The Washington union., 1857-12-11
PU BLIC DOCUMENT.
REPORT OF THEposTMAsTERG GENERAL

10 he fresduH " the CfIHoa s>hHc!
SIN Since entering ON the administration Of the Post
Office Department have yentured theories,
attempted any innovations the tried system es
tablished and paesed upon by my predecessors have
contented myself with cndeavorng as far as in my pow
to perfect existing arrangements and extend Its fci
iics equally and fairly to every portion Of our widelyex
tended country In examining Its present condition. 1t
worthy of observation that while the total number post
offices created during the twenty years from 1927 to
Is47 was but l46 the number established just half
that length Of tme from l847 to 1857 III ,444 On
the 30h Of June, 1927 the whole number Of post offices
in the United States 1000 In 1887, II, 7G7 in
ls47, To- l46 and the 30th Of june 1857, 26,5s6
During the last fiscal year there have been 725 Offices
established and 70f discontinued being net increase of
l02l. The number Of postmasteB appointed during
the year $3.50. OF these appointments, 4,767
were f vacancies occasioned by resignation 6s1
by removal 23s by death 269 by change Of and
sites and l725 by the establishment Of new offices
The total number OF offices at this time Is 27, l48,
of which 36S of the class denominaed presidential
their incnbents being subject to appointment by the
President and Senate. The commissions of the higher
class four years from the date of confirmation, but
those OF the lower are not limited
TRANSFORMATIONS STATISTICS
On the 30h of June last there were in operation 1883
mail routes. The number of contractors 6576 The
length of these routes is estimated at 242 60l miles, d
vided as follows, viz: ss srs 5l ls
Railroad 22, $50 miles.
Steamboat 15, ,245 g 10
Coach ----------------------- 9,329 g %
Inferior grades ,597 g
The total annual transportation of mails "A, ,906,
OCT miles, costing S. 622 O46, and divided follows
RdIroad "a, ,267 944 miles, at So $50 S47about ten
cents and five mills mile a
Steamboat 4,5ls, 10 miles, at s99l 99Sabout twenty
two cents q mile. t1 Js2a .@4. islE f4a asta
Coach, 10 09O $50 miles, at sI,4l0 s26-about seven
cents and four mills mile. a g@ a#t a -sahH"
Inferior grades 27,O29,o74 miles, at 81, 65s, ,37Sabout
six cents mile.
Compared with the service reported the 30th of
june 1856, there is addition of 2s59 miles to the
length of mail routes 3,59S ITO miles to the total
nual transportation--being about per cent and of
| $5s6,57 to the cost, or 7-l0 per cent.
The aggregate length of railroad routes has been in
creased 2O7 miles, and the annual transportation there
2,45s,64s milesll 2lO per cent at cost of s249,-
458, or III $40 per cent. s
The length of steamboat routes is greater by 294 miles,
and the annual transportation by 949 miles, costing
$l3l 243 additional 61 per cent transportation,
and 10 2-l0 per cent. on the cost
The expense for this species of service increased in
alone SIS, 200 without any additional service
that s owing to the failure of the contractor the New
Orleans and Key West route BY act of Congress 81 200
additional also allowed between Bainbrdge Georgia.
and Apalachcola, Florida without additional service.
route put in operation the Missouri river the
1st of June last at $85O0O per annum, including side
mails by horse COACH and regular land service during
the suspension of navigation Steamboat contracts were
also made between Paducah Kentucky and Cairo Illi
nos at Sc 006 per annum; and between Columbus and
Bay Port Florida, at 81 900 and fourth weekly trip
commenced between New Orleans and ST. Francsvie at
So 1928. On the other hand, reduction of $l57l9 per
annum effected by dscontinuing service between
Chattanooga, Tennessee and Decatur, Alabama, and
failing the Nashville and Memphis route to end at
Cairo Illinois Such the more prominent changes in
! the steamboat service. .a
The length of coach rotaes has been reduced l. l24
miles, and the annual transportation ,O6l miles while
the expense has been increased 470 about 81 per
cent $lO 900 less than would appear from comparing
the cost on 30h June last with that reported 3Oth
june 1885, the latter having been short stated by that
amount Ea rF
In the States Of New Jersey Pennsylvania Delaware,
and md pfc fooka
lst july 1856 the length Of coach routes decreased
sos miles, and the annual transportation 22S 976 miles,
at an increased cost of S24752 At the time the
railroad service and cost in those States largely in
creased907 miles in length Of routes and $1l9 20s in
| the cost.
In the New England States during the past year. the
coach transportation was slightly decreased but the cost
increased $ll, 264the amount allowed by Congress to
| failing contractor g 4 ~
In Missouri there is seeming reduction of coach
vice 1866 miles in length Of routes l37 500 miles
nual transportation and Si3174 in cost but il must be
noted that the Missouri river contract above referred to-
absorbed much coach-service which, to great extent
will continue such although under the circumstan-
ccs unavodaby reported under the head Of steamboat
| transportation. -
In Tennessee there is dsproportion between the miles
and cost of coachservice the cost only being increased
This accounted for by allowance for expedng in
the gap between the Virginia and Tennessee and the East
Tennessee and Virginia railroads, and other changes.
In other States there have been changes requiring
special notice, In some there have been reductions but
IN most OF them te cOachservlcc mas Deen somewhat IN
creased @ s ~. ft
There is nothing of note in connexion with the Cali
fornia, Oregon, New Mexico Nebraska, and Kansas
routes. T at s9e @ 4s
The cost of the Utah routes increased $17 500 by
the allowance that additional pay under act of Cen
gres without any increased service the route between
Salt Lake and San Pedro. s,st ,gE VII r.t,5a n !.
The additional length of inferior routes is only 1852
miles, owing partly to the fact that during the year end
ing Both June last comparatively little service of this
description put in operation The large increase of
such service reported 30th June, 1856, from
routes established by Congress- amounting to nearly
5000 miles, in the northwestern and southwestern
tions alone and from other extraordinary service is
The increased cost that Of 30th june 1885, $124
40I may be explained by the additional expense under
the contracts commencing 1st July 1885, in the mid
die section of the Union $63, ,533 while there de-
in the length of routes Of this grade and the allow
of $l7 500 on tho Salt Lake and San Pedro route
without additional service must also be taken into
count W - -. tY4s t ~
As already stated the extension of railroad service has
been very great and in order to exhibit this more plain
ly the increase is given separately in five geographical
sections as follows: M - a.sr7s49. s,l5 ~. s-Ff ,s
fe States ~ s Additional Additional Additional
f......H length OF OF transpora- cost, y
route ton.
Hi tiGt4est Hl5 ~ Miles. ttftt trf ~ {snl h
New England. -...... ls7 l &, 2s,l2s si, Ias
New Jersey, Pcnnsy ynna r. EI. -s fea.Fgsf- ~
Delaware, Maryland, and
II I IIp
virginia North Carolina south H ''N,' ,-fgsa''~ Sa
Carolina, and Georgia. 1s4 l71,O7s 500
Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and t,fs ~ .l ~. ~ w.
Wisconsin :. ......... $50 csc, ,0ss n 267
gontocky Tennessee Nsbama AN ~ ga ''t'-'H
M,uricu uprd andI Ipuian oaz voox