The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1862-12-13
The Postmaster Generals Report.

L
| office Department, and shows it to be
thoroughly impregnated with the spirit of
improvement The efficiency of the ser.
vice has been maintained at the highest
point, accompanied by great diminution
OF expenditures. The gross revenue of
the Department for this fiscal year, in
| cluding the standing Treasury credit for
free mail matter, and small amount ap-
proPrIated for the relief of individuals was
S9,Oi2, ,o4J.o6. The expenditures for the
same year amounted to Sll l2j, ,364 II
The regular postal revenue for 1862 is only
$49,41U5U less than it was for the fiscal
year 1861, during a large part of which
year revenue was paid in from all the
States of the Union. This fact shows a
large increase in the correspondence Of
the loyal States. While the revenues
have been SO nearly sustained at the high
est standard, the expenses have been
largely reduced For the preceding year
the expenditures were S2.4Sl 1874 9S great
er than last year. The following compari,
sons OF figures are interesting
Expenditures for 1860, for service in all
the States, Si4,S141.2 SO; revenues for
the same year S9,2lS ,O67 40; deficiency
$3.50, lO5.49; expenditures for 1861. ser
vice interrupted in 1861. 81, ,049, 296 40; de-
fic!ency, $l,j57 1921; expenditures for
1862, $l1, l25 36i 49, revenues for 1862,
S9,ol2,5i5 5o; deficiency, 81, ll2, ,Sl4 81
reduction of expenditures as compared
with those Of 1850, 50, 749, ,40S: reduction
of expenditures as compared with 1851
g, ,3y4 The Department has not been
for many years so nearly self-sustainng
The result Is largely owing to the suspen-
sion OF postal expenditures in the South,
,S hl,zt y IN r+ al
ceipts, but not aiene TO that 4 revision
of all discretionary expenses has been
made, and large reductions ordered The
Jay OF agents las been regarded and equal.
lied. Economy has been re established in
the larger offices, where waste was found
lncompeiency, wherever found in official
position, has been removed, and an effort
made 70 adopt standard OF merit and Of
administrative efficiency IN lieu OF other
and inferior motives for appointment
The Postmaster General expresses his de
termination TO adhere to this course
The number OF postage stamps issued to
Postmasters during the year vas l.OlS, ,lSS
The value Of the letter envelopes was S133,-
22j. 30 The value OF stamped new paper
wrappers, %. 64S 50; increase OF Issue o,er
1851. 81, ,li4 SIS - The total value sold
was $6 ,9l0, i6l 50 The increasing demand
on the part of the public for the stamped
newspaper shows that their introduction
has satisfied public demand and proInotd
the convenience OF correspondents In the
frat quarter Of the current year ending
September 3Oth, the number Of stamps
issued 10 pOstpasters "as iU4 UUU,Uro their
calls for about POO 100000. which would
have been nearly sufficient TO meet the
usual demand for year This cxtraordi-
dinary demand arose from the temporary
use oil these stamps a. currcu'y 10y the
public In lieu Of the smaller denominations
of specie, and ceased with the introduction
of the so-called postal currency. The diff
ference between the value of stamps sold
and stamps Cancelled in the tisca. year
ls62 shows SI5o,3I9y6 as tho amount in
the hands o. purchasers on the lst of July.
lo62
The whole number of dead letters re-
ceIved and examined during the wear Is
> 1I92 SIS, which = 2UI UJU less than IN the f.
previous wear. The whole number ot
vaius bic letters sent out by the dead let
ter office Sls u, ,23y Many interesting
details are gwen IL the report touching
the operations OF this Office Oui Of u -
l93 cases where causes OF non-de.very
were ascertained, OILY 225 were attributa-
ole 10 the fault OF postmasters. SD letters /
had no address whatever Congress at its 1
inst session, passed an act authorizing the /.
employment o. twenty-five additional 1
clerks to facilitate the return of dead let /
ters 10 their writers, with the expectation
that the receipts OF postage thereon would
cover the Appropriation Of $4,000 for
their compensation The result thus far
shows that an excess OF revenue theretroIE
thus accrued To the amount OF several
l. "a, Ill L. -,
pos; Offices in the Uaitcd States, remain,
lAg established on the SOsa OF June. lS62.
was 2S,S15, of which there were in tho .
loyal States and districts 1898, aud in the !
States and districts there ,
were S,9O2 The net increase in the es,
tablished offices over last year was .22l. /
The number of cases abted upon by the I
appointment office during the year was
$50 The total postages accrued on
L nitea States and European mails during
the wear amounts 10 81 li5, ,U95 So being
reduction of the amount of the previous
year OF S2lI ,94o.SS. OF the total amount
the excess collected in the United
States was S2l2,GO1..6, which constitutes
the balance paid 10 the several foreign de.
the cost of exchange being de
traved by the United States The POST
master General objects TO the C )st as ne-
1uitablc, and proposes, if | ossible, TO re-
l.eve the Department from thIsbur,ien
The Postmaster General has made spe-
cal efforts to retrieve the foreign CORES
pondence OF the country from its COM
piexity now SO embarrassing alike to cor
respondents aud to postal officers Sepa-
rate negotiations have Teen found
altogether inadequate to secure simple ard
satisfactory arrangements. BE therefore
opened a correspondence in August last,
through the Department of State, with
foreign administration, proposing a con
vention of postal representatives at some
convenient point, to consider the ensirne-
rated difficulties and the means of rene
living Several replies have been received
from the various Governments and all ale
favorable and agree to the project This
country, comprising emigrants from almost
eyerv civilized nation, Is especially inter-
ssted in the subject proposed to be brought
before this conference 1t is species of
postal improvements requiring the estab.
ishment OF greater uniformity and some
common principle OF arrangement, and is
with our prosperous CONNER
,ial intercourse with ether countries
The mail lettings which went into epe
-ation on the lst Of July last in the West
ern division, were effected on such favor
,ble terms as compared with the previous
ettings, that q reduction of expenditure
resulted to the amount of 1881 900. At
The same time, the length of the routes
vas increased by l59 miles, with all annual
increase Of taxation of 754 ,42S miles Not.
this increase of service the
net saving is over per cent as compared
with the previous term. The total annual
cost of the internal service IN operation on
the goth of June last was 1888 S34 to
which add the cost of the various agencies,
route and local messengers, DC, &c, $780,
$50 90, and the cost of the service at that
date is $6,2l4, ,464 %, which includes one
million dollars for the, overland mai route,