The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-12-09

The total OF Post OceS the Uned states
the SOh June 5se The total number of Post OF
fees created during the twenty years from 1927 to ls47
but l46 the number established half that length
Of time from lS47 1857 444 On the 30th june
1927 the whole number Of Post Offices in the United States
OO0 in 1887, IL 767 in ls47, 46 and the 3oth
june 1857 20 $780, During the last fiscal year there have
been 725 Offices established and 704 discontinued being
net increase of OIL The total number Of Offices at this
time is 81 l48 Of which 1868 of the class denomnated
Presidential The number of Postmasers appointed dur
ing the year was $3.50.
The transportation statistics show that the 30th June
last, there in operation 1888 mail routes, with
length of 242 COL miles, of which % $50 rar BAD lines
The total annual transportation "a 906 ,067 miles,
costing $6,622 ,O46 giving an average Of about ten
cents and five mills mile by railroad and by
steamboat about twenty-five cents mile. The
increase in the length of mail routes over
the previous year is about 1853 miles, with an ad
diion of about 10 per cent 10 the annual cost The
abulated results of the service, the Goth Sep
tember, ollows-Miles ia length, 27408; miles Of
annual Is Asa 62; cost 81 O9s TAG Com
pared with the the 30th of June last there APP
pears to be decrease of 9l miles in the length of routes
and s23 o34 miles in the annual transportation while the
On the 3h OF June last there in service 400 route
agents, at compensation Of $40 800 As local agents, at
SIS 4SS and 1856 mail messengers at $60 425makinga
total $500 sl3 This amount with the increased Of
service commencing LIST Of July, under new contracts
the Both Of June last s6 06 makes the total amour.
for the 81 24l 903 This is independent OF
the cost of ocean mail service There should also be ad
ded the estimated of Improvements made since LIST Of
July last including the San Antonio and San Diego route
| 1857 s26.
The net expenditure of the fiscal year ending June 80
including payments letter carriers and for foreign pos
| tages, amounted to 81 ,5o7 $40 16
The gross for the year 1857 including receipts
from letter carriers and from foreign postage amounted
IS s5l TO- being So 40 less than the expen
| diture.
312, 053 DAB The means applicable TO defray this
amount only TO o74 leaving 81 4es l73 TO be ap
propriated from the treasury TO deay the expenditures
Of the year 1855 as they have authorized by law
The report again brings under the notice OF Congress the
expedency OF adopting money order system IKE that OF
through the British Post Offices in the year 1856 is stated
10 have been Cal sos 562 furnishing profitable source
OF revenue TO the English Post Office.
The steamships and foreign mail arrangements Of
the department may be thus briefly summarized
In connection with the Pacific service the only recon-
mendaton made by the report is that having reference
the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. By It's terms the
contract with this company for semi monthly service from
Astoria by Francisco &C. Panama, expires the
LIST October 1885, whhe under the decision of the Navy
Department. the contract Of tho connecting lines on this
side until LIST October 1859 Therefore, 70 keep up
the connection with the Pacific line provided by law
and originally contemplated will be necessary TO
tend the contract the Pacific one year and a. the Pa
cihc Mail Steamship Company have performed their SER
vice generally in highly credtabe and satisfactory
manner, the Postmaster General recommends an appro
| prlation for such extension.
The aggregate amount OF postage (sea inland and TO-
reign mails transported during the year by the steam
OF the New York and Liverpool (CoIlns) line was
$40 463 o3, which il heavy decrease compared with
the amount Cs46 ,t's e4 Of the previous fiscal year II
should be observed however that the additional allow
this line authorized by the act OF 2lst july 1852,
having been terminated the 10th OF February, 1861,
and yearly trips dispensed with from and after that
date twenty round trips only instead Of twenty Elk,
formerly were performed during the year.
and Bremen line were ss7 7s4 IS and BY the New York
and Havre line tq7 $50 05 being decrease OF s. p1 -
by the Bremen owing 10 the fact that much Of the time
there have been several foreign steamers running and
carrying ship letters this line, and an Increase OF
el2s o2 by the Havre line as compared with the hscal
The amount q letter hostages upon mails exchanged
during the year with Great Britain ss7s ai IS Prus
Ap 70 soh June, iss7 sal is 10; Hamburg 81 ose 60,
being decrease on British mails Of s2S AS e5 on Bre
men mails Of sS7s 80; and an increase on Prussian
closed mails Of s27 400 50, compared with the preceding
OF The amount Of hostages on mails exchanged with
Great Britain s6T4 Ie4 rs collected in the United
states, and s50o 1913 30 in Great Brain-the excess OF
United states and British posges thus collected in the
United States being STA o6 10. In like manner,
with Prussia, and Of $a2 4e4 Is mails exchanged with
Bremen, collected in this country.
The gross amount OF United States posagesea AMI in
land-on mails transported turng the year, wm.-
by the Collins Inc twenty round trps -. ssets6 81
By the Bremen line, twelve round rps) 1Iq3 81
by the Havre line, twelve round trips aoo42 A.
The ocean postage upon mails conveyed by the Collins
Inc amounted -
BY the Bremen line. - 231 ~
BY The Havre me 1910 81
The Postal conventions concluded and put in operat
during the year were one with France, IN force since the
effect the 1st Of July The report states that negota
tons pending for radical change Of postal
raneemens with Grca, Britain but as tho proposition o.
70. and as Il Involves also, preliminary agreement re
qnring the sanction Of the treaty making powers definite
action upon has been necessarily postponed Tor the
present
IN the subject Of city posts, the report, after recapu
sing the efforts made facilitate the receipt and dclive
~ Of letters In New York, Boston and Philadelphia
commends modification Of the present laws relating 70
carriers 20 as 70 give the Postmaster General authority 70
4 ma AZ Qrr n
carrier receipts sufficient TO meet the expenses or no
II the improved system found 70 work well 10 the three
cities above mentioned the Postmaster General state. 10
M his intention 10 extend 10 all the other principal cities
Of the United States.
such frequent complaints made the report states that
additional agents have been employed by the department
without changing and guard sgans, all delays that can
pety he avoited and especially 10 see that passengers
enjoy no advantage over tho mails but that both are
equally expedited under all circumstances.
The consideration Of the measures necessary TO be
adopted TO ensure greater speed and regularity IN the
mission o. the mails between New York and New
Orleans occupies large space in the report Under the
present arrangement, sixteen different parties are en-
plcyed in the service with separate schedules each Of
which must he exactly csnpicd with ensure the per.
Torrance OF the through trips in contract time Tho Post
muster General IN calling attention 70 the rropoeals Of the
Florida Railroad Company and TO the advantage 81 having
the whole Of he line under contrao, 70 single party With
schedule fixing the period within which The entire trip
should be performed Observes
tpon the question Of accepting the proposals for this ser
vice considering the uncertainty Of the period which the
bsye ep usbe bss sT 10 spnomuce 70 he bidders sny
defnv determination But the subject s referred 70 here
because deemed be Of public interest IN view
Of the premise which the contemplated arrangement AZ
fors ~ ~ materially facilitating the communication between
the two sections and the commercial capitals of the
country.
From detailed statement accompanying this report OF
the fines and deductions which imposed upon the
contractors for imperfect mail service during the hsca
year, appears that these fines and deductions amount in
the aggregate 20 t1ss,746 s4 In this amount Of Slss
4e 81 included the OF ga sos 46 being that por
ton Of the deductions made from The contractors pay
the New Orleans and Cairo route during the third md
fourth quarters of 1885, which has been
them, pursuance of the Th section Of the OF Con-
grese passed on the Sd March, 1857.
The erousds OF the decision Of the Postmaster General
the southern between the valley OF the
Mse espp river and Fan Francisco for the conveyance
OF the overland mails 10 California forth al great
length also the which decided the depart
accept the bids of Messrs. BUter6ed n Co All.
though the selected does not bear the glowing
DESCRIPTIONS given Of by of its earlier explorers
the evidence LAID before the department led 10 concur in