Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-12-24
| 81 22z R4I S. Whole number of Navy nen-

| 81 227, 64I S. Whole number Of Navy pen
! sioners, 1872 due, Sl44 ,074.61. During the
wear there has been a decrease of II Revo-
| lutionary pensioners, and 277 widows OF such
an increase of 3, $40 army invalid pensioners,
1885 widows and orphans of such l23 navy
invalids, "a widows Of such !; and l increase
on private pensions-net increase, 1852.
The annual rate in money has increased
from 1921, O76 SO to Sl,31,3 76.49; the
amount paid from $3.50, 384.76 to S1,025,-
1851 There have been 602 land warrants
granted, covering 24,28O acres. The grants
for three years are: 1861, S34, 720 acres :;
1862, 257,8 1868, "a $50. Since the
Government was organized, IS, $50, l42 acres
have gone for military and naval service :;
value, So, $40 175. 80. Whole amount paid
to June 80, 1868, S91, 693, 69097; total
land increase, Sl74, 063, 837.47. Claims
are acted upon with reasonable facility :;
those properly presented are generally decid-
ed within two months. Examining Surgeons
have been increased to over 600, with bene-
fit to the Government. The requirements
for the current year will be S4,064 1872. S.
The Invalid Corps has now 1900 men, and
is Of advantage both to the soldier and the
Government, relieving the pension list Of Il
heavy burden, and securing to the soldier
adequate pay and to the country efficient de-
tenders.
POSTMASTER GENERAL.
The report of the Postmaster General states
the receipts of the year at 81, 163, 7S9 so,
and the expenditures at 81 ,3l4, 206.S4, leav-
ing deficiency of Sl5O,417.25. Within an
other year it is expected to be selfsustaining.
In 1860 the excess of expenditures was So
$50, 566.O5. The cost of postal service is
50, 500, 900 less than before the rebellion.
while the receipts have increased more than
1000, 900. The increase of Revenue over
1862, is S2,S63,96S.69.
The number of Post Offices, including the
rebel States, is 90, OF, beingaan increase du
ring the year, of 172. The President APP
points $50 Postmasters, and the Postmaster
General rs, 497. Eight hundred and thirty
Post Offices have been established during the
year, and 65S discontinued.
In July the system Of delivering mail mat
ter by carriers, was put into operation at
forty-nine of the larger Offices. Experience
demonstrates that correspondence increases
with every facility for its conduct In New
York there were delivered by carriers 2,O69,-
AIS letters, and 1,Sl0,7l7 were collected by
them during the first quarter, being an in
crease Of 96S, S29 letters, or p per cent. over
the last quarter of the preceding year under
the old system. The postage on foreign let
$40. SO over last year. OF this amount, $751;
O3O was collected in the United States, and
$4G7, G36.22 in Europe. The postage on Can
ada letters was S225, 1880 or S47,9S9. 10
over last year OF this, 1924 ,4S045 was col
lected in the United States, and SOL, 262 IS
in the British provinces.
No progress has been made in negotiations
for new postal convention with Prussia A
grand International Postal Convention was
held in Paris in May last, and thirty-one arti-
cles agreed upon. Among other things, it is
agreed that, wherever it is possible, prepay
ment on ordinary letters shall be at the op-
ton of the sender. Registered letters must
be prepaid in all cases. The metrical dcci-
nal system shall be adopted for international
postal relations, to the exclusion Of every
other system. Our object is to establish uni
form rates for all countries, as far as posi-
bic. a reduction Of postal rates, combined
with large increase of postal correspond
ence, will result from the new s, stem. This
Convention was held at the suggestion of the
Hon John A Kasson, who was the able
American representative in it. The mail was
carried by rail 22,S7l ,558 miles, at u cost of
II cents per mile; by steamboat, 1904 III
miles, at II Is cents, and by other modes
81, 349,6 CSC miles at g cents per mile. The
total cost Of transportation, including the sal
aries of agents, was $6,236, 500. TIE in
crease of transportation over 1852 is S&>793,-
400 miles, at Il decrease in cost Of sis, 253.
The number of post Offices in operation dur
ing the year was, 2O,645. The number of
dead letters received and examined was
$3.50, 4l6, or 2GS, 396 more than last year.
The number containing money was 1887,
amounting to S77,S6l, showing an increase
of S,O52 letters and in money of $31, 322. Of
these, 15,04S were delivered to their owners,
but many of them were sent out a second
time, and some three or four times before
reaching them. The number of dead letters
covering valuable papers was $3.50, rcprcsen-
ting Sl5, 444,277 81. The dead letters CON
tanning photographs numbered 1928; those
containing jewelry, 764, and 697 with other
articles OF the whole number sent to the
dead letter office, S,273 were restored to the
writer's. The loss of valuable letters from
the army is largely traccable to dishonest let
ter carriers in the military service, and further
loss is attributed to Indifference and careless
ness on the part of some who distribute mail
matter in our armies.
Many matters OF less interest are treated of
in the report.