Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-12-16
Report of the Postmaster General.


The postal revenues for the year ending the SOth
June last were So, ,48S,253 78, and the expendi-
tnre of this department during the same period were
$12 644 786 90, showing an of the latter OF
$206, ,532 ~. The excess of receipts in 1854 over
1861 the first year of the rebellion, ST. 088 957
80. The increase of expenditures in 1864 compared
with those of 1868, is ii 5-8 per centum, and the
increase the revenue for the same year II 38 per
cent.
During the fiscal year S84 054 610 postage stamps,
of the value Of S10,177, 1927 26,644,800 stamped
envelopes amounting to S765, ,512 so, and 574, 800
newspaper wrappers, amounting to S3l, 400, were
issued The total value of these issues was Sl0-
974, ,329 80, which, compared with the issue of the
previous year, ($10,3S8, 700) shows increase OF
$685., ,669 90 about 81 per cent The value of the
stamps, and stamped envelopes sold was SO, ,776,-
$50 So, and the amount used in the prepayment of
postage was S9,876, 155 81.
On the Both Of June last there were in operation
60S3 mail routes, the number Of contractors being
5,963. The length of these routes was 1S9, l73
railos, and the service follows, Viz hallrUad,
y, GIG; steamboat 6,27S miles eelerity, certainty
and security 109,278 mies-costing So, 81S, 469
Inquiry has been made of Lieutenant General
Grant relative to the existing arrangements for sup
plying our armies with mails, with the assurance of
my earnest purpose to cooperate with hun IN carry
ing into effect any desired improvementsof that ser
vice and grathed to learn from his reply, that
the system of receiving and forwarding mails now IN
operation is entirely satisfactory, and that our sol
diers receive their mail matter with much regu-
larity and promptness as is possible for armies the
field, and with perhaps much celebrity and security
as the most favored portions of the country
The mailing of all letters direct from one Office to
another, however situated in vast territory as
that embraced within the United States, is obec-
tionable. The ordinary distributing post-ofice not
meeting the necessities of the service, experiments
have been commenced with railway or travelling
postofees. The requisite cars for the purpose are
prepared for one daily line between Washington and
New York, and by means of clerks taken temporary
ly from the post offices at Washington, Baltimore,
Philadelphia and New York I; letters intended for
distribution at either of those points distributed
IN the cars, and so arranged that they be dis
patched without delay on connecting routes. Thus
1t Is found that the transmission of letters is expedi
ted from twelve to twenty four hours being the time
usually lost in distributing offices. Similar expert
ments have been made on the routes from Chicago,
Illinois, TO Clinton Davenport, and Dubuque, Iowa,
with equally satisfactory results.
Attention has been given to the putting in opera
tion the railway distribution to other prominent
points, and the companies which have been asked to
furnish the necessary facilities have generally
responded fayorably On the great eastern and wes-
tern routes to Cleayeland, as well as between Wash
ngton and New York, the size and Importance of
the mails and the amount of distribution to be done
such as to require accommodations to the extent
of an entire car. West of Cleveland only portion
of a car viii be used on each route
Including the suspended postoffices, the whole
number on the 5Uth June, 1864, was ZS,SI6; OF
which 1876 in the loyal and S,902 in the dis
loyal States The number of Presidential offices is
705, and 2S,l7S are under the appointment of the
Postmaster General.
During the year GIG post-offces have been estab
lshed, 7SS discontinued, and 2l1 changes made of
names and sites. The number of cases acted upon
5,579. Four thousand seven hundred and thir
teen postmasters have been appointed, of whom g.,
02S wereto fill vacancies occasoned by designations
GA by removals 259 by death 1873 by change of
name and sites, and 619 on establishment of new
Offices
The free delivery of mail matter by carrier has
been introduced at sixty six Offices, employing at
present, 685 carriers, at aggregate annual com
pensation of $317,06l %.
The Act approved May II, 1861, authorized the
Postmaster General to establish, "under such rules
and regulations as he may find expedient and neces-
sary, uniform money-order system at all postofi-
ces which he may deem suitable therefor :; and is
further provided that this system should be put into
operation during the fiscal year ending June 80,
1865.
A superintendent and assistant have been appon-
ted, one hundred and forty-one post-offices have
been designated as money offices, and the operation
of the system commenced on the 1st instant.
The maximum amount for which money-order
be issued is fixed by law at thirty dollars, the
object of the system being to afford cheap, imme
diate and safe agency for the transfer through the
mails of small sans of money.