New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-08-15

fence enjoyed by the ptiH'l Puo''e "a uau'us
letter, that W. might am should have. This is
tie privilege Of mailing letters after the BOX 10
closed, and within Eve minutet Of the actual
departure Of the mail.
In the administration Of our PostOfice we
do not have the fall and satisfactory statistics
that are given BY the British postal authorities.
In Great Britain the number of letters written
and mailed. annually is given, and separate
statements OF the number Of district post"
("drop') letters and general post letters" in
London, and the number of letters in each Of the
three kingdoms-England, Scotland and Ire
land. All these facts are Of great importance to
the statesman and TO the chief Of a department.
The efficiency, prosperous condition aud gen.
ersl working of an important branch Of govern
ment cannot be properly understood without
full and reliable statistics. Without way-bills
there is no difficulty, delay or trouble in count
ing letters They are always counted in the
Ddon Office and estimated in the other Offices.
This gives sn approximation near enough TO the
exact truth for all practical purposes. Post
masters should be paid salaries or fees in pro-
portion TO the amount Of business done-in pro-
portion to the number Of letters and papers
mailed and receiyed-as well as commission
on stamps sold. AS many buy their postage
stamps in various places, i. would not be equita-
bic to have the entire pay of Postmaster de-
pend on bis sale of stamps.
There is one great improvement we need and
must have when we have Money-orier Office,
L. e 10. Lar
tiers on proper footing. That il, two or three
large central Offices, possessing in some respects
the powers Of the General POst-Ofice. These
should form branches Of the General Post-Ofice,
and should attend to all the business within q
certain defined district so far as relates to
dead letters, to the bushes, of the Money
order Office, and the sale of postage-stamps
ard some other local af,irs. They would
relieve the central Office at Washington Of many
matters Of business detail that could be as well
attended to in that locality, and with far greater
celebrity. With such an Office in California,
all dead letters could at once be sent In, opened
and returned to the writers in sixth part of
the time that they could be to go to and from
Washington City. An unlimited supply of post
age stamps should be kept, and all money order
accounts sent to this Branch Office. There
might be one such Office in Californa, for the
Pacific States, one in New.Orleans for the S)uth-
west, and one at st. Louis for the Northwest.
The Department at Washington could attend to
all the business for the central northern and
eastern portions of the Union. These branches
of the General Post.Oflice should be under the
charge of an officer who has had long experience
in the Department at Washington.A
The accounts and details are no more and no
less whether attended to at San Francisco or
Washington, and necessarily there is no great
difference of expense. OF course accounts of
ali business transacted at the Branch Post OH
ces must be transmitted regularly to the Post
Office Department at the seat of Government.
1t is fact too notorious to be denied, that the
local wants of the people in different sections
of the Union often suffer greatly from delays in
mail matters in consequence of distance from
the seat Of Government.
Now all this cannot be remedied, but much
of il can and il is time that something was done
10 co away with the various evils and incOn-
yeniences that we labor under These changes
are far easier made now, and will get in sue
cessful operation much sooner than if the pres
ent state Of things is suffered to continue until
our vast postal machine becomes more extensive
and complicated. We must have postal accom-.
modations for onr citizens, and a far greater
extent than those which we now enjoy, and the
sooner a move is made in the right direction
the sooner will be the benefit aud the less
reason shall we have to complain that the
makers and administrators Of our laws neglect
the interests of the nation.