New-York daily tribune., 1859-12-29

sanction OF That BODY during thc approaching rcs-"n
IL is believed as hereafter shown, that the deficiency
for that year would not exceed s. ,342, 40 W.
The following transportation statistics are embraced
in the report:
Ont e Both Of June last, there were in operation
S,723 mail routes. The number Of contractors wal
The length Of these routes is estimated at 26O,O ,O5:
miles, divided as follows, viz;
Railroad .secio sTss Coach ........ sf sss
Steamboat t..........ls,209 Inferior modcs. 1@
Thetotal annual transportation Of mails was g.! 3OS ~.
miles, costing 81, ,46S, 157, and divided az follows
Mass es.t; ess,, PeIIpIe
s,ssmSost ss.svso 4. 456sSss 1888 2sl
Coach 'aSdsySsS aSaySs 'aSss as iS
COMPARED with the service reported june 80, 1853,
there IS decrease of ISL miles in the length Of the
mail routes an addition of 35429ll miles TO the an.
nua trlnsporatiOD being about Al per cent, ana OF
A. 673 339 to the cost about 2l.46 per cent The
aggregate length Of railroad routes has been increased
l,579 miles, and the annual transportation thereon
1904 932 nles-54 per cent, at cost Of $i56l3, or
I4.69 per cent. The length Of steamboat routes is
greater by 2,l66 miles, and the annual transportation
by 352 miles, the cost ia $6,073 less-beng a reduc-
ton of GIG per cent. The addition 10 coach routes s
934 miles in length, 1892 664 miles in annual trans
poratOp, or 1919 per cent and ,25O In cost or
GIL per cent The length of inferior routes is dinn-
ished l3 637 miles, and the annual transportation
Sj5 037 miles, the additional cost is $l09, ,S49-beng
642 per cent less in transportation, and per cent adj
ditiOnal in cost.
Thenew contracts commencing July l, and embracing
the States of Virginia North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia and Florida compared with the service on the
3th Of June last in the same States the length OF the
routes by railroads and inferior modes, Is increased
974 miles and by steamboat and coach is diminished
6242 miles; the annual transportation Is dlmnshed
9i3, ,574 miles,
The w oe number Of post.Ofces in the United States
Number ,Sss were esiablishsd during the year ending
n, june 80 lss H sss
Ssi incsssss Of oiiSes during the - Ses
whole number Of post Offices the sOth june lsSo sac
Number Of offices Of which the names and sites were
Number which the appointments were made by the an
Number Of Postmssers appointed during the year ending
OF these 4,639 were 10 I'll vacancies oceasoned by
resignation; ooI were 10 MI vacancies occssoned 0y
removals; 295 were TO fill vacancies OccasiOned by
DEATHS 292 were 10 fill vacancies occasloned by change
of names and sites 455 were to fill vacancies oc-
casioned by establishment of new Offices
OF the 80 distribution offices, the Postmaster says that
he has discontinued l3, substituting the less costly
process of direct mailing These offices, from the high
commissions allowed for the process OF distribution,
have proved not only heavy burden upon the De-
parment, but also strong incentive TO abuse. But,
while the order mentioned was inn ortant as measure
of economy, and a means OF preventing frauds, 1t
was yet more desirable for the aeceleraton OF the
mails Offices of this description were formerly very
valuable and in fact, indispensable element IN the
postal system of the country owing TO It's vast extent
and the rapidity with which population spread into
districts But, as the country has become Popl-
lated the necessity for these guides TO distant points
has measuIaby ceased; and in proportion as railways
have become carriers of mails and have yielded to the
public demand for ceaseess notion has j become I'M
possible for the process OF distribution TO be NAM
tained, without subjecting the correspondence of the
country charged with its commercial and political in
telgen e aud its social sympahes, to frequent and
unwanantable delays.
The whole number of dead letters during the last
=. IL . .r.l., 1,pu ul.nuf
800 006 drop letters" and so 900 held for postage
Deductine these two classes the number of letters
actually conveyed in the mails and failing to reach the
persons addressed may be estimated at less than two
millions - coco year. More than fifty per cent
OF the entire accumulation Of dead letters occun at
about 10 ont of the 2S $50 Post-0ees including, of
course the large cities and towns IL is satisfactorily
established in the large majority of cases, that the
fault of the failure Of letters reach their destination
is with the writers themselves either IN misdirecting
illegibly directing their communications. From
what is already known, 1t is assumed that ore
million of ietters become " dead from causes en-
trey beyond the control of this Department of any
Legislation Something 10 provide for returning these
letters sooner, and in larger numbers than at present
10 the writers should be DONE but for the present the
Postmaster withhods his suggestions upon the subject
merely observing that the system in the deadleer
office has remained unchanged since the organization
of the Department in 1886, there is plenty of room for
Improvement.
The whole number of dead letters containing money
registered and ont during the year ending Jane 80
1852 was 8 ,726, OF which S,57i were delivered eav-
ing /, ,l52 unclaimed. The whole amount of money re-
ceiyed was $i5,5iS IL; amount restored to owners,
$il l43 "a. The amount of the Enclosures was g. 50
2sS n the amount of the Enclosures in sterling was
G69S3 ID IS; the amount of the Enclosures in francs
was lOi i2 The number of dead letters returned un
opened foreign countries during the last fiscal year
was l3S, ,SSl, divided follows, England, O3lO;
France, l5,751; Prussia 400 Bremen, $685. Ham
burg ,40li Canada, IL ,537; New-Bruns wick, 7SO;
Noya-Scotia, ,S6S.
Mr.. Holt speaks TINS Of the Penny Post:
"The system Of delivering letters by carriers at the
domicl Of the citizen RECOGNIZED by the Of the
81 Of March 1925, and has within few years, been
successfully introduced into several of principal
cities. Though constant endeavors have been made 10
improve IT, il is eth imperfect in is details and
is operations. The system cannot be regarded hav
ing accomplished tie object Of its establishment long
as il does Dot command and deliver the local CORE
spondenee Of the different cities in which II exists,
which, thus far, il has wholly failed to do"
The Postmaster eoniesses that this service is now
performed by private Expresses cheaper than the Gov
eminent could undertake il. He, therefore, recon-
noD6s that much of the act Of 1928 relates 70
drop letters 10 be delivered by carriers be repealed
so far asTequiring the system 10 be felfsUppoing.
He adds: This would not result in any perceptible
diminu'ion Of the postal revenues, inasmneh az tn
corresy Ondence which would be thus secured by th
Department does not row pass through its Offices.
s true that The Postmaster General might in his dis
crction arIes the operation of these private expresses
bv declaring the streets and avenues OF the cities to
which thew belong 10 be pos-roads but until the De-
psrtment Is prepared 10 deliver city letters oheapy
and promptly rs such companies can possibly do, 1
should regard the exercise Of this power unwise
not harsh and oppressive. Another motive for per-