Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1862-12-04
The Post ONCE Department.

postmaster general Blair reports a great
diminution of expenditures in his department,
owing in part to the cessation of mail service
in the seeded states. The gross revenue OF
the past year was $9,012 ,549, and the ex-
penditures we're S11, 1864. The regular
postal revenue for 1862 was only 40 less
than it was for the year 1861, during a large
part of which year revenue was paid in from
all the states of the Union. The figures of
1861 and 1862 compare as follows =
Revenue Expenditure
1861. .......... $40 295 Sl3, 6O6759
1867. 90l2,549 IL, l25364
Here is difference in expenditure Of more
than two million dollars in favor of 1862. The
total reduction of expenditures, as compared
with 1860, (when mail service was regularly
performed throughout the south, is So, 49,
42S. Mr.. Blair remarks that ''the depart
ment has not been for many years so nearly
self-sustaining." This result is largely owing
to the suspension of postal expenditures in the
south, which were greatly in excess of postal
receipts.
POSTAGE STAMPS.
The number Of postage stamps issued to
postmasters, during the past year, was 7,078,-
lSS. The value OF letter envelopes was $733,-
I'VE
wrappers, 1923, GAS 80. Increase of issue over
1861, 81, l44,858 u. The total value sold
was $3.50, 13l SO. In the first quarter of the
current year, ending September 30, the num-
Der OF stamps issued to postmasters was Sl04,-
100000. Their calls for about zoo, 000, 900,
which would have been nearly sufficient to
meet the demand for year. This extraordi-
nory demand arose from the temporary use
OF these stamps as a currency by the public,
In lieu Of the smaller denominations of specie,
and ceased with the introduction of the So
called postal currency. The difference be-
tween the value of stamps sold and stamps
cancelled in the fiscal year 1862 shows S738,-
3l9 96, as the amounts in the hands of pur-
chasers on the LIST of July, 1862.
DEAD LETTERS.
The whole number of dead letters received
and examined during the year is 2,2S2,0l9,
which is 267,000 less than in the previous
year. The whole number of valuable letters
sent out by the dead letter office was 81 239
Out OF 81 ,493 cases where causes of monde
livery were ascertained, only 225 were attrib-
uta0le to the fault OF postmasters; 1922 letters
had no address whatever. Congress, in its
nrst session, passed an act authorizing the
employment Of twenty-five additional clerks to
facilitate the return OF dead letters to their
writers, with the expectation that the receipts
ofpostage thereon would cover the appropria-
ton Of $4,000 for their compensation. The
result thus far shows that an excess of reyen-
ne theretrom over the expenses has accrued
to the amount of several thousand dollars.
PosToFFICEs.
The whole number of postofices in the
United States remaining established on the
10th Of June, 1862, was 2S,S75, of which
there were in the loyal states and districts
1878, and in the insurrectonary states and
districts there we've 1902. The net increase
in the established offices over last year was
l2l. The number OF cases acted upon by the
appointment Office during the year was Z, 1855
The total hostages accrued on United State
and European mails during the year amount
to l,l44, 095 50, being reduction OF tn
amount of the previous year of $2l7, $40 *
Of the total amount collected, the excess CO
lected in the United States was $2l2,607 81
which constitutes the balances paid to the seN
eral foreign departments, the cost of eXchang
being betrayed by the United States. Tn
acknowledgement objects to this cost as in
equitable, and proposes, if possible, to reliey
the department from this burden
MISCELLANEOUS.
Among the improvements under considera
ton by the postmaster general is that of EN-
bossing stamps on business and other enyc
3.as supplied for that purpose by persons d.
string TO furnish their own designs. 1t is b.
leye1 this will largely increase the use
stamped envelopes in lieu Of stamps, which
an object of great importance to the depar
ment. The report discourages the use Of Il
mails for transmitting money, and speaks +
vorably of limited money order system, al
offers an amendment to the registry syste
by which a return receipt shall be sent to Il
dspatching party, as evidence of the fact al
date of delivery Of his package. 1t is al
proposed to abolish many of the discrimna
ing rates Of postage now existing, approx
mating, as far as possible to unanimity, al
increasing the efficiency and extent of the d
livery and collection of letters by carriers
cities.
Messrs. Thomas II. Gardner, Thomas
Rich, Alfred d. Evans, aud Thomas Sewa