Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-03-17
WASHINGTON NEWS AND GOSSIP.

DEFICIT IN THE Posr OFFICE APPRoPRIA-
rIoN.-The Opposition press is grossly unjust
to the memories of the late Postmaster General
and Third Assistant Postmaster General in It's
comments concerning the Department def
cheney. 1t alleges. first, that the exhibit Of
affairs, recently prepared at the instance of the
President, shows deficit for the current fiscal
year of fully So OO0, 900, instead of s. $50 I27,
as computed in the last annual Report of the
Postmaster General. This statement is then
made the ground for allegations of equitable
ignorance or criminal suppression of facts
against those who recently managed the De-
partments finances, both of whom being dead.
cannot repel such bsseless ISLANDERS.
1t is, however, fortunate that they were so
methodical, and that so carefully arranged was
the public business devolving upon them, that
their successors have found very little difficulty
in fully comprehending everything. Hence, the
data for complete refutation of these charges
is easily obtained
Thus, on page 20 Of his last annual report,
the Postmaster General recapitulates the ex-
penditures and means Of the Department for
the current year ending June 80 1859 His
original estimates had been submitted on the
Oath of March. 1858, prior to the lettings of new
contracts for the term commencing 1st of July
last, which embraced the entire transportation
OF the mails in twenty -one States and Terrific
ries Of the west and southwest The estimate
OF expenditures was derived from well-estab-
lished data, and the amount of money required
could be pretty accurately stated. In computing
the estimates for means, however, no such
a attn 49,
were necessarily arrived at through calculations
founded upon operations Of former years and
affected advantageously or disadvantsgeOusly
by circumstances wholly extraneous to the in
fuence of the Department. For instance the
several items of this estimate are as follows:
Balance to the credit of the Department
on the Auditors books the LIST of
July, ISIS. Observation-Disclosures. sos, 1913
Gross revenue for the year 1853 inclu-
ding foreign hostages, fees paid in By
letter-carriers and miscellaneous re-
ceipts. :........................ 7,1o6, 05U
Appropriations by the act of Congress of
lSlI, 1851. and 1858, applicable to the
Expenses vi 1893 .....-............... 2,IOtO
The aggregate of the estimated means is
found to be Sll 1874, 393, while that of the ex-
penditures amounts to Sl4 .776. $40. leaving an
estimated deficit, as above stated Of 1888 I27.
The sum of S6OS, 3l3 given in the above quoted
estimate, is there regarded "a available means,
but that is not really the case 1t embraces
Sl3i, o9l Al due by late postmasters whose ac-
counts are IN litigation, and $2l ,S67 % in the
hands OF late postmasters, whose accounts are
in process Of settlement. The residue, S26l.-
$500, is the aggregate of balances in the hands
OF acting pOstmasters throughout the country.
1t Is easy to understand that there can be no
certain prediction as to what portion of these
sums will be collected SO a. to be available for
the expenses of the current year and as it has
been found impossible to collect all the revenue
from postmasters promptly on the expiration
OF each quarter, because of the changes occur
ring constantly in the incumbency of those po-
sitions TO the extent of upwards of seven thou
sand annually, the aggregate balance ON the
books OF the auditor at the close of the year.
will not probably essentially differ from the
sum above given. As old debts are paid up.
new ones will be contracted, thus keeping up a
constant floating debt in favor of the Depart
ment from year to year. 1t is obviously unfair.
therefore, to include that aggregate balance.
$6OS, 1913, in the available means of the Depart
ment.
Again, it is palpable that the gross revenues
OF the Department for the current year. estima-
ted above at 81, 1856, $50, could only be approxi-
mately ascertained when the estimates were
prepared, in March last, or when the last an
nual report was compiled. This estimate is
founded on the operations Of the preceding
year, to which four per cent was added for
increase. The actual auditing of the first
quarters receipts, however, demonstrates that
the revenue was, in that time. really S24. 545 OF
less than OF corresponding period of the pre-
vious year, instead Of being four per cent.
greater. If we take the operations of that
quarter, then, as basis for those of the entire
year, we ascertain the gross receipts to be
S9o, 1864 less than those of the preceding
year. To this we must add the sum of the
four per centum addition made in the est;
mate, 1929, ALL, and we will have D. the
result, 1897 $685., being the amount in which
the actual receipts will fall short of the esti
mated aggregate. Subtracting this from the
estimated amount, we have:
Estimated gross revenue. g. -sG aon M
Actual ulhIlhullon.. 3g7 .6l5 r.
Actual gross revenue .......... 81 .3-s .424 d
As the actual revenue is less than the esti
mate, the actual deficit will be as much greater
than the estimated def;cit time.