Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-12-22
NO. SO.
POsTMAsTER GEHERAL's REPORT.

notice in our last issue. For want of
space we are now unable to present our
readers with the whole of this admirable,
business-like document, but will endeavor
to give a synopsis thereof that will sat
isfy all of the masterly manner in which
the arduous and responsible duties of
that department are discharged.
The entire revenue for the year was
$14, 800, 1870, and the expenditures $13,-
694, ,728,29, leaving surplus Of S36l. .430,
II. The ratio of increase of revenue be-
ing II per cent, and Of expenditure 8 per
cent over those of last year. No special
appropriation therefore will be needed,
/ excepting in the case of steamship SER
| vice between San Francisco, Japan and
Chino, from Jan. 1st to June Both, 1865,
| of $3.50 900, and for eight months of the
current year and the whole of next year
between the United States and Brazil of
$3.50, 700, making in the aggregate only
100000
Postage Stamps, Stamped Envelopes,
and Stamped Wrappers were issued rep
resenting in all $12, ,847, ,437 so. an increase
of 81 1923, ,108 over the previous year.
The Introduction of stamped envelopes
| bearing request to return to the writers
unclaimed letters, has considerably in
| CICdSGu ilIG SdIO Vi 0uNClOpGSs anu
| ished the returns to the Dead Letter
| office. 1t is recommended that the pur-
chase of request envelopes be encouraged
| by the return of such letters to the wri-
ters free of postage. Allowances were
made to POstmasters robbed by armed
men of stamps to the amount of 81 ,207, rs.
The aggregate receipts of the department
from j an. 1st, 1881 to June Both, 1865
were $500, 81 ,894,47, and aggregate ex-
penditures we're $244, ,748, ,S81, SO, being a
| deficit of $44, 436, ,0S7, u; the receipts aver
| aging So, ,SO6, ,l4l, 81 per annum, and the
expenditures $6,094, ,16O,48 per annum,
the annual deficit averaging$1 ,2S8, ,028,61.
| On the Both of June, 1865, the mail
| service embraced 7,012 routes, with an
aggregate length of 142, $40 miles, costing
ST, ,246, ,S84, exclusive of route and other
agents, amounting to 556,602, ,75. The
cost per mile of transporting mails by
railroad was If cents; by steamboat 144
cents; celebrity, &c, 10 cents.
The net amount of fines imposed upon
contractors and deducted from their pay
during the year was $50, ,443,37
Since the close of the war 241 routes,
Is, ,6404 miles in length, have been ordered
into operation in the late rebellious
States, at a cost of $621, $40, a reduction,
as compared with former services in these
States, of 1881 ,109 per annum.
In the Foreign Mail service the aggre-
gate pOstages upon correspondence ex-
changed, sea, inland and foreign, were
1919, ,928.56, viz; Great Britain, France,
Prussia, Bremen, Hamburg and Belgium,
81, AS, ,530,76; British North American
Provinces, 1915, ,197. SO; West Indies, Cen
tral and South America, $95, ,200,74. The
amounts of u S. postages, sea and in
land, on the correspondence exchanged
were, Great Britain and Continent of
Europe, $50 156, 81; British N. A Prov
inces, S162, ,485. %; West Indies, &c, $95,
20O,74 Total 1927, ,842 ,82.
The cost of the United States trans
Atlantic service, by ships receiving sea
postage only was $405, ,479, Sc. The cost
of ocean transportation receiving different
rates of compensation to and from the
West Indies was so, 1868 90, being $22,-
178, ,95 less than the total postage on mails
conveyed; while $14, ,691 ,62 was paid for
the sea and Isthmus conveyance of cor
respondence with Central and South
America.
The excess of collections in this coun-
try over the postages collected abroad
upon European correspondence was $41l, )
1892, causing balance against the de-
partment amounting to $232. .439, 80.
The number of Post Offices in the
United States, including suspended Off
ces in Southern States, June Both, 1865
was 1852, of which 712 were subject tC
I Presidential appointment, and q, 40 by
the Postmaster General. New offices es
ia blished, 5S6; offices discontinued, 582
names and sites changed 200. Total ap
pointments, 5,447, viz: on account Of
designations, 5.575; removals, 925; deaths,
229; change of names and sites, 1872; new
offices, $50. Number of cases acted
upon, 6,097. Number of offices in late
E rebellious States s, 1902, of which /, ,051 weri
" re-opened Nov 10Th, 1865. Route agent
7 3S7. with aggregate compensation of 1929,
i 522; local agents 81, compensation $50,
$40; special agents 33, compensation
: $50. 700; baggage masters 10, compensa
T ton Sc, 800; railway clerks GA, compen
sation $4,000. The free delivery sys
tenn is now In operation in Is of tn
principal cities, with 757 carriers, at al
. aggregate compensation of $448. .664, 81
= the system having been discontinued a
% of the smaller offices.
The number of dead letters receive
:, was 4, 4,36S, ,087, an increase of S59, ,262 owe
= the previous year. Number containing
: money and returned to writer's ~, 1856 wit
( enclosures amounting to $244, ,373. 81 81
: E268 of which with $210,954.90 were de
{. livered, leaving 6,866 with $33, ,41S07 in
y closures undelivered.
The number ofletters conveyed throug
= the mails during the year IS estimated q
I 467, ,591 800, out of which only one in tw
y hundred were lost or destroyed from an
. cause whatsoever, fully three-fourths G
- which losses were owing to the careless
ness of the writer's.
!. The number of postal order offices j
y operation is 419 and the number of order
u issued during the year was 74,277 of til
value of 81 1850, ,122.52.
ID There were balances due from Souther
offices at the outbreak of the rebellio
amounting to 1863, ,027.87 a small amour
r only of which have been paid, thong
Is measures are being taken to collect tn
'e balance.
S The average income of postal revenue
n for the four years of war over the fou
n previous years was So, ,533, ,S4556, derived
Of of course, almost wholly from the servic
r in the loyal States alone, remarkably i
~ Illustrating the progress and prosperity {
Z the people of those States and the vitalit
N of our free institutions.
Sc
d The Hamilton, Ohio, Telegraph says
st man more avaricious and credulOus tina
ut honest and clear minded, residing in tha
le place, was recently told by some conf
lie dence men that the Government was cal
1t ing in and canceling all the $50 Treasur
he notes, but that the Treasury clerks weI
g. stealing and selling them at half price,
le They offered him chance, therefore, {
th buying five thousand dollars worth fo
ID twenty five hundred dollars. They frs
ne gove him n penuine 500 note bV WaV of