The Belmont chronicle, and farmers, mechanics and manufacturers advocate. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1848-1855, 1854-12-29
ros,mns,cr Generals Isepor,.

post Offices. i,S42 new Offices we're es;ab-
Rshed last year and 6,4 discontinued. The
total transportation Of mails IL a66, 6,387,006
miles. The increase in the transportation has
been two and hulfpef ct, The expenditures
during tho past year have been SS,577,424,-
II; tho revenae $6.955.5S6,22. The in
crease of the revenue of the year 1854, com.
pared With that Of 1868, is $97o, ,3o9,4S, or
about 10 per cent.
The Postmaster General treats at some
length the difficulties between the Depart.
ment and the railroad companies concerning
the rate Of compensation for carrying the
mails. The companies think that Govern.
ment should not ask them to perform any
service at less rate than that paid by indi-
viduas for similar services. The Postmaster
General suys tn at he has always been will
ing to recognize this principle. He also
suggests a remedy for the fraud committed
BY irresponsible parties obtaining, by mis-
representation, mail contracts, and subse-
quently throwing them up because they are
unable to sell them at a profit. The expen.
ses Of the current year will be greater than
those OF the last year. They are estimated
at 9,S4l ,92l ,33. A uniform plan Of regis
tration is recommended as safeguard for
the delivery Of valuable letters. During the
three years commencing July ], 1851, IS ,5o7,-
O22 ,o3 postage stamps and stamped enve!ops
have been issued by the department, o:
which 5000, 1901 were sold.
For the last year the cost Of the service on
the various United States mail steamship
lines, and across the Isthmus was as follows:
Collins line twenty-six round trips, $685.,
333 26; New York and Havre, eleven round
trips $I37 500; Astoria and Panama, via
S3IS,25o; New York and New Orleans to
Aspinwall, S2S9,ooOj Charleston and Ha-
vana, 10000; New Orleans to Vera Cruz,
"a round trips, $37 7,00e; Aspinwall to pana.
ma, $i16,727. Total, $2,o23Ol0 90. The
Postmaster General thinks that the compen-
sation now received by the several lines OF
ocean mail steamships is too large. The
Nicaragua Company have offered to carry
weekly mail between New York and Califor-
MIA for $500 900 per annum. The cost this
year for semi-nonthly mail by the Isthmus
route is S757,977 O3. The negotiations
pending with Great Britain, relative to the
admission of France into the arrangement as
contemplated by the provision in the twelfth
article of our postal convention, remains the
same as last year. No postal convention has
been effected with France but one is about
being made 18th Mexico. Arrangements
have been made with the Australia line Of
monthly packets to convey mails regularly
between New York and Australia. The
rates on all outgoing matter have been fixed
at five cents letter, two cents each for
newspapers, s. one cent an ounce for pamph-
lets and magazines. These rates embrace
both the United States inland and sea posta-
yes. The fines and deductions during the
past year amount to $ll0,4S6. The amount
for the previous year was $37,02o.
The Postmaster General alludes TO the de-
lays and irregularities of the mails, caused
bv the manner in which the distribution Of
letters and newspapers is managed at the va
rous distributing post Offices. He says he is
now engaged in revising and correcting "the
schemes Of distribution at these Offices,
which he fines very defective.
With regard to tho postage on newspapers
and periodicals., the Postmaster General re-
commends the law to be SO far altered as to
allow, the Department to fall back on the
act of 1895, the effect of which he says will
be that quarterly postage, on weekly news
paper or periodical not exceeding one and a
half ounces, circulated in the State where
published, (and in the same proportion for
more frequent publications) will be six and
half cents; and when not over three our
ces in weight, sent to any part oi the United
States, thirteen cents quarter. The news
papers to subscribers living in the county
where published, will continue to 60 Free
The present law, he thinks, has reduced the
rates on the great bulk Of printed matter al
together too low.
The Postmaster General concludes his re-
port by stating that the waste Of mail bags,
which has hitherto prevailed to a great ex-
tent, and formed u heavy item in the expen-
diturcs of the Department, has been checked
by better system of responsibility, and de-
crease Of twenty per cent. in the number Of
mail bags procured last year, as compared
with the present year, has been the gratify-
ing result.