Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1863-12-15
Posrnusrer Geseraps KspOrr.

the Deas 1nQiCakA0ud Ot tAb HidNpEAdl SAu 1
intellectual prosperity of a nation. We
have subsidized lightning and steam to |
transmit Intelligence from one end Of the |
eountry to another Where these are not
available, post horses and stages are yet
employed traveraiug the sparsely popula-
ted portions Of our Western and Northern
frontiers.
The Report states the very obvious
prOposition that the increase of cores
pondenoe is propOrtioned to an increase
in all the flcilities Of communication
that free delivery in our larger towns and
cities has been attended with remarkable
results. It is to be hoped that Congress
- will legislate, IL necessary, go that all
mail Meter will receive equal facilities
for its transmit sion.
- The Postmaster General reports that du-
ring the last fiscal year the financial con-
dition Of his department has been one Of
unusual prosperity. The revenue has
nearly eouaIed- the expenditures, thelatter
- amounting 70 srI,8I4 2O6 81 aud the for
mer to S1II68, ,7s9 90 There is good rea-
son to believe that the department will be
self-sustainiug in q brief period Of time.
The whole number of postOffces existing
on the 8O,h Of June, 1858, was 29,O47, be-
ing an Increase on the preceding year of
-tTz. Eight hundred and thirty Offices
have been established, and 65s have been
discontinued
The number Of special agents on June
20 al-
ary Of S26 500; and 987 route agents at an
aggregate salary Of s268 26O. Also, As
local agents At s27,s24. Baggage masters
in charge Of express mails had received
s744o.
The total cost of the transatlantic mail
steamship service was 1882 184 80. This
price covered one hundred and thirty two
round trips to various European ports.
The Postmaster General regrets to state
Ehatuo progress has been made in negOti-
.- atlons for q new postal convention with
Prussia, embracing the States comprising
the German Austrisn Postal Union, on &C.
@ count of some obstacle presented by Aus
t-ia in regard to territorial transit charges.
He renews his recommendation of March
8. 1868, to the postal committees in Con-
eress, that all private ships departing
from the United States for foreign ports,
should be required as a condition of clear
auoe, to convey mails on such terms as
may be allowed by Congress.
- During The year the increased length Of
routes has been 1855, but the annual cOsr
Of mailtrsnspOrtatiOn has decreased Sll8,-
25s. or about per cent.
The value of stamps issued to POstmas-
tsrs during the year is S96sS, 1892 stamp
ei letter envelopes, 1884 s2l, and stamped
newspaper wrappers, S2o545. The total
value of those sold to the public was
S9,s42. $50 81 being an excess over the
previous year Of S27l4S97 7S.
The Postmaster General renews his last
years recommendation to Congress to au
= Of Postmasters who have sustained losses
of stamps and stamped envelopes by reason
Of the occupation and robbery Of their Of
fees BY bodies Of armed men
These claims thus far presented amount
to about sc, OO1 He calls attention also to
i the fact thss the Postmasters have suffered
greatly in the loss of private property.
THE DEAD LETTER oFFIoE.
Ihore has been a continued increase of
letters containing money and other valu-
ables. The number of dead letters cover
z5 ing deeds, bills OF exchange, drafts and
ether valuable papers received, registered
and returned fJr delivery TO the writers
was s22 with an aggregate nominal Tal
as Of 81, 1925 s1-Of these 1853 were
e delivered to the owners.
Letters registered and mailed, contain |
ing money numbered 1929. Of these
Is O4s, containing S68, ,627 p, were finally
delivered.
16. .723 letters Of less value were received,
nearly $4,000 of which contained daguer
Feotypes, and s278 wers restored to their
writer's or owners.
The Postmaster General recommends
that postal order money system be es-
81 tablished to faeilitsts the transmission of
small sums through the mails, which he is
confident would prove not only great
i eonveniencs to soldiers aud citizens, but
almost entirely obviats the loss of this
class of remitt2nees
Inregsrd to letters addressed to points
in the rebellious States, the Postmaster
General says: By reason Of the continued
suspension Of regular postal communities
ton with sections Of the country under in
surrectionary control, a number Of letters,
amounting in the aggregate to 2i,3l4
81 found their way, by various channels, to
the dead letter cfice.
ofthis number 8,s12 were foreign, and
were returned to the countries where they
originated. Those orieinsting in the loyal
States we're turned over to the military
authorities, and, after examination, nost
Of them sent BY flag Of truce to their desti
nation.
The Postmaster General has instructed
Postmasters to forward to the dead lette, i
Office, except in special cases, all letter,
remaining unclaimed one month after be-
ing advertised, instead of two months, as
formerly.