New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-12-07
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES REPORT.

AZ statistical record of progress, the Post
Office Report Of the present year possesse. the
usual yalue. We learn that we have 90, 925 post
Offices, and 6,G97 mail routes, covering 1880
miles, over which the mail is carried by 5,l67
contractors; and by estimating an average Of two
persons to each office, and four TO each con-
tractor, including stage. drivers, mail agents.
ct cetera, we find an army of GS,5l5 men under
command OF the Post Office Department. Wa
also find that the people of the United States
have paid this army, for one years service, tAe
sum of So 81, 424 II. In this sum ia included
So 0l 3S2 so for ocean service. The surs
actually collected from those who have made lse
Of this great machine for transmitting iu,elu-
eence, in the last year, amounts to So 2o1,oSj ~
OF this So 277, 10 80 were paid for letter post
age, and $2,1iG, i76 % for stamps If We de-
duet one one.ffth Of the amount OF stamps as the
portion applied to payment of newspapers, we
.hall have as the result, S4,90l,292 81, as the
amount collected by the Department for letter
postage. The postage of newspapers and imph-
lets is stated at $685. l4S Is. To this add one
fifth of the amount received for stamps, which is
1920 293 90 and we have total of 81, 035, al s.
paid in one year for periodical postaye including
books sent by mail.
Notwithstanding all the receipts, including
81, SAG IL found in dead letters uncalled for and
100000 appropriated by Congress, the Post
Office Department is in arrears Sl,755, sd 90.
Why If the reason is no. obvious to every one
who ever received letter or paper by mail, we
81 ar1oarnr co Ia ;.,
prove this state ofthings, and to enable the army
of6, sjs men to live of of the people without the
trouble Of calling upon Congress for annui ap-
pTopriaii0ns, the Postmaster General prop )ses to
tax the public double the present amount for
newspaper postage. He will not increase letter
postage until there is further deficiency.
This we would agree to if all these tens of
thousands of men and millions of dollars would
do the work with the same facility, and give US
an equal accommodation with private companies,
who have none of the power of this great Gov
ornamental monopoly to assist them. For in
stance: THE TRIBUNE pays every week dollar
to get one letter containing market reports from
BostOn--ffty cents to the man who brings it to
the cars and ifsy cents to the man who brings it
to our Office, and who comes to the City upon
the same train that brings the United States
mail. Why is it necessary that we should pay
the price of thirty three letters to get one Be-
cause this old, numbering machine, with all the
slowcOach operation that originally attached to it
when first started in the time Of Queen Anne, will
not march forward with the stride of this GO
ahead age. If letter is deposited in the Boston
Post Office, it does lot reach us until next morn
Ing and so we have to pay an outsider who will
deliver it within an hour alter the mail arrives,
while the well-fed soldiers of the Postmaster
Generals army are employed elsewhere than in
serving the public,
Oar own case is that of millions. Everybody
who desires speed, safety and puntual delivery OF
mail matters avoids the Post Office and all its in.
Efficient mechanism az they would the smallpox.
Private expresses carry millions of packages that
would 50 BY the mail if it could be relied mon
with equal certainty. We have not a single sub.
scriber in the country that would grumbe at
double the present rate of postage il he could be
sure Of getting his paper regularly in the same
time that an individual can travel the same rou.e
But the fact is that there are thousands who