Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1854-12-18

There are 23,54S post offices in the
United States, fife ar,al comyer<stions o
257 of which amount TO $1,000 and up
wards. During the las. year, 1,S42 Offices
were established and GA discontinued.
Nhmber Of postmasters appointed during
the sarse .imr, 8.61S. Removals, 1877.
Number Of mail fontcs, 6.697. Member
OF mail contractors, 5,l67 Total annual
transportation of mails, So, 397 ,005 miles,
at cost Of 81, $50 miles BIZ modes not spe-
cited, s cents per mile; go,s90.53J miles
by teachas 6 cents per mile: Is, 433 $50
miles by railroad, at 10 cents 4 mills per
mile; 5, 1879, 4S3 mills by steamboat. at
cents miles per ts'le. Increase in the
transportation during the past year 2 IL
per cent.
The expenditures Of the department,
dnring the past yearwere SS,577, f2f 70,
and the revenue $685. $50 90 To the
former must be added $l33, 4S3 SO. balan-
ces due foreign Offices which world leave
the total deficiency fer the year 1854 al
$1,755, 1921 %. The deficiency for the
year 1853 was 2,1l7,07S 2O-leaving a
difference in favor of 1858 of 1861, 1856
The increase in the revenue OF 1854 corr
pared with the revenue of 1853. is 1910
500 4s--or about 10 per cent.
The Postmaster General alludes at con-
siderable length to the difficulties between
The department and rail road companies
sela.;ye to the rates Of compensation for
rstrfing the mails. The companies, he
says, aII,ge thai the government should moi
ask or expect them to Ferserns for IT any
services at less rate than that paid Is
individua,,- Tar simlla! services. This prin-
tiple. ne .tends he has always urrii
willing to recognise in the adjustment OF
phi es. What is now rcqniasd he believes,
Is, lht the rail road compon'es should
be paid according to the bulk OF The mails
the speed with which the, are conveyed
and the accommodations required. The
sums paid by express companies are nc
fair criterion, Cor, as usy are pninauenced
by competition, they can pay any price
demanded OF then, aud ASSESS II upon theft
customers. England, France, Germany
and Canada pay less to fail roads for mai
services than is paid BY the United STATES
Complaint is made Of the insufficient ac-
commodatons as general rule, for route
agents ILLUSION is made TO the habit Of
irresponsible parties obtaining, by gross
Misrepresentation, mail contracts, and ou-
sequesilJ throwing them up because Of a
failure on their part tn sesl shc same at a
profit. A remedy for this fraud is sus-
gested
Owing TO causes not within the control
Of the department. the expenses OF the
current year will greatly exceed those Of
the past year They are eslimated at ~,
S41,92l 33. This increase will be owing
to the additional compensation of postmas-
tiers and the enhanced prices demanded
by contractors at the last lettings.
A uniform plain Of registration is warm
iy recommended as al, additional! protection
tor the safe delivery of letters OF value
The watt of such safeguard has long
been felt; and as TIE cost Of ITS ma'ntsn-
ance will fall directly upon those who will
cheerfnlly bear the expence. we see no
good reason why it should not be ineor-
porated into oul postal system as one OF us
principal features.
During the three wears commencing July
1. 1851. % ,507 ,022 o3 postage stamps and
stamped envelopes have been issued by
the department, Of which IS .092 3ol were
sold.
For the last year ihe cost OF the service