The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1864-12-22

worthless were returned 10 the writers,
after having been placed in new enyel-
opes. Out of this number, 4,044 were
returned to banks and insurance corppau-
les, 80 SAG to business firms, and 0lT,-
$50 to individuals. .1ncluded in the
above aggregate are 9,I0l letters return
cd free of postage; these consisted of
official letters from the various depart
ments, and letters sentto various hospit-
ais for sick and wounded soldiers. A.
0l6 dead letters written in foreign laugu-
ages were also returned during the year.
About twenty, four ard one half per
cent. of the whole number sent o4t fer
delivery to the writer's failed to be dolv.
cred and were again returned to tho de-
partmeDtS. p =
The gross revenue derived from the
dead letter postage colleaie3 on the letters
sent out and delivered amounted to S23,-
55S 2$ out OF which we're paid the clerks
employ ed in re- directing them. The col
lection of POSTAGE on such returned letters
comphcates the accounts under the law
liking salaries for IoStlnasters. These
letter must be entered at the mailing, and
then at the receiving Office, and postage
collected; and such as cannot be delivered
must be credited 10 the Postmaster when
sent to the dead letter Office The aim
of the Department is to have no unpaid
/ letters ia the mails, and 10 collect all rev.
cnue by means of postage stamps, avoid
ing the necessity of keeping accounts. -
la future lnstma>ters are to enter III their
accounts only unpaid letters, which are
mostly from Or to foreign countries, aad
it seems iuconslstant to send thousands
daily from this Department with lnstruc,
tions 10 enter them and collect r1 stage.
The amount is comparatively small, and
yet the attendant labor very considerable.
| therefore suggest, as matter for con
sideration of Congress, the proprety OF
restoring prepaid letters to the owners
free Of postage, especially in view Of the
fact that very large proportion - to per
sspns Of moderate means.
The number Of domestic letters OF al
descrip ptien sent cut from the dead letter
Office during the year, was | i0:' ,9"6 -
In addition to these larLc numbers OF let
tcrs bearing requests for their return tt
the writers if unclaimed il a specified
time, are returned by postmasters with
out passing through the dead letter office
and constant efforts are made to promote
this mode u return
J The number of letters returned un
opened to foreign countries during tn
: year, was 162 SOL the amount Of unpal'
postage on which was 50, ,lGl SO. Th
number received from foreign countrle
Q in the same condition, during the sam
asTbisa Rsbs,a ysa$ was e. 127 Grd The amount
: During the first year Of the rebellion
: the numb of letters which passed be
tween the United States and Europca
! countries decreased, wLiIe at the sam
. time the ratio Of Letters returned incrcss
f cd. Each subsequent year the cores
e pondence has been increasing, while tn
4 ratio Of dead letters returned to Eurol
= has decreased.
d BY authority of an act Of Congress, I'll
f unclaimed money from dead letters
e used to promote the efficiency of tn
s dead letter Office, by providing temporar
/, clerks to assist in the examination al
return ofIetters. The fund thus realize
s was s., ,0S3 47, to which was added
h the proceeds Of the sale, hcrcinbcfore r
), ferrcd to, 81, 115 21, making total
!, s6, 25S 81. Dcducting the amount G:
pended for clerks, s2,9Gt $, aud iac
rs dental expenses, sa2.S", balance r
rs manned, Jupc 80, lSGl Of 3,259.l2.