The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-12-08

those Of labor living. and sonnsdss generally IN that
fhs mos striking discrepancy appears ON comparing
,e ss p IN
the Of postage The one graduated to the highest
scale OF prices and the other to the lowest For single
of half ounce the receives
when prepaid and ten cents whom unpaid and for each
pound OF printed matter, which comprises very large
proportion Of the contents Of the ,s about Ave cents
pound the cost TO the department for transportation
across the Ethmus alora being twenty two cents o
pound me Necessary confequelcs Is that the cost Of
man service In Ca rna greatly exceeds the revenue 1t
yelds.
And Notwithstanding the government incurs . heavy
expenditure In supplying the Citizen OF that
State with his letters newspapers and other mail mast
ter the citizen himself employs other faci tiles for the
from twenty to forty fold greater than the government
charges Tor similar services
The facilities fer ed to are the expresses Govern
nent has not been able to keep its ogaNzed mail
arrangements with the movements OF the miner His
settlements suddenly made and rapidly extended long
before the mail contractor and postmaster BIZ pro-
vded. The eypressmen at hand, and the wants OF
the miner immediate His orders are all sent by
them to the central post office, to which not knowinS
where his eventual location viii be in the gold region
he has drec ed his letters to be Addressed The post
master has favored the exp essran IN the prompt ds
very OF his letters and has receiv cd In return conpen
satcn much larger per letter than any commission ever
allowed him BY the government This express charge is
81 per letter 81 and on rs ag in instances to
SIS, according to distance. Once commenced the habit
Of the miner Of relying the presses IL continued long
after the Post Office and the mail route have reached his
different influences combine to produce this result.
The principal as is alleged is the utter failure
fuaai OF the central postmaster at whose oc his letters
come from the States to forward them In the mail.
In respect to the vicious practices at the large Off ,ss
in California which have much retarded the OF the
mails and encouraged the employment of the
incumbens OF those Offices have been specially
ard have given the assurance that they shall
be discontinued.
Much confusion is found to exist in the arrangement
and operations Of the offices In California. Several ap
ha In ltnno hv
the Postmaster General; and general
prevails smong postmasters to the restrictions inn
rent clerk hire &c These things have all been brought
to the attention Of the special agent OF this department.
and Instructed to reoort and this leads me- to The
deraon Of the def ctve nature OF the agency provided
for that remote section of the Union. An agency of
higher functions than those of special agent
should bs provided for the charge and supervision of the
entire mail service the Pacific. THIS officer should be
OF the grade of Assistant Postmaster General aud should
receive salary equal to those received by officers of
similar grade in California Under the charge of fa h
full and able officer Of this description the routes coul
be let to contract at less cot to the department. aad
more efficient contractors obtained, than under the
present Systematic however, emily to have the power to
The dead letters, of being back Wash
pgton as they now are at much to the depart
turned 10 the General Post Oos as contained moneys
documents other valuable enclosures Such officer,
too would give assurance to the government and ths
country that the proper control the Offices and af
fairs OF the e1ercsed that proper post
masters ected; and taat the mail gsmsnts
we're adjusted in skful and upright manner, suitable
to he wants and requirements Of that active and
| getic people.
Congress at its last session. appropriated for
all Expectations and special agents. In order to keeY
myself as much as possible within tbs appropriation
appointed eighteen agents, to of whom assigned
California; 10 another, Oregon nd Washington Terrific
lies; and to third the State Of Texas There tire
appointed at large stationed at New York Louisville
Wshir gton ard the remaining twelve distr bute
among the different states.
To thsssspscial agents the department must look fo
much of the local information noosssary to enable t
determine what service h required in the differs mt States
and how the service Is performed It il ino portau
part ALSO Of their duei, to that the postmaster
properly perform tt cir duties and port want of abh
ty, attention, or fidelity their part That Of CON
tractors. promptly to the department
fineficiert or neglcctful Of their duties tho p1bt
them truly useful too much territory must not be
| signed them. most important part Of their duty is
| that connected with dspredstions.
The citizen who intrusts his moneys in the mail
should have every given him thst bis property
will be properly cared for and that if 1t be abstraced
stolen exertion will be rsade by the government t
restore II to his and bring the offenders to Justice II
perform those duties in satisfactory manner, NOR
sseus necsssa ry and they should be divided int
yi-on Of the transportation Of the mails and business
connected with tie appointment and contract Offices
End to the other class, all matters ed with mai
| deprpda,iors
Under the present stem, 1t very frequently and
cessary happens that when agent is wanted for i'm
ant duties he is in distant section
| OF the country attending to dspredatons.
The expenditures of the department during the las
fiscal year. stated by the Auditor amounted to $685.
| .56 50, -