The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-12-29
ABSTRACT OF THE ANNUAL REPORT
THE PosTMAsTER GENERAL


The report opens with notice of the double calamity
which overlook the department in March last in the
death OF its head and the failure of the appropriation bill
to pass Congress The contractors and others, however
have continued to perform their duties usual
siderable loss to themselves The department has issued
to them certificates representing their claims which many
nave peen Obliged to put into the market to be discount
ed to raise cash. The Postmaster urges Congress
to make an early appropriation all the existing
aoes OF the department. and also that interest be al
lowed on the debts
The actual paid expenses of the DEPARTMENT. the fiscal
year ending June 30th 1882 amounted Sl 0S3 Of
which 6s for the transportation OF inland
mails including payments to route agents. local agents
and mail messengers, Sl9 AIS 95 for the transportation
foreign mails, $780, 20i17 for California mails, 81 453
sUO95 for compensation to postmasters 1920 900 % for
clerks The ascertained liabilities of the department,
which could not be paid owing to the failure of Congress
to pass the appropriation bill 81 900 &C.
that the whole actual expenditures and liabilities of the
department for the year sl575I Os2S9. Against
this have gross revenue of s796S 4S4O7. OF this
sum S6l5S AS derived from the sale Of stamps,
5000 OF from letter postage and $685. from news
papers and pamphlets. The total shows increase of
six per cent the of the previous year. but
will be more than millions of dollars short
OF the actual cost of the department
seems that with balance of s6Os 31306 at the be.
ginning of the year. the annual above stated
and appropriations under various acts of Congress- the
department had at its command S12 les S70sS. This
would have been about enough year two SINCE for
it appears that the expenditures for the year ending June
GOTH 1858 were $l2 722 Of in which year the reve
nue. was 81 the excess of expenditures being
235677l5; Now the excess reaches over seven mil
lions Nor does the estimate for the year ending June
SOh, 1860, come with encouraging aspect, the
penditures being footed up at $l5o3s 627 g. and the
324 And the estimate for 1861 is of the same kind
leaving deficiency of s59SS42i the means being
| $9,676,71l, and the expenditures $l5665, 1891.
We find the operations of the department. during the
! year, thus stated in the report:
POSTAGE STAMPS AND STAMPED ENVELOPES.
The number of postage stamps supplied posmasters
during the year ending June &c. 1859, was as follows
ssns So 1852 500 4Sso s. ssGt a ssR
Whole number 1872 pol 92O value. SIS 27G 405 90
Stamped envelopes 30 $50, 800; yalue.... 9S2l2S34
Total. Sc, Pol ,533. 81
Total value of postage stamps and stamped
envelopes, issued during the year ending
June oo
Increase during s29S 7460 6
TRANSPORTATION STATISTICS
On the 30h of June last there in operation 723
mail routes The number OF contractors was 1858.
The length Of these routes estimated at 260 O52 miles
divided as follows, viz
Railroad 25,010 miles
Steamboat. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 1920 "
Coach .......'''..'.'...'''..... 630ll -
The total annual transportation of mails was 50 4O2
miles, costing s., 46S,757, and divided as follows:
mie s6a miles at & iS2S SIS about
25J5 cts mile. Coach2S4 4s, 1913 miles at O94
about 1886 cts mile Inferior modes-27 Cpl 65S miles
at 81 932, SAG, about 10 cts. mile.
Compared with the service reported June go 1855 there
decrease of 55l miles in the length the mail routes
or about q .46 per cent.
u5SIS6"tN
creased miles and the annual transportation thereon
1504 $50 miles, 5s4 cent, at cost of S4l5673,
| 14.69 per cent
The length of steamboat routes is greater by 2l66
miles, and the annual transportation by 352 miles
| cent.
The addition to coach routes is 9,3i miles in length
$685. 64 miles in annual transportation or 1919 per
cent, and 81 ,224 $50 in cost, 64 / per cent
The length Of inferior routes il diminished Il C37
miles, and the annual transportation 1855 037 miles
the additional cost is siO9 sic being ~ per cent less
in transportation and per cent additional in cost
The lettings of new contracts for the term COM
mencng LIST of July last, embraced five States-yir-
| Florida
The following table shows new service as in opera
Miles in Miles of an
| Conveyance. length nual trans Cost.
| pOrtation.
Railroad. ............. 4,23o Ss3O6O7 :6I5,96t
| steamboat. ........,. 3,2aI 7O5,9lS 156,55S
| Coach ...-........ 500 1,224,536 97,l55
| Inferior modes ...,...29, 100 5232 934 3SI S24
Total..............a96 1o,998.995 i2o1-=o1
Compared with the service the Goth of June last
in the States the length of the routes by railroad
boat and coach is diminished 242 miles the annual
transportation is diminished 9l3574 miles and The cost
$685. divided as follows to wit;
| Miles in Annual
length transportation. Cost
sea9baa 99 9 d. d. ss s s9S de- S in
Coach .....;:3,s $50 de. I,lo4,$73de, sS,5i6 dc,
On the Goth June last there were in the service
AS route agents, at compensation of..... s3Gs 657
81 express agents, :" ,....... 80, 700
AZ local agents, " ......... 29SlS
$50 mail messengers, 4" ......... lg6 900
s626,174
This amount added to the cost Of service as in
operation on 30th June ..,........ GAGS T57
Makes the total on the Goth June last 10 ng4 o3I
The reductions in the cost of the service from the
SOh June to the 30th September were....... G57 52I
Making the total amount 3Oh September 50 437 40
NUMBER OF OFFICES
| Whole number of post Offices in the United States
on the 3Oth June, 1858. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. y 979
Number that were established during the
year ending June 80, 1859.
Number that were discontinued ............ S93
Net increase of offices during the year........ 562
Whole number of post Offices the Both June
2s,539
Number of Offices of which the names and sites
were charged. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 432
Number of which the appointments made by
the PRESIDENT. ALI
| Number of poStmasters appointed during the
year ending June 80, 1859. .............,.., 7,54s
Of these 4, 639 to fill vacancies occasOned by re-
| signation.