Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1862-12-11
The Poetmaster-Gepera Report.

healthy,hnancial condition OF the Post.Ofice
Department, and shows il to be thorougly
impregnated with the spirit of improvement.
The efficiency Of The service has been main
tained at the highest point, accompanied by
a great diminution Of expenditures. The
gross revenue Of the Department for this
fiscal year, including the standing Treasury
credit for the free uiail matter, and small
anount.appfbpriated for the rlief Of indi.
viduals, was $9,on,549 Sc. The expendi
lures for the same year amounted to $ll,.
l25,364 l3. The regular postal revenue for
1862 is onlyS-tte4S0 30 less than il was for
the fiscal year 1857, during large part Of
which yearrevenue was paid in from all the
States Of the Union. This tact shows
large increase in the correspondence of the
loyal States. While the revenues have
been,so nearly sustained at the highest stand
ard, the expenses have been largely re
duced. For the preceding year the .expen
ditures were 81, 4sl 1894 9S greater thanss
year. The following comparisons of figures
are interesting:
Expenditures for 1860 for service in all the
States, $l4,S74,772 s9; revenues for the
same year, sS,2lS,067 40; deficiency S.
CSC, 705 40 Expenditures for 1861: service
interrupted in 1861, $13 COG, 1852 IL; gross
revenues for 1861: service interrupted in
1861, 81, 900, ,2g6 AZ, deficiency, ~, ,557, 462
II. Expenditures for 1862, 81 |, LIS, 364 10;
revenues for 1862, 9,0l2 $40 So; deicisn-
cy, 81, ,ll2,Sl4 81. Roduction of expendi.
lures as compared with 1860, $3,749, 40S;
reduction OF expenditures as compared with
1861, 81, ,4Sl, 1894. ''
The, Department has not been, for. many
years, SO nearly self sustaining Thistesult
is largely owing TO the suspension of postal
expenditures in the South, which were
greatly in excess of postal receipts, but not
alone to that. A revision Of all discretion
ary expenses has been made, and large re-.
ductions ordered. The pay of agents has
been regarded and equalSed Economy
has been re established IN the large Offices,
where waste was found. Incompetence,
wherever found in official position, has been
removed, and an effort made to adopt a
standard of merit and Of administrative ef-
ficiency, in lieu OF other and inferior motives
for appointment. The Postmaster-G General
expresses his determination tUadhersto. this
course. 81
The number Of postage stamps issued, To
postmasters during the year was 7,07S, f8S.
The value of letter envelopes was $733, 255
80. The value o. stamped newspaper wrap.
pers, $23,6iS 80; increase of issue -
1861. 81 l44,S5S u. The total yaluey
wss S. 9l0, 13l SO.
The increasing demand on the part of the
public for the stamped newspaper shows
that their Introduction has satisfied pub
lie demand. and pro ..oted the convenience
OF correspondents. '.flF
a. the first quarter Of the current year
ending September 30, thenumber of fstamps
|jssued to postmasters was lO4, 900, 900. -.
Their calls for about 200 900, 600, which
would have been nearly sufficient to meet
the usual demand for year This extra.
ordinary demand arose from the tempor.
airy use of these.stainps as a currency by the
public in lieu of the smaller denominations
Of specie, and ceased with introduction of
the so-cslled postal currency.
The difference between the valne of
stamps sold and stamps Cancelled in the q sea
year 1862 shows s73S, 379 96 as the amount
IN the hands OF purchasers on the lst OF
July, 1862.
The whole number of dead letters receiv.
ed and examined during the year is 2. 2S2,
0lS, which is 267 900 legs than in the rreyi.
GUS year. The whole number of valuable
letters sent out by the Dead. Letter Office
was 81 ,239. Many .intere sting details airs
given in the Report touching the operations
OF the Office. Out of q ,493 cases where
causes OF non delivery were ascertained,
only 225 were attributable to the fault OF
Postmasters; S22 letters had no address
whatever.
Congress at its first session passed an act
authorizing the employment of rs addition
al clerks to facilitate the return of dead let
ters to their writers, with the expectation
that the receipts OF ppstages thereon would
cover The appropriation Of S2O, 900 for their
compensation. The result thus far shows
that an excess OF revenue therefrom over the
expenses has accrued to the amount of sew
eral thousand dollars.
The whole number of Post Offices in the
United States remaining established on the
30th OF Junu, 1862, wa, 2S, 1856, of which
there were in the loyal States and districts
1928, and in the insurrectiouary States
and districts there were S,902
The not increase in the established Offices
over last year wa, III. The number OF
cases acted upon by the appointment Office
during the year was 7,7S5. The total post
ages accrued on United States and Europe.
an mails during the year amounts to 81 IA,
095 81, being reduction on the amount of
the previous year of $2l7, $40 SO. OF the
total amount collected the excess collected
in the United States was 50 9, ,6O7 SO. which
constitutes the balances paid to the several
foreign departments, the cost of exchange
being betrayed by the United States. The
Postmaster General objects to this cost as
inequitablo, and proposes, il possible, to
retrieve the Department from this burden,
The Postmaster General has made 50 cial
efforts to retrieve the foreign correspondence
of the country from its complexily now 80
embarrassing alike to correspondents and to
postal officers Separate negotiations have
been found altogether inadequate to secure
simple and satisfactory arrangements. He
therefore opened u correspondence in Au-
gust last through the Department of State
with foreign Administrations, proposing a
Convention of Postal Representatives at
some convenient point to. consider the emu
merated difficulties and the means of RENEE
Several replies have been received from
the various governments, aud all are favor
able and agree to the project The country,
comprising eniigrants from almost every
civilized nation, is especially interested in
the subject proposed 10 be brought before
this Conference. 1t is species of postal
Improvement requiring the establishment
of greater uniformity, and some common
principle OF arrangement and Ia eonnected