Tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1856, 1856-01-17
Post-Omca Department

The report shows q net increase of 852 Post
Offices during the year ending the 3Jth of June
iS55-the whole number of offices st that date
being %, 4l0, and on the 9th of November "a
770. On the 30th of June last there were :, c333
mail routes, ut an estimated length of 81 1903
miles. The total annual transportation of mails
was 81 ,4Nl loo miles, costing $5,335,23 Com
pared with the service of the year pre- vious there
is an increase OF , 1913 COS miles characterization
or ofabout 81 per cent. The increase by railroad
service is 3,4S3, l32-wh:le the transportation
by coaches is less BIZ 2 325, 628 miles, and by
steamboat 1885, $50. This change results main
ly from the reetting of contracts in many of
the Southern and Western States and Terrific
ries
On the 3Jth of June last there were in service
3l9 route agents at a compensation Of $685.
10 65-l0Qi % local agents st $l9,3 28i and 95l
mail messengers at SlQ0.47l IS, making q total
of 1854 $40 2 to be added to the cost of trans
portation. This makes the total amount for the
current year, $5,72l,959 81, which will proba-
bly, be increased to $S,D00,000 by new services
and routes. The cost of foreign mail service,
rot included here, amounts to $6,ll,4 The
Postmaster states that ~ the Sd Of April last,
he concluded n contract with Mr James F. Joy
to convey the mails from Cairo to New Orleans
and back, daily, he having full power to negot-
ate such contract behalf ofthc Illinois central
Railroad-but though the latter used every ex-
ertion to comply with their engagement; they
failed to do 80 from the high price demanded of
them by the owners Of the bouts on the line and
the route was accordingly advertised for reist
ting.
The new distribution schemes have been COM
peted, and each distributing Office has IN alpha
betical list Of the counties in all the States,
ccpt California. In accordance with the late
act OF Congress, suitable measures have been
adopted to put i'll operation the new system of
registering valuable letters, bat it has not been
sufficiently long in operation to be able to form
Just estimate of the success of the plan. The
Postmaster has, however, found abundant proofs
of its usefulness and Of the necessity Of bring
it to perfection.
The expenditures of the Department for the
last fiscal year amount to 50, 693,342, and the
gross revenue derived from hostages Gnland and
forcign) are = ;,642 ABS IS, which, adding the
annual appropriations made in compensation Of
mail service to the Government, by the acts of
the Sd of March, 1899, and the I'd of March,
1851, amount to S7,3i2, 1876 - Dcducting the
balance against the United States, due to For
eEn Powers, for Postal accounts, from the above
the actual gross revenue of the Department for
the year ending 3pth of June, 1855, will be 81
330,l77 The gross revenue of 1884, after de-
Quoting foreign balances, amounted 10 $6,el6,-
65l 81, making difference in favor of 1885, of
$5IS, $40 10 The erccSs of expenditure for 1855
orcr ti0t Of 1854 is $2626 ,296 10, This excess
is attributed partly to the increase in compensa-
ton to PoStmastcrs and Clerks of Office, and
partly to the increase of expenditures for trans
portation owing to the great extension Of Rail-
road service. The condition Of the Department
goes to show the rates fixed by the act of Sd of
March, 1851 ,cW not enable hs Department to sns-
tam Itself by It's ocm resources.
Another cause of this excess of expenditure is
attributed to the letters aud documents carried
free of charge for members Of Congress and 9TH
ers and to the immense amount of printed mat
pnuVeyad Of lnv. az Thu pnsfp,o stp
General thinks that the reduction Of fifty per
cent, for advance payment on newspapers is
wholly without justification. lie also recon-
mend5 that prepayment by stamps be made
compulsory on all kind of matter The expen-
ditnre OF the department for 1855 is estimated
at $40, ny, t24. and the means available for the
same year $9,cl0,S73, leaving a deficiency of
81 ,l6S.l5l to BE provi6c3 for.
Reference is again made to ttc fact that tt~
Collins Line of steamers receives from tlic Gov
eminent 1858 000 for rs trips, while the British
Government paid the Cunard line $866.70O for
II trips which, in the opinion of the Postmaster
General is amply sufficient. Measures have
been recently taken to lay befors the Me7ican
Government proposals on the subject of a Pos
tai Convention. The report al!udes ut some
length to the last Report of the Postmaster Cen
eral If Great Britain and concludes by deprcca-
ting the denuncation of the department for
mistakes, careIcssness or neglect instead of adj
vising it Of the wrong committed, and leaving it
to apply the remedy,
Some scamp of fellow stole pair of BOOTS
from, the editorial sanctum of the Boston Post.
Hear what the Editor says Of the transactions:
'rhe man who stole pair of boots from the
editorial room of the Post on Saturday night
last, or Sunday morning, is probabl y dead be-
fore this time, a there was poison in their toes
placed there to detect the thief
BRIDGE ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI At ST
EoUIs.-The ST. Louis papers are again agita-