The national Republican., 1866-12-04

The free delivery system Is in operation in forty
six Of the principal cities The number Of carriers
employed was 1853, at an aggregate compensation Of
$589, 1855 Al.
This mode Of delivery has steadily grown in favor
with the public, and in several of the large Cities
where its progress has been most Marked the local
postage shows gratifying increase. Experience
has shown its superiority over the old system Of
box delivery, and the results of the last two years
commend It to Congress as q permanent branch Of
the postal service It's effects in saving time to the
public in insurng the correct delivery by inducing
the habit Of directing letters to street and number
in reducing the great number of advertised and
dead letters in facilitating correspondence, espe
cally local. in obviatng the necessity of the many
fruitless calls at the post office, relied to
prove its advantages over the old system Of Office
delivery.
DEAD LETTERS.
The whole number Of dead letters received, OK
amned, and disposed Of during the year, was about
four and half millions, upwards Of 40 per cent Of
which were from fortysevcn Of the larger post
Offices. About siI hundred thousand other letters
| we're received, being unmsilabls for want Of pre-
payment Of postage, or on account Of misdrection
| or illsgtble address
During tho year there were registered and re-
mailed to the respective owners as enclosing money
In sums Of one dollar and upwards, 80, ,8l4 letters
containing an aggregate Of $244, 5000, Of which
number 81 948 containing 1921 ,066 10, were deliv-
cred, being 90 per cent The number Of letters On.
closing sums Of money less than one dollar remailed
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aggregate amount Of $3,65255. or these, II, lis,
containing 50, 00l. %, were delivered.
Tho number Of letters containing papers Of value
| other than money as deeds, bills Of exchange,
drafts, checks, &c, received. registered and re-
turned for delivery to the owners, was 49, 6l0, and
the nominal value Of the enclosures therein was
g. 826, ,88l. .68 Tho number Of these letters deiv.
cred was "a, ,053, being IS per cent.
Tho number Of letters and packages containing
photographs dsgusrreotyps., and articles Of jew.
al ~aa nj ~ht nj out
containing for the most part, photographs and
daguorreotypes) and 49, 745, or 80 per cent, deliv
| cred.
A large number Of packages containing miscslla-
noous articles for which no owners could be found,
were sold at public auction, the proceeds amount
ing to 50. 543.l4.
The number Of letters returned unopened, to for
eign countries during the year was 1893, 1854, the
amount Of unpaid postage on which was 50. S7940.
The number received from foreign countries in the
same condition during the same period was 72 44O,
and tho amount Of unpaid postage thereon $2,-
039 20.
The number Of congressional and official papers
returned to the proper departments was ~ 800.
The number Of letters enclosing soldiers dis.
charges and other military papers sent to tho Adu
tant Generals office, &C., was 8,9l8.
The number Of ordinary letters remailed to the
writers was l, 746 1885, being an increase Of 6s3 AZ
the year previous Ofthess 1,275fs45wsre delivered
The whole number Of letters Of all description
sent out during the year was O. 093, "a, Of which
800, ,224 were delivered, being II per cent
OF the number of ordinary letters sent out fo
delivery since the lst July last, from which time
in accordance with the law they have been returned
free s3 per cent. were delivered being an increase
Of per cent over the percentage delivered durinl
the same period of tho year previous.
About 2, 500, 900 dead letters have been destroyed
during the year or these upwards Of 90 per cent
were ordinary business circulars advertisements o
lottery and gift enterprises, notices Of corporat
societies, and tradesmen's bills the remainder be
ing composed Of letters not signed or SO written
to be unintslligible.
An investigation into the cause of the .dsliv
cry of letters confirms the statement made In th
last report that three -fourths Of the whole numbe
fail to reach the parties addressed through faults
the writer's, and II has been ascertained that tn
proportion of letters fully addressed returned from
offices where the free delivery is established is les
than per cent. From some Of these Offices return
have been received, In which not a single letter s.
addressed appears without satisfactory reason 70
tho non. delivery. From 40 to 80 per cent Of dea
letters are returned from these Offices and 1t thu
appears that more careful attention to the detail
Of address on the part Of writers, together with
more extensive use Of request envelopes, would ma
terially promote the certainty Of delivery ant
greatly diminish the number of dead letters.
POSTAL MoNEY-oRDER SYSTEM.
, The number OF money order Offices now In opera
ton is 1855, being SAT more than at the date OF th
last annual report and have recently beeI
taken to establish 81 additional offices In the Pa
cfc States and Territories.
The number Of orders Issued during the year vas ~
6os Of the value OF. 1os
The number paid was 233 ia
Of the value Of. of.............S ", sol, SSs AZ
To which 10 to be added
amount Of orders repaid to
---3, 9OS, 800 u
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