The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1869-01-16
POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT.


ling service for which special approprla.
tions had been made, wero 81, ,730 ,592--
an excess of expenditure OF s6,437, ,901
There is an increase of six per cent. in
postages, and Of eighteen per cent. in ex.
Ipenditures, compared with last year. The
total receipts Of the department. were
Postages, sl6,292, 600; received from
Treasury for free matter, SO, 800, 900; over.
land and marine service between New
York and California, sl,125, 900 steam.
ship service to Japan and China, 1926, 900
service to Brazil, Sl50,000 for mail, on
routes established by Thirty-ninth Con
grcss, S4S6, ,525; and making an aggregate
Of s2l ,9S9, l25. The excess OF expendi
lures over all these receipts was s74l ,466
The estimates made for the present year
were too low, and an additional appropri
at on of 1862, 900 will be necessary tc
meet the deficiency. For tho year 1870
the estimate is: Ordinary expenditures
lS24 $40, Alb ordinary revenue, sl7 500,
900 deficit, s6,740,4l3. Also, specia
appropriations for steamship service tC
Japan, China, Brazil, aud the Sandwich
Islands. 10 the SUN Of s725.000.
During the year, 3S3 40 500 postage
stamps, of the value Of sll, ISL Ola. lin
Guiding 100, 900 periodical stamps, valued
ut s4, ,75O); II ,552 300 plaio stamped en-.
yelopcs, bearing printed cards aud re-
quests for return TO writer's, representing
s749, ,520, and 1872, 600 newspaper wrap
pcrs, valued at sG1 ,Z72, were issued. The
aggregate value of these issues was Sl3..
S63, l24-being an increase Of 45-l0C
per cent, over the issues of the previous
year.
The aggregate issue of envelopes wa,
increased during the year ii 53.l00 pei
cent. in value.
The sale of postage stamps and stamped
cnvelops during the year, as reported by
the Auditor, was s1I, ,06G. 1892 more
than tie issue; thus absorbing to that
amount the stock remaining unsold in
hands Of Postmastcrs, June so, 1867.
The number of packages of postage
stamps lost in the mails during the year
was 50, representing s2772.2D; and oi
stamped envelopes, 7, valued at s226,0l
Fight thousand two hundred aud TWEEN.
ty six mail routes. having an aggregate
length Of 3i6,92S miles, cost annually
Isl 1886, ,6S9. This service was divided
Railroad lines, 6.0lS miles; annual trans
porta,ion. 34,ss6,17S mics annual cos,
lS4.l77, l2G, or Il cents Il mile. Steam
boat transportation, 3,797 $50 miles; cos,
sG50,63l, or IL cents per mile.
The new railway postal service has had
the effect not only OF securing regularity
but an increase of mail matter along the
lines Of railway The aggregate amount
Of postage (inland, sea and furcign) upon
the letter correspondence exchanged with
foreign countries was 50, l53, 600, ,66. 0l
this amount sl,106, 1915 accrued on
the letter mails exchanged with European
countries s309,5lG,43 on letters ex-
changed with the Dominion Of Canada
and sl3T ,706,47 on the letters exchanged
with the West Indies, Mexico, Brazil
Central and South America, the Sandwich
Islands, japan aud China.
The Steamship line between San Fran
cisco and Yokohama perform their trips
uFon schedule iimc,
The whole number Of Post Offices il
the United States, June 80, 1868, was &c,
4sl, of which $40 were appointed by the
i President. There arc in tho service of the
Government 10 special agents, 4g0 route
agents. 81 mail route messengers, 232 rail
way clerks, 60 local agents, $50 baggage
mas:ers--at an aggregate salary OF sa6l,
0T0 annually.
The free letter carrier service has work
cd very admirably. The Postmaster Gen
eral recommends that carriers hold Office
during good behavior.
The number Of dead letters during the
year was 4 l62, Ia, decrease of IA, 80
from last year. The whole number re
turned was ., 2,2i7, l39, of which about 81
per cent. were delivered to owners, and II
per cent, returned to the Department
Eighteen thousagd three hundred anc
forty letters contained s95, 1863, 80, in suml
OF 5 | and upwards of which l6,06l letters
containing S86, ,638 66, were delivered t
owners, and 2, IA, containing 81, 1862 36
were filed or held for disposition IA ,08:
contained 50, ,436, 68 in sums less than 81
OF which l2,5l3, containing So, 10 10
were delivered to owners; 1880 con
tanned checks, drafts, deeds and other pa
pers of value, representing the value o
50, ,609, ,27l 80; of these l6, ,S09 were re
stored to the owners, and S2l were re
turned and filed; l3, ,964 contained books
Ijewelry aud other articles of property, o
the estimated value of $S,500 of these
] IL ,489 were forwarded for delivery, lnC
9,9ll were delivered to owners l25, ,22l
contained photographs, postage stamps
aud articles of small value, Of which la,
666 were delivered to owners, and 2,06S,
S42 letters returned had no enclosures.
The money order business is largely OF
the increase. The orders issued during
the last year were SIG, 1877 1858, agains
SO, ,229 ,327 of last year. The fees re
ceivcd in the service amount to $l24 ,4S6
and the expense $54, ,l58.
i The present salaries of the Postmas
tcrs Of the United States are 81 $40, 1888
/ The Southern States, and the States
west of the Mississippi, except Iowa ant
i Missouri, have never paid the expenses o
transportation. 1t is not possible to hav,
the Post Office Department self-sustainins
without taking away large proportion 0
the service. There is constant demand
for new routes in remote and sparsely
settled localities, and they never yield !
revenue equal to the cost. The Secretar,
demonstrates against the use of fac SIM
/ II. 4. L ,F Ia