The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1856-01-08

REPORT OF rosTnAsTER GENERAL.
Posr OFfIcs DEPARTMENT,

Posr OGfIcK DKPARndEsr,
December 3, 1855.
SIN The number Of post Offices established in the Uni
ted States during the year ending 3oth June 1885, was
l,e63 and The number discontinued sol, showing net
increase OF S62 The sites and of BIB have been
changed The whole number OF Offices the 30h Of june
was "a and the 30th OF November "a 7T0 OF which
25S OF the class the posmases of which appointed
by the President The number Of posmasters appointed
daring the regular fiscal year was o3 as follows 10
fill vacancies by resignation, 405G BY remoyas S7e by
deaths 2S9 by change OF and sites 2i6 and by
establishment OF new Offices 1868.
On the 3o,h June last there in operation 1888
mail The number Of contractors 5703. The
length Of these is estimated at 221,9o8 miles.
The total annual transportation OF mails was 81 40l iG6
miles costing S5,3ao 25s and divided as follows yx
24,s7e,T5: miles by modes not specified, at Sl,4Sor
665-54 cents mile.
lss5olls miles by coach at 81 i2i5s79abo % cents
. mile.
ie,aosace miles by railroad, at s2ozsosoabout loa
cents mile.
a,45ss21 miles by steamboat at se25,5o5--about IA
Compared with the service Of Both JLne 1854, actu
ally in operation there increase OF o25 miles Of
transportation, about 81 per cent? and Of S67522l 30
cost, or about IA 2-5 per cent.
The increase Of railroad service Is 34S3 32 miles
cost 2s6esa being 20 5oopcr cent in transportation
and Isl in cost
a57577 miles about l6 7aloo per cent costing $780,
AIS so, or 3Os per cent
The transportation by coaches is less by 232562s mles
about l2 per cent ut diminished cost of Ss257
92-lO0 per cent
Steamboat service during the past year was reduced
l,335656 miles nearly 80 per cent, and the coat in
creased Sl36,367, or 27s per cent
This great change resulted mainly from the releng of
last year the States OF Michigan Indiana m
noi Wisconsin Iowa Missouri Kentucky Tennessee Ala
bama, Mississippi Arkansas Louisiana, Texas California
and the several Territories.
comparison OF the steamboat service under the
tracts which expired Both June 1854 with that the 30th
June 1856, under The contracts commencing lst july
1854 shows reduction OF $50 miles about So per
cent IN the annual transportation and an addition Of
S9ol about 70 per cent to the cost In the other
sections of the Union the steamboat has been
increased 2l 90d miles at increased cost Of $4e247
The amount of service in the foregoing general state
mens chargeabe to California are 6s2oi6 miles costing
Sl27,5l5 apportioned as follows sE
Steamboat transportation, l75656 miles, at $4,000, Or
20 cents mills per mile a fM
coach-,ransporation, 37e,a7c miles, at sassl5 or ls
cents per mile. ~
Modes not specified lso.ssa miles, at s25.sco Isl
cents per mile.
On two steamboat routes which cos, SCI 600 prior to
LIST July 1854 the pay for the of servics
nov $4,000 being increase Of $4,000, anticipated
in my last years report
There has been remarkable addition to the coach
,ransportationvz: lie per ceut--and yet the whole
cost is only a per cent than last year. There
81 per service of the inferior grades at
per higher the 30th June 1854 than Both
June, 1855 The apparent difference is much greater bn
this from transferring the Salt Lake and San Diego
route 10 the account Of service in Utah for the past year.
having been charged the previous year to California.
The total increase OF all grades Of service California
during the year ending Both June last is oo3s6 miles
about II per cent Of transportation The total saving
$l5,sl6, or II pef cent
In Oregon the service is as follows viz;
Steamboat, 20 952 miles, at SS,loo E&
Modes not specified, 1892 miez, al Slc,1GT.
Coach, l2,4s0 miles, at So $50.
The steamboat has been decreased about &c per
cent during the The for the year ending 3oth
June 1854 100 per cent higher than for the past year.
ending 30th June, 1855.
In Nebraska aud Kansas % routes have been put IN
operation which be annual transportation 10 estimated
AZ rs 3G4 miles at cost of 3l2 miles, Ave
mills per mile
In New Mexico the transportation is unchanged but the
cost increased Ss,o5o by special act OF Congress
In Uah there increase Of 25 $50 miles OF transport
Ation costing Sl2 203 additional compared with the
service Both June 1854 Thin however, does result
from any actual addition the service but simply from
charging 10 eah the route from Salt Lake San Diego
which, prior TO July lst s54 charged California
The following table shows the extension Of railroad
vice: @