The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1857-12-22
REPORT OF THE POSTMASTER
CENTRAL


since entering on the administration of the
Post Office Department. no has ventured
on no new theories. nor attemrted any ino-
vations on the well-tried system established
and prsctised upon by his predecessors
He has contented himself with endeavoIr-
ing TO enlarge and perfect existing arrange
meats.
The total number of Post Offices at this
time is %. l4S, being a nett increase within
the fiscal year of 1921, 4,767 Postmasters
have been appointed within the year. of
whom l ,68I were appointed to fill vacan-
cies occasioned by the re@OVai Of the in
eumbents.
On the Both June last, there were in OPP
Grafton 1883 mail routes, with an aggre-
gate length of 242 ,60l miles divided as fol-
lows go ,543 miles by railroad l5.245 by
steamboat; 49. 800 by coach; l5.497 by ''infe-
riorgrades' ofservice, meaning thereby horse
and sulkey mails. etc. Total annual trans
portation of mails 749O6, ,O67. Total cost
Of transportation $6622, ,O46. On railroad
routes the mails were carried 24,267 944
miles during the year, at cost of S2559,-
S47, being at the rate of 103 cents per
mile; on steamboats, 45I8,lI9 miles at
$99l 999,-about % cents per mile on
coaches 19,090933 miles at $i,4I0.s26-
about z 2-5 cents per mile; on ''inferior
grades" 27,029,74 miles at $l,659 ,375-
about cents per mile. From this it ap-
pears that steamboats, is the most expen-
sive, in proportion to the amount of service
rendered.
The whole amount Of transportion has
been increased per cent, within the year,
and the whole expenses 8 7-l0 per cent
The railroad transportation has been in
creased IL 2-1O per cent. and the cost
thereof ii $40 per cent. The steamboat
transportation has been increased 90 per
cent and the cost of transportation Is 2-lO
per cent.
In the coach and inferior routes there
has been little change, while the extern
sion of railroad routes in 90 States has been
2,2O7 miles, at an additional cost of $249.-
458 of this extension l84 miles have been
in North Carolina. Virginia, South Carolina
and Georgia, at an additional expense of
$I9,699.
On the Both of June last, there were in
service 406 route agents, at compensa-
ton Of $3l0 900; As local agents. at $2S,-
488 and 1885 mail messengers, at $780,
425; making a total of $499,Sl3. This
amount with the increased cost of service
commencing 1st July under new contracts
($12O,O44) added to the cost of service as
in operation on the Both of June last (6,-
522, ,O46,) makes the total amount for the
current year $7,241 ,9O3. .. .....
The aggregate expenditures of the De-
partment for the year ending June Both
1857 were $1l ,5O8,O57 SO, and the gross
receipts for the same period were $7,353,-
95I 76.
But if the gross sum above stated be ad-
ded the permanent annual appropriations
made by the acts of March 3, 1847, and
March 3, 1851, in compensation for services
rendered the government in the transporta-
ton and delivery of franked matter, the
whole revenue Of the year will be $685.
95I 76. being $3,453,719 40 less than the
expenditures.
The expenditures of the Department for
the current year, to be made in accordance
with and under the authority of law, are
estimated at Sl2,O53.247; the estimated
gross revenue $7,79518s. To meet the
deficiency, appropriations. in addition to
those already made, will be required to the
amount of 81 1,469,173.
The Postm aster General refers to the
outline Of plan for the introduction of the
system of money orders into this country,
which had been submitted by his predeces-
sor to the House Committee on Post Offices
and Post Roads, but never acted upon.
The idea is for the transmission of small
postmaster on another. A system Of re-
mitting SUNG of money not exceeding E5
sterling ($25) in amount, was adopted by
the British Post Office Department in 1889
and while in the first year the orders issued
amounted in value to only f313.124, in
1856 they amounted f11,805'562. BY re-
ferring to the matter, the Postmaster Gen
eral would appear to favor the plan, but he
forbears to urge it.
How THE MoRMoN DELEGATE WAS
ELgCrED.-It has been recorded that Hon.
Mr. Hernhisel has been returned to Congress
as delegate from Utah, but hoaO, has not
been stated. 1t seems that the election
was fixed for one Monday, but on the
Sunday before Brigham Young rose, where
y
assembled, and said:
Brethren, tomorrow, you know, is the
day to vote for delegate to Congress, so the
law says. But don't see why to-day isn't
just as holy, and why we shouldn't take
vote to-day. Brother Bernhisel, brethren,
has done well enough in Congress, though
nobody's of much use there, and fits
worth while to send anybody to Washington
| guess we might as well send him back; if
he can't do us any good, he aOon't do us any