
49s 40-making in all $233,O57 additional, in
Guiding the pay to agents on the foreign routes.
In table attached to the report of the Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster General, marked ID,
the length of railroad service will be seen, and
the prices respectively paid to each company.
The sums paid to these railroad companies are
fixed under the acts of 7th july 1888, Janua-
ry %, 1889, and 81 March, lS45. Under the
last mentioned act it is made the duty Of the
Postmaster General to arrange and divide the
railroad routes into three classes, and to pay
them according to the size of the mails, the
speed with which they are conveyed, and the
Importance of the service. Considerable diff
Guilty has always existed with this branch of the
service. Sums are demanded from the depart
ment, which, in justice to great public interests
the service to the public is the great question
of consideration for the head of the depart
ment; but if he, and the presidents and man
ayers of the railroad companies, do not view
It's importance alike, the mail is thrown down,
and the public caused thereby most grievously
TO suffer This is done sometimes, too, in the
most summary manner, without any notice be-
ing given by which the department could be
prepared to put on other service; and when
this is done, whether designedy or not, the de-
partment is sure to suffer. The citizens of the
different States are deeply interested in this
question and if they wish to continue to re-
ceive their letters and newspapers at a cheap
rate of postage, they must not permit these
companies to dictate to the department their
own terms. In some of the States of the
Union provision has been inserted in the char
ters of the railroad Companies, providing for
reference, in case of disagreement between
the Postmaster General and the companies. In
neither Of the acts which have cited is any
power given to the Postmaster General to agree
10 any such reference; and if there were, /
should very much doubt its policy. In Eng
land this agreement to refer has acted unfavor-
ably to the government: and / see no reason
why Congress, first giving each company full
opportunity of being heard, should not fix the
sum which they are each respectively to receive.
In England, also, ana IN the other contllen-
tal States, the time for arrivals and departures
is 50 fixed by the Post Office Departments as
best to suit the public interests.
In our own ordinary mail contracts, the time
for arrival and departure is entirely subject to
the order Of this department, by which it is en-
abled to maintain an unbroken link of con-
nexion; but in the great majority of cases,
though contracts have been drawn and sub
mitted to railroad companies, they have not
chosen TO sign them. The consequence has
been, that, though receiving the pay, they may
be said to be entirely beyond the control of the
department, and the pAplic interests have
thereby greatly suffered. After entering upon
my duties head of the department, com.
plants were made of the insuficency of the
mail cars, and of the want of proper accom-.
modations; and so glaring were these defects
in some instances, that the mail agents were
unable properly to Discharge their duties now