Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1854-12-16
4nblit Documents.
Postmaster Generals Report.

There are %, ,54s post offices in the United States
the annual compensaIions of 257 OF which
amount 10 81 900 and upwards During The Ias'
wear, 1,S42 offices were established, and 6l4 dis
continued Number OF Postmasters appointed dur.
ing the same lime, S,6ls Removals, 1867 Num-
her of mail routes, 6,697. Number of mail con-
tractors, 5,167 Total annual transportation Of mails,
$685., ,OO5 miles, at a cost OF 81 $50 GIG thus 2l,
500 COB miles by modes not specified, at cents
per mile; 90 800, $50 miles by coach, al cents
per mile Is, ,433 3S7 miles by railroad at ~ cts
4miIs per mile; 5,792, ,4S3 miles by steamboat at
S cents mills per mile. Increase in the transport.
alton during the past year . per cent.
The expenditures of The department during the
past year were So, ST. ,424 70, and the revenue
$685. $50 o. To The former must be added
Sl33, ,4s3 SO, balance due foreign Offices, which
would leave The oal deficiency for the year 1854
atS1, 1,755,32l 90 The deficiency for ihe year 1853
was So l16 O7S 2O-leavng difference IN favor
of 1853 of 1851, 1856. The increase in the revenue
OF 1854 compared with the revenue OF 1853, is
1870, ,399 4S--or about 19 per cent.
The Postmaster-General audes at considerable
Iang,h 10 the difficulties between the department
and railroad companies relative 10 the rates Of
compensation for carrying The mails The COM
pqnies he says, aIIege that the government should
not ask OF expect Them TO perform for ii any ser
vice al less rate than that paid By individuals for
similar services. This principle, he con'ends. he
has always been willing 10 recognise in The ad
jus;ment OF prices. What is now TequiTed5 he be-
lieYs, ia, that the railroad compani es should be
PAID according 10 the bulk OF the mails, The speed
with which they conveyed and the accomoda-
tons required. The sums paid by express COM
panies are no fair criterion; for, they are nnin
fluenced by competition, they can pay any price
demanded Of them, and assess il upon their cuso-
mers England, France, Germany and Canada,
pay less 10 railroads for mail service than is paid
by the United States. Complain, is made Of the
insufficient accommodations, as a general rule, for
route agents. Ausion is made 10 the habit OF ir.
responsible parties Obtaining, by gross misrepresen
tallon mail contracts, and subsequently, throwing
them up because OF failure on their part sell the
same profit.
Owing 10 cases not within The control oflhe de.
partmenl, the expenses of the current year will
S'o"'S iHoso VI past ycdi are eSiIIIldLeu
ats 9841, ,921 SO. This increase will be owing 10
The additional compensation OF posmas,ers and
the enhanced prices demanded by the contractors
a. The last lettings.
Auniform plan OF registration is warmly recon-
mended as an additional protection for The safe de-
livery Of letters of value. The want of such safe
glaTI has long been felt; and as The cost of its
maintenance will fall directly upon those who will
cae'iuIy bear the expense, we see no good reason
Why II should not be incorporated into our. postal
system as one Of its principal features.
During that three years commencing July i, 1851
eo'O' ,O22 O3 postage stamps AID stamped enve
oPeS have been issued by The department, cfwhich
fo,OO2 30l were sold
TOT 'he last year the cost Of the service on The
VARIOUS United States mail steamship lines, and
'e'oss Inc lsthrus, was as follows: Collins line.
twenty SIX round trips ss5s 900 New York and
raSFe, eleven round trips, sl37, 500; Astoria and
aSnama Via San Francisco, twenty four round trips
S'io,25o; New York and New Orleans 10 Aspin
wall, 1888, 900; Charleston and Havana $50, 900
We" Orleans TO Vera Cruz twenty four round trips
$4,000; AspinwaI TO Panama Sll9 1871. Total
50 O23 01o 90
Inc service performed by the several lines of
r'ean mail steamships is treated at large The
O''fhas'er General is OF opinion that the compen-
s'10n now received is TOO large, aud hat the pres