The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1853-12-07

nail facilities which they require AT the same time,
appears from the reports that the performance Of the ser
vice under the contracts characterized by hdely ana
enefgy--9uaities which put III great reqnsuon oy
The Hooded Stale OF The roads al particular seasons Oh e
year.
The present cost OF transportation in steamboats, in Cal
fOfnia 10 about thirteen eight mills per mile IN
coaches about twenty cents per mile and IN modes mol
specified, about thrty-four cents six mills per mile
while the cost OF similar service in the United States ex
Guiding Oregon, New Mexico and Utah. in steamboats,
about Mae cents per mile, Ia coaches about hye cents
and five mills per. mile, and IN modes not specihed
about four cents and seven mills per mile.
These mail prices, however are not out OF scale win
those OF labor. living, aud commodities generally IN tha
region OF country
these prices which the government pays in California
with those which it receives for the same work. mean
the rates OF postage. The is graduated TO the highest
scale of prices AMI the other TO the lowest For single
letter Of halt the department receives SIX cents
when prepaid and ten cents when unpaid and for eacn
pound OF printed matter. which comprises very large
proportion OF the contents Of the mails, about five cents
pound The cost to the department tor transportation
acr6ss tho isthmus alone being twenty-five cents
pound The necessary consequences is that the cost OF
mail service in California greatly exceeds the revenue It
yields.
And notwithstanding the government ncurs heavy
unreunded expenditure in supplying the citizen Of that
State with his letters newspapers, and other mail mat
ter, the citizen himself employs other facilities for the
conveyance Of his letters, and pays therefor at rate
from 20 TO 40 fold greater than The government charges
for similar service.
The facilities referred 10 are the expresses Govern
arrang with the movements OF the miner. His
settlement is suddenly made and rapidly extended, long
before the mail contractor and postmaster can be pro-
vided TIE expressmen are al hand, and The wans OF
The miner immediate His orders all sent by them
to the central post Office 10 which, not knowing where
his eventual location will Be in the gold region. ne has
directed his letters be addressed The postmaster has
favored the expressman in the prompt delivery OF his let
ters, and has received in return compensation much
larger per letter han any comassloa ever a. aowea nun
S2 and so on, rising, 10 some instances, to 81 according
distance Once commenced, the habit OF the miner OF
relying on the expresses continued long after the post
office and the mailroute have reached his neighbohood
Different influences combine to produce thus result
The principal one is alleged, is the utter failure or re-
usa OF The central postmaster at whose office hs letters
come from the States. to forward them in the mail
10 respect 10 the vicious practices at the large Offices 10
California, which have much retarded the use OF the
mails and encouraged the employment OF expresses the
present ncumbents OF those Offices have been specially
instructed and have given the that they shall
be discontinued.
Much confusion is found to exist in the arrangement
and operaons of the offices in California Several ap
pear be operation that were established by The
Postmaster General; and general misunderstanding
prevails among posnases as to The restrictions imposed
by law upon their expenditures in respect TO office rent
clerk hire &c. These things have all been brought to
the attention Of the special agent OF this department,
who been instructed specially relation TO them,
and instructed report and this leads to the consd
Grafton OF the detective nature OF the agency provided
for that remote section OF the Union An agency oil
higher functions than those OF mere special agent
should be provided for the charge and supervision OF the
Of e grade OF Assistant Postmaste General and should
receive salary equal those eved by officers OF
similar grade California. Under the charge OF faith
ul and able officer OF this descrp ton, the routes could
be lei 10 contract less the department. and more
efficient Obtained thsn under the present
sysenhe however. only to have the power to receive
The bids and pass upon them prelI ninafiy.
The dead letters, instead OF being sent back to Wash.
ingon, they at much expense TO The depart
turned 10 the General Post Office as contained moneys
documents other valuable enclo sures Such an officer
too, would assurance 10 the government and the
country that the proper control the offices and al
fairs OF the department exercised that proper post
masters selected and that the mail arrangements
adjusted in skiliu aud upright manner, suitable
10 the wants and requirements OF that active and
getic people.
Congress at lis last session. appropriated $4,000
for mail depredaons and special agents In order to
keep myself much AS possible within the appro-
pr,Aton, appointed eighteen agents, TO one OF whom
assigned CALIFORNIA; TO another, Oregon and Wash
gton Territories and to third, the Sta!e ot Texas
There were three appointed at large, stationed at New
York, Louisville, and Washington and the remaining
twelve distribute among the different States
TO the special agents the department must look Tor
much of The local information necessary to enable TO
de,emiae what service Is required IN the different States
and how the service is performed. II Is an important
part also OF their dulles 10 that the posmasiers prop
srly peform their duties, and report want OF ability
fidelity their part, or on that oil contract
ors pc ompiy TO the department
Ii inefficient negectiul OF their dutes, the public
and the department must suffer but IN order 10 make
them truly useful, too much territory must not De as
signed them most important part oil Their duty 70 that
connected with dcpredailons.
The citizen who intrusts his moaeys IN The mails
should have every gwen him that hs proper
" will he properly cared for, and that II II be absrsced
or stolen every exerlon will be made by the government
10 restore him and bring the offenders to justice To
perform these duties in satisfactory manner more agents
are say and they should be divided into two class
ess to one class should be assigned the supervision OF
the transporation of the mails and business connected
with the appointment and contract Offices; and TO the
other class all matters connected with mail depredaons.
Under the present system, very frequently and neces
sarily happens that when axenti wanted Tor import
an, transportation duties he s IN distant secon OF the
country attending 10 depredations.
The expenditures oil the department dunRg the last
fiscal year. stated by the Auditor, amounted TO s7,
esq., ,755 SO, viz:
Compensation TO postmssers S1A06a77 o5
Additional compensation by act 81 March,
/ 1851 4li5 52j 10
! SHIN. steamboat and way letters 2]105 50
| Transportation 4,9Dj 30s 05
| Wrapping paper III 453 %
Ohce furniture 3.2il 50
Advertising 1856 90
Mail bags 40 30S SO
Blanks III ,056 az
Mail locks, keys and stamps ia,733 50
New mail locks and Keys 1895 81
Mail depfedalions and special agents 55,275 40
Clerks Tor Offices, (the Offices OF pos'mas- !.
| ters) s,S20 ~
Official letters received by postmas,ers 472 al
Postage stamps 3,h64 so
Stamped envelopes l0,30i 03
Pos, office lave, list, &c. 1870 90
| Repay ynen for dead letters "a 20
| Payments 10 letter carriers l3,0l7 10
| Postage stamps returned, old issue oS %
Stamps on hand overcharged 80 90
Miscellaneous payments llo.4oS 81