Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1868-12-09
REPORT OF THE PoST,iAsrCR GEN.
ERtI

REPORT OF THE PoSTMAsrCR GEN.
ERAI.
The report OF Postmsste General Randall
states thai The estimates for the carreni zeal
year submitted 10 Congress with the last an
nual report showed an anticipated deficiency
q: 81, ls6,tOU; 10 meet which there was theu IN
the treasury S2-UtG.t0r, being the unaNp-u ied
balances of former appropriations standing %
the credit OF he department, leaving ne amount
10 be provided by appropriation from he cea-
eral treasury -, yH,upG; Of this sum Congress
aPproprIatsd S>U0UN.
The expenses during the fiscal wear lust
closed exceeded the estimated am0unr. as
pecially ia the item OF transportation, and teus
absorbed the S2"N,'EO relied on Ia assist IA
meeting the anticipated deficiency for the cur
rent year. The ordinary expenditures for the
current year Were alse estimated too low, from
The fact that the department Couli not. AZ the
time the estimates were made. anticipate the
extraordinary increase of service established
by acts OF Congress. Taking th Dss Of th- last
fiscal year as a basis. u is sntici pated that In
the current year there VIII De- a deficiency Of
s@bSi soc. There Will also be required S9-.unB
Tor service on the rCute from For A 5ercrlm-
be 10 Helena Montana, authorized 0y the act
o. July ., lcto, from January I, l-6i. % June
80, lS6s and 10 m EFT the in creased liabilities Of
The department for service on thu Overland
ROUTE SlsI,t0o, making S5,-62,JOU. when viii
be required 10 meet de ficIencles IN the receipts
Tor The current fiscal year.
The ordinary expenditures for The year end.
Ing June 20, l-7U, lincludiGG S6I53jO tor over
land aud sea mails 10 California; are estimlt
at S2i,5iO,iI3 The total estimated revenue a.
eL,oUo,WC; showing an excess OF expenditures
CT So iO,ii3 70 be provided for from The general
Treasury. II viii also be necessary to make
special appropriations as usual tor mail steam.
ship service 10 the amount OF S125,GOO
The free-deliyery system has been in opera
ton during the year in II OF the principal cities
Ii has contin ued 10 grow IN popular favor, and
mas, TO great extent, suppl1cted thu general
ana box deliveries. In PhIlsdelpnia, Chicago,
~. Louis, Cleveland, Louisville, and other
cities, the lumber Of post Office boxes has been
greatly reduced, and the hope Is confidently
entertained that this mode of delivery Will ulti-
mately supersede all others
The number CT mOney.orde OH res now IN
operation is l-i6-. Since the dste of the last
annual report 24j additional Offices have baau
established, and one Office has been discontin-
ued.
The department is at present engaged i'm ar
ranging the details of convention for tue
interchange of postal money orders bet ween
certain money-order post offices of this country
and those OF Switzerland. After II shall have
been put into successful operation, similar
arrangements will gradually be made with
Other foreign countries which may desire the
establishment Of an international money order
system.
The increase of the expenses OF the postal
service, based as ii is upon public necessity
and public demand, instead of being cause Of
encouragement, is subject Of congratulation.
The restoration of SO large part OF the postal
service, suspended during the war, aud the
new service created by Congress since the close
OF the war, equal TO one-third of the amount OF
service In operation at that time, have pro-
duced less deficiency than existed in time OF
peace and prosperity previous to 1850.
The proportion OF deficiency - revenue is
far less now than then, notwIths landing the
service is very much greater than ever before
In 1oJ9 the sum Of the deficiency was only one
million less than the entire revenue. In 1850
the sum OF the deficiency was about three
millions fiye hundred thousand dollars less
than the entire revenue. For the year 1868 the
deficiency is ten millions less than the entire
revenue. The majority of the southern States
have never paid their own expenses for postal
service. They will no: do so for a long tune 10
come. With the exception of Iowa and Mis-
souri,, none of the States or Territories west Of
the Mississippi rlyer have ever paid 4 revenue
equal 10 their postal expenses. The cost Of the
transportation OF tie mails in all new States
and Territories, and I'm all sparsely populated
portions of the country, never has bsen pad
by these States or Territories ont Of their Tu
Revenues. Ii is only as pop ulation and busI-
ness increase, and the country Is DEVELOPED.
that postal service can be self-sustaiuing.
The idea that the Post on Department can
te seif-sustaining- in the present. condition of
the country, is absurd. 1t cannot Je, and ought
not 10 be, tor fifty years 10 come. The reYe-
nues Will largely Increasa. and so Will expen-
ditures. Ten years hence the Postmaster Ciaue-
raj says he estimates the expenses of the Post
Office department at Sio,uU0, 90, aud the reye-
Lues AT - ,Ad,WO. This increase must go
a. long as ne country prospers, and mineral.
agricultural, and comInercIal business in
cIeases.
SUSTAINING in one way. and that Is by cutting
Gil the postal service in the States aud Terri
tories where the receipts Tor postage are not
equal TO expenses. This would exclude all
but Iowa and Missouri west of the Mississippi
aud al the States oyerborne by the rebelli pa.
1t could further ecOnomIZe by Withdrawing all
aid from the China, Brazil, and Sandwich
Island steamship lines. thus saving S72J,OOO
IL could save S995,o0o by a5olishIng the letter
carrier system for the cIti-s. 1t could also
economic 10 the extent Of over S7Oa E'O by over.
tam f al Il
that in public estimation the letter carriers for
cities are thought TO be almost indispensable,
eut the system costs money and brings small
revenue. IL Is all dishurs. me- mt and no receipt.
What If from Il 10 ii hours are saved in to-
transmission Of mails between Washington
and CncInnati, or st. Louis, or Chicago, aud
the whole west and northwest, by these travel
ing post offices, which put off and receive mails
u hlle travelling al thirty miles an hour, and
which receive mails, make UP mails, and dis
tribute mails as they go hurrying along. 1t
costs money, and the Government like a
miser. can keep its money in Its chest. IL gives
no return and helps nobody. but is safely
boarded: a hating, timid, illiberal policy like
this Will save one million and lose twenty.
The Postmaster General saws he has twice in
his annual reports called attention to the gross
abuses of the franking privilege. II is es-
umaed that the loss 10 the department by this
species Of abuse of the franking privilege has
amounted TO from one million 10 one million
and a half OF dollars during the past year He
has thus far failed 10 secure any attention TO
the Sc urgent appeals, and is becoming satisfied
that the only way TO void an abuse W hIch is be.
coming systematzed and which Is so severe a
tax upon the revenues of the department is 20
abolish the ranking privilege altogether.
The rapid growth Of the postal service of the
United States since the present organization of
the Post Once Department was established by
the act OF July ,, 1856, has deyoived on its Of
dcers an amount Of business Of so extensiye,s
varied, and responsible character, that a re.
organization, Wisely adapted to the present
and prospective condition of the service, is na-
cessary TO secure the greatest practicable effi-
cheney in its administration. The Postmaster
General states that he will take an early op-
portunity TO prepare, and submit 10 Con.
gress, for its approval, plan for It's reorgani.
Zation.
REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF
INTERNAL REVENUE.