The Jeffersonian Democrat. [volume] (Chardon, Ohio) 1854-1865, 1865-12-22
Report Of the Post Master General.

Report OF the f0st master General.
4 The Annual Report Of Postmaster, Gen.
ahsl .Dennison is a very complete and sat-
isfactory view OF the business OF the Post
Office Department, during the fiscal year
ending June 30sh, 1865.
THE REVENUES
oi the Department were S14,556, 1870;
expenditures, Sl3,694. 1885 leaving q |
surplus Of 1851 ,430, ,42--an increase OF
revenue II per cent, and expenditures
OF 8 per cent. The expenditures Of the
current year are estimated at Sl8.678,-
OOO-receipts, 17,470.5 .543 dols.; deficit
] 1867. .45l. No special appropriation, says
Mr.. Dennison. will be required, 10 meet
this deficit, as previous appropriations
are still unexpended. An appropriation
OF 500, 900 dolls. is recommended, how.
ever, for the payment OF steamship mail
service. The Department has issued 387,.
4l6, ,455 postage stamps representing 49,
099, 1880; 95.04O, 425 stamped envel.
opes, representing 724, 1860; 1,l65. $50
stamped wrappers, representing 23,3l5,OO
dolls, making total Of 12,s47, ,437.5O
ds., being an increase Of 1873 los over
the previous year. The sales amounted
10 1880, ,727.82 d., an increase of l..
623 ,l48.27 dollars.
As stamped envelopes are cancelled by
use,and therefore safer against fraud than
those with stamps attached, it is submitted
whether the Postmaster Gen. should not
be authorized,in his discretion, to furnish
them as the separate stamps are now, with.
out reference 10 the cost Of manufacture.
.d.t ~. ...., CONTRACTS.
The aggregate length Of the mail routes
June 80, l865.-of which there were g.
0l2 in number-was l42, $50 miles, cost
ing 6,246, ,8S4 dol. per annum. The cost
per mile was BY railroad ll4c., steam
boat 144c., oelerity, etc.; loo. The in.
creased length ofroutes was 8, 1853 miles,
and OF cost 428. .4I5. Fines TO the amt
of &c, ,443,37 dl. have been collected from
contractors. ar5a g ...t
The number of routes ordered into op-
GRAFTON in States lately in rebellion is 24l;
their length l8. .7404 miles; and compen.
sa,ion TEL $40 d.; a reduction, compared
with former cost Of service in those States,
Of e8l, 100 Il. per annum. This. howev.
Or, results in part from reduced service.
TIE report states the general results oi
lhe foreign mail service as follows:
= "The aggregate postages. sea, inland
and foreign. upon the correspondence ex-
changed with foreign countries, amounted
to l,el9.028.56 dolls.; OF which amount
81 1,449, ,53O.76 accrued on the mails ex.
changed with Great Britain. France, Prus.
sia. Bremen, Hamburg and Belgium
S275, 97.06 on the mails exchanged with
the British North American Provinces;-
and S95. .90O.e4 on the mails 70 and from
the West Indies, Central and South Amer
ica.
The cost Of the United States Transat.
lan.ic service, performed by steamships,
receiving the sea postage only,was 64o5,
479.56."
APPOINTMENTS.
The number OF post offices established
on June 80, 1865, including suspended
Offices in the Southern States, $685.
new Offices established during the year,
5s6; offices discontinued, ,5s2; changes OF
names and sites, 800. Total appointments
during the year, 5,447. -.-t.t
The number OF dead letters received,
examined and disposed Of, was 1865.
O87, an increase OF 859. 1863 over the pre-
vious year. .. 49,.
"The number containing money, and re-.
mailed 10 owners, was 42,l54, with en-.
closures amounting 10 $244.373.97. OF
these 1926, containing S2lO,954.9O
were delivered leaving $3.50 undelivered
with enclosures OF the value Of S33, 49,.
OF. The number containing sums less
than one dollar, was l6,709. amounting
to 81, ,647 20 of which IL, ,698, containing
&3, 577.62, were delivered to the writer's.
The number Of registered letters and
packages was 1885,"
Tho report expresses the opinion that
the time will come when the increasing
prosperity OF the conntry, and the conse.
quent increased business Of tie Depart
ment, will justify reduction in the rates
Of postage, and recommends chat this re.
duction be carried out as fast as possible
without reducing the postal revenue be-
low the postal expenses.
The abolition Of the ranking privilege
is recommended as q means of making
the postal department selfsustaining.
The total expense of the five principal
routes connecting at points on the West
ern plairs is l,l96,743 dolls; total Of re-
ceipts, 6O,923. AS dolls; excess Of pay over
receipts, 1,l35,8l9.55 dolls.
IT is asserted that in Germany, since the
beginning of the railroad system, 20 o. 30
years ago, not life has been lost in conse