The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-12-08
RErORr or THE pOsTHAsUER-gsN IN.
ERAL.

GUS than Il was previous to the war. The
average annual receipts from 1859 10 1881.
inclusive, were SS,745, ,2s2'62 and the average
annual expenditures for the same period.
S1g4s2,O 2,OOS44. This shows an average annual
excess Of expenditures over receipts of s. .737-
1852. Now the average annual receipt,
from 1862 10 1864, inclusive, were SlOs7l,-
58O87, and the expenditures SiI,G0i,75572.
This shows an excess Of expenditures over
receipts Of SS23, ,254'7j.
The estimates for 1865 fix the expenditures
OF an kinds for the fiscal year ending June 30,
1866 at S14,O97, 10000, and the gross revenue.
including foreign postage anl miscellaneous
receipts, at S131s4.547'79. The estimated de-
fclency Of revenue, therefore, as compared
with estimated expenditures, will be S013-
952'21. BY deducting from this sum 100000
(the amount of the permanent appropriations
to compensate the Department for carrying
free mail mattcr), this estimated deficiency is
reduced TO S213,952'2l. Now, the grants for
the transportation of free mail matter for the
last two fiscal years have not been expended,
and five assume that this 100000 for the last
year is still available, no appropriation for any
During the elapsed fiscal year 33tO5iG10
postage stamps (of the value Of SlO,l77327),
20 644.3OO stamped envelopes amounting to
655125O), and 1,j7i,JOO newspaper wrap
pers tamounting to S3l ,l9)l were issued. The
total value Of these issues compared with
the issue Of the previous year, shows an in
crease of $685. j69'5O. The value of the stamps
md N,r,N l,1l lrtrag 1 "A
and the amount used in the prepayment of
postage was S0,s75, 1851. The losses of
stamps in the mails amounted to only Sl2)6,
and of envelopes to S31sO. During the last
six months OF the year 1859 the losses in
transmission were S4373.
Under the act for the relief of po5tmasters
who have been robbed by Confederate forces,
or Rebel guerillas, one hundred and thirty
nine claims have been made, rep esenting
losses of postage stamps and money amount
ing in the aggregate to S59lS'97. Sixty-two
Of these claims have been examined and re-
ported ON iavorably, the aggregate of the
credits allowed being S213O'jO.
With respect TO army mails It is highly
gratifying to learn that their forwarding and
reception are conducted with so much celebrity
and certainty. The policy originally adopted,
of excluding civilians from the mail service
within the lines of the army, and detailing for
that duty enlisted men Of intelligence and
reliability, has been found to be advantageous,
and will be continued.
Attention Is due to the remarks in this
report us to mail distribution. 1t is thought
that the mailing of all letters direct from one
office 20 another, however situated, in so vast
territory as that embraced within the United
States, is Objectionable. Experiments have
therefore been made with railway or travelling
post offices. BY the employmeE; OF these be-
tween Washington and New York, for in
stance, the transmission of letters Is expedited
from twelve to twenty-four hours. The uni
versal application Of this scheme win Of course
be u work Of time, but whatever the cost, will
be attended with more than reCompensing
advantages.
The statistics of the foreign mail service
show that the aggregate postage (sea, inland
and foreign) upon the correspondence eX
changed with Great Britain, Russia France
Hamburg, Bremen, and Belgium, amounted
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1854, to
$1,000, ,605'69, or more than 900 in eXces.
of the largest amount realized in any previous
fiscal year. The collections In this country
compared with those In Europe, give a result
which proves a largely increased correspond.
ence with Europe, Notwithstanding our civil
trouble, ard the interruption OF postal com
munications with the South.
In the course Of the report the statement
occurs that an arrangement with Canada
adopts the principle Of optional prepayment IL
both countries OF the combined rate Of inter
national postage, each country retaining al
the postage which II collects This form, II
will be seen, completely dispenses with ac
counts between the respective post depart
ments, and has been adopted with all the othel
provinces except Newfoundland.
The free delivery Of mail matter by carrier
has been introduced at sixty-hye offices, EN-
ploying six hundred and eighty-iye carriers
at an aggregate annual compensation o
S3l7O61'22.
The number OF dead letters, we are told, o
every description, received and examined
during the year, was 3,5OS,S25. This is ar
Increase Of 95s,4O9 over the preceding year
and is mainly due to the return of large
number Of army and navy letters which Il
was found impracticable TO deliver. The
number of letters which it was found impossi