The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1863-12-24
The Postmaster. Generals Report.

9 The Postmaster. Generals Report.
The Postmaster General reports that
during the last fiscal year the financial
condition of his Department has been
one of unusual prosperity. Therevenue
has nearly equaled the expenditure, the
latter amounting to 81 ,sl4 2oe.14, and
the former to 81 ,les, 1888. There
is good reasons to believe that the de-
partment win be sell: sustaining in a
brief period Of time.
The whole number Of Post Offices
existing on the sOth of June, 1863, was
29,O47. Eight hundred and thirty off.
ces have been established, and 65s have
been discontinued.
Thenumber Of special agents of June
1868, was l6, with an aggregate salary
of $26 500; and ss7 route agents at an
aggregate outlay of $3.50, $50; also As
local agents at $s7,O ,O24. Baggage mas.
ters in charge of express mails had re-
ceived $7,44O. ogo7q % o. a'E s''s'a
The total cost of Trans Atlantic mail
steamship service was $S42, ,ls4.sO. This
price covered l32 round trips to vari-
Gus European ports.
The Postmaster, General regrets to
state that no progress has been made
in negotiations for new postal con-
yention with Prussia, embracing the
State comprising the German-Austrian
Postal Union, on account of some OBJ
stacle presented by Austria in regard
to territorial transit charge. ydi 81
He renews his recommendation of
March Sd, 1863, to the postal commit
tees in Congress, that all private ships
departing from the United States for
foreign ports should be required, as a
condition of clearance, to convey mails
on such terms as may be allowed by
Co"gress. uffs1s booz s3a fiE5gz8 wrH
During the year the increased length
of routes has been s ,5s5 miles, but the
annual cost of mail transportation has
decreased $ll3, 25s, or about 2 per cent
IS The value of stamps issued to POST
masters during the year is s9,6ss, 1892;
stamped letter envelopes, $2O,555 The
total value of these sold to the public
was $9, 9,624,529,65, being an excess over
the previous year of s2,7l4,s97.7s. fra
The Postmaster General renews his
last years recommendation to Congress
to authorize him to adjust and allow
the claim of postmasters, who have
sustained losses OF stamps and stamped
envelopes by reason of the occupation
and robbery of their Offices by bodies
of armed men. iao) odl 10 iss1 adI
These claims thus far present amount
to about $4,000. He calls atten-
ton, also, to the fact that these post
master have suffered greatly in the loss
of private property. zee m
3 He requested additional legislature
in respect to post Office thefts, and
recommends that the stealing Of letters
and stamps be made penal offense.
THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
There has been continued increase
of letters containing money and other
valubles. The number of dead let.
ters covering deeds, bills of exchange,
drafts, and other valuable papers, re-
ceived, registered, and returned, for
diliyery to the writer's. was s,s22, with
an aggregate nominal value of $l,5S4,-
277.8l; of these 1859 were delivered
to the owner. gd srnmiseas leaPs g
Letters registered and mailed, con-
tanning money, numbered 1929; of
these l5,o4s, containing $6S,e2h72,
were finely delivered.
Sixteen thousand seven hundred and
sixty three letters of less value were
received, nearly ten thousand of which
contained daguerreotypes, and 8,27s
were restored to their writer's or own
ers, ss1aissf .ssass.ifs4 S. As
The Postmaster General recommends
that postal money order system be