The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-12-08

New York & Philadelphia Steamship Company In
man Line to transport the mails from New York
on Saturdays. for a term OF two years, commenc-
ing October 1. 1870, and ending September 60 1872
copy Of which is also annexed. AT present,
three weekly mails are dispatch led from New York
TO Great Britain by steamships OF the Liverpool &
Great Western Cunard and Inman lines sailing on
Wednesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays. with an
occasional extra mail by steamships of the Cunard
line, sailing on other days OF the week. When
the German steamships of the North German
Lloyd and Hamburg line resume their regular
trips and the new steamers, OF increased size and
greater speed, which have been rendered by the
Ocean Steam Navigation Company, of Liverpool,
for the conveyance of the mails from New \ ork.
Monday are placed on the route between that port
and Liverpool, there will be at least six rs-class
weekly lines OF trans Atlantic steamships leaving
lish regular dispatch of mails to Europe on
each week day, provided the sailing DAYS of the
1ectve lines can be adjusted to that
desirable object
The United States postage on the mails convey
ed to and from the West Indies, Mexico. Panama.
South Pacific, Belize, Honduras, amounted to
l.sS, and the amount paid for the sea con-
veyance thereof was 72.45SS1. The contractor
for the mail steamship service from New York TO
Rio de Janeiro Brazil. and from San Francisco to
Japan and China have performed in a satisfactory
manner the full service required by their respect
i've contracts of twelve round trips per but
ten round trips only have been made bv the steam
ships of the California, Oregon & Mexican Steam
ship Company. contractors for the monthly ser
vice between San Francisco. Honolulu. and Ha-
waiian Islands. I respectfully renew the recon-
mendation made in my last report for an Increase
of mail service from monthly to semmOnthly
trips on the mail steamship route from San Fran
cisco TO Japan and China. Impressed with the
great national Importance of maintaining this line
of American steamships and the necessity of pro-
viding increased facilities of communication with
those countries In order to retain and exte2d the
commercial ADVANTAGES already gained by its es-
tablishment, / felt it my duty to address
special communication on the subject TO
the Chairman of the Senate Committee on
Post Offices and Post Roads under date OF 2fst
April. 1870 lSenate Document No. 125, Forty-first
Congress, third session., in which statements
were presented obtained from official sources.
showing the growth of orr trade with Japan and
China since the line was established. and the
amounts of correspondence transported. and the
financial results of the enterprise. beg to refer
to that communication for the special consdera-
tions which render it expedient, In my Judgment,
to sustain this important national enterprise.
and TO express the hope that Congress will
promptly pass the bill reported by the Senate
Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads at the
last session. authorizing an increase OF the ser
vice to semi-monthly trips under the same terms
and conditions az the present monthly service.
The excess of business OF the Department, as
compared with last wear. IL a. follows Letter car
riers. lie: mails delivered. 17.740.T7S local letters
delivered. 3.417. 022; newspapers delivered. 5,912.
1875: letters collected, $500. 80: amount paid
carriers S4,616,4S4; postage on local matter, 81,
$50 129
During the past year. the salaries of 9s: 4o2
Postmasters have been readusted. The establish
ment of new offices and the increase OF salaries
will not,ft is thought exceed the appropriation of
So, 00o. 900 for the current year.
Whole number of letters received at the Dead
Letter Office during the year, 4.l52. 400 of which
220.415 foreign letters: 9o3,a91 letters CON
tanning money in sums OF 81 or more. amounting
TO 500 $50 80. of this amount % was deliver
ed to the writer. or persons addressed %. 9A let
tiers contained money in Sims lees than 81,
amounting to e5,793 90. OF which S|056 p was de-
SEQ letters contained checks drafts deeds. &C. to
the nominal value OF s3.0T5.5549n, of which So
$500 Or restored; 312.S94 letters were de-
tanned for postage not prepaid; 6s,133 letters
were misdirected, s.01s bad address
whatever; $50 nav money order Offices were
created MP to August1. The whole number now
open, 9705 The number of domestic money
order. is.ued was Ell s5s of an aggregate value
of s34.054. III. an increase of S9.e0S.12 Is.
Amount of fees s235, 235. So increase. S5aOif 20:
average amount of each order s23 %: profit OF
the money order business sa01 IA SO. The drafts
drawn against credits during the last year were
So. sos 81. The sum of 81 $40 80 was trans
ferred bv Postmasters from the postage 10 the
money order account to enable them TO meet or
ders presented for payment.
am thoroughly satisfied that If the ranking
privilege were repealed the department in short
time would become sclf-sustaining. This asser-
ton has heretofore been warmly denied. The de-
ficiency for the past year has been reduced 10 81
Sf4116 qS An accurate account of the cost of free
matter DISPATCHED through the mails was ordered
20 be kept by all Postmasters for six months. be-
ginning January and ending June'3' asst and re-
turns now being received. Enough Is known
TO enable an opinion 10 he expressed that the ac-
tual returns will show the actual cost OF free mat
ter 70 be fully. equal to all the deficiency. The
term during which the account was kept was con-
fined to the first half of the year when few cleo
tons were held. and when only small portion
of the public documents are transmitted Should
the amount OF ranked matter he actually asccr-
tanned during the Presidential canvass and sub
ected to the same postage as like matter sent by
private persons, am cure that inc AVERAGE COST
per wear would he greatly enhanced. My anxiety
to make the department self-sustaininG. arises
from a strong desire to reduce and make uni
form rates of postage in 1871 The amount de-
rived from letter postage was S16.1 ~,
and from newspapers and pamphlets only s9a.-
:332 90 and vet the weight and bulk of news
paper mails are at least ten times greater than
those of letter mails This shows that. while news
papers are charged much less than the cost of
their transmission letters are CHARGED much more,
and in fairness letters should be reduced in post
age soon the finances OF the department will
Kermit. If letter postage could be reduced from
TO cents am sure that the increased correspond
ence thereby stimulated would, in few years
for any temporary loss of revenue. |
and that many vexatious losses would be avoided |
by uniform rate for all distances which would /!
thus be established: but despair of securing any
further reduction of letter postage so long a. the
ranking privilege shall be imposed upon this de-
partment 1t il not intended to intimate that there
should be an increase of postage on newspapers.
On the contrary. IT is the duty of the government
to aid in the education of the people by carving
newspapers as cheap1y as possible, and hence am
of opinion that the present rates are NOT 700 low
nor do object to the free transportation of news
papers 20 regular subscribers in the counties or
their publication. As authorized by law. |
their conveyance without CHARGE does not inter |
fere with the speedy and regular transmission Of
the mails. There is but one change that deem |
advisable in the treatment Of newspapers. and |
that applies only to those sent to poln,s outside
Of the county where published. would require |
postage on printed matter in all cases TO he pre-
paid by stamps. The law allowing postage to he
paid in money by subscribers at the once OF de-
livery Is a departure from the accepted theory OF
Post once management. and only subject. the
department to heavy losses.
The Postmaster General earnestly recommends
the adoption, early in the session OF Congress. OF
the bill introduced by Mr.. Farnsworth to revise,
consolidate. and amend the statutes relating TO
the Post Office Department
The new postage regulations and the accumu-
OF copper and nickel coins in Pest Off1res.
receive some attention in the report. He respect
'ully recommends the establishment OF the postal
,ard system Of which much has been said, and
advocates il by the usual arguments. He advises