The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1863-12-23
p ost Once Report.

80 Daily Journal valuable exchange, the
following synopsis Of the report Of Pos.
Master General Blair:
The Postnaster-G General reports that dur.
ing the last fiscal year the financial condi-
ton of this Department has been one Of
unusual prosperity. The revenue has near
ly equaIled the expenditures, the latter
amounting to $l1 ,3l4 FOG, ,S4, and the for.
mer to $1l,l63, 1889. There is good
reason to believe that the department will
be self-sustaining in brief period of time
The whole number of Post Offices exist
ing on the 50th of June, 1868, was 90, ,O47,
being an increase on the preceding year of
l72. Eight hundred and thirty Offices have
been established, and 65S have been dis
continued.
The number Of special agents in June,
1868, was 16, with an aggregate salary Of
$500; and 3S7 route agents at an aggre.
CRATE outlay of s2Se, $50; also As local
agents at S27,O24. Baggage masters in
charge of express mails had received 81.
44O.
The total cost Of transatlantic mail
steamship service was $342,ls4,sO. This
price covered 1872 round trips to various
European ports.
The Postmaster General regrets to state
that no progress has been made in negotia-
tons for new postal convention with
Prussia, embracing the States comprising
the German-Austrian Postal Union, on ac-
count Of some obstacle presented by Aus
tria in regard to territorial transit charges.
He reoo~c his a, o"d~t;oo of Aa.vl.
z RI hn Ctnl in
gress, 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 al
lowed by Congress.
During the year the increased length Of
routes has been 1856 miles, but the annu.
al cost Of mail transportation has decreased
S113,25S or about per cent
The value of stamps issued to Postmas-
ters during the year is 80, ,GS3 1892 stamp
ed letter envelopes, S634, 1921, and stamped
newspaper rappers, S20,545. The total
value Of these sold to the public was $9,-
624, ,629, 80, being an excess over the pre-
vious year of s2,7l4,3 4,327,73.
The Postmaster General renews his last
years recommendation to Congress to au-
thorize 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 off
ces by bodies of armed men.
These claims thus far presented amount
to about $4,000. He calls attention, ALSO
to the fact that these postmasters have suf.
tered greatly in the loss Of private proper.
ty.
He requests additional legislation in re.
spect to post office thelts, and recommends
that the stealing of letters and stamps be
made penal offence.
THE DEAD LETTER OFFICE.
There has been q continued increase Of
letters containing money and other valua-
bles. The number of dead letters covering
deeds, bills of exchange, dIafts, and other
valuable papers, received, registered, and
returned for delivery to the writers, was
s 1922, with an aggregate nominal value o:
81 ,534, 4,277, 81 Of these 1860 were deliver
ed to the owners.
Letters registered and mailed, containing
money, numbered 1929: Of these, l5,.
o4S, containing S6a,627,72, were finally
delivered.
Sixteen thousand seven hundred and
sixty-thIee letters of less value were re.
ceived, nearly ten thousand of which con-
tanned daguerreotypes, and S,275 were res.
tored to their writer's or owners.
The Postmaster. General recommends
that a postal money order system be es-
Established, to facilitate the transmission OF
small sums through the mails, which he is
confident would prove not only great
convenience to soldiers and citizens, but
also almost entirely obvate the loss of this
class Of remittances.
In regard to letters addressed to points
in the rebellous States, the Postmaster
General says: By reason of the continued
suspension of the req ular postal communi.
cation with the sections Of the country
under insurrectionary control, consider.
able number of letters, amounting in
the aggregate to 2i,3l4, found their way,
by various channels, to the Dead Letter
Office. Of this number 3, 3l2 were foreign,
and were returned to the countries where
they originated. Those originating in the
loyal States were turned over to the mill
tary authorities, aad. after examination,
most Of them sent by flag of truce to their
destination.
The Postmaster. General has instructed
postmasters to forward to the Dead Letter
Office, except in special cases, all letters
remaining unclaimed one month after be.
ing advertised, instead Of two months, as
formerly.
In conclusion, he asks the consideration
Of Congress Of the revised code of laws
submitted by him at the last session, which
is mainly digest Of existing po stall laws
GENERoUS.-J III McVicker. Esq roro-