New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1870-12-04


Ffanking Privilege DiscusseaHTwe Centa
Postage Advecated-Card System.
Especial to the Missouri Democrat
WASHINGTON, November 3O.-Posr OFFICE
DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, d. c., NOyem.
Der VS., 1N0.-Si-The ordinary revenues
of this department for the fiscal year ending
June 30, fS7O, were tl9,7l2,22O IS, and the
expenditures of all kinds 81, 1898 8H 63.
For the year ending June 30, 1869, the
ordinary revenues were &l8 ,34A, $40 ~, and
the expenditures Sc, 600, l31 50. The in
crease Of revenue for the year 1870 over the
year 1869 was 81, Az 700 90, or 778 per cent,
or l32 per cent, showing net increase in
revenue of 81 .127 ,003 80.
The increase in revenue for the year 1870
over the year 1863, was %, 479, GIG IS, OF
2l35 per cent, and the increase of expendl'
lures for 1870 over 1868 was 81 ,26S,2H ~, OF
$50 per cent.
The increase in the revenue for 1870, as com
pared with 1869, was less than the increase
for 1869, as compared with 1903 Dy $o24,-
1893 SO, and the increase in expenditures for
1870, as compared with 1869, was less than
the increase for 1869, as compared with 1868,
by $666, 1892 72.
If, in addition to the ordinary revenues,
the department be credited with x7OO,OOU
appropriated for free matter, and expended
for subsidies to steamship lines, 1t will ap-
pear that the deficiency provided out OF the
general treasury for the year 1870, is $2Si4,-
ZIG SO as against $39, 3O,2H 45 tor the
year 1860.
There were in the service of the depart
ment on the thirtieth june, 1870, !s95 con-
tractors for the transportation OF the mails.
Of mail routes in operation there were
1861, aggregating in length 23l 20 miles; IN
annual Transportation 81 ,029,9 1896 miles, and
In annual cost $l88, 846 So, adding the COM
pensation of railways, pOstOffice clerks,
route agents, local agents, mail messengers,
route 5sass e s1a
amounting to 81, 47O, 800, the aggregate an
nual cost was $l2.355.543.
The service was divided as follows:
There was an increase over the preceding
year in the length Of route OF I5O miles; IN
annual transportation 6,3Ol ,5e3 miles, and
in cost $47S,l
Adding the increased cost for railway
postofice clerks, route, local and other
agents $l95, 663, the total increase in cost
was $673, 8l5.
The foregoing statements of distances and
costs do not include service for special
Offices. There were at the close OF the year
2l69 Ofthese, each with mail carrier whose
nav from the department is not allowed to
exceed the net postal yield of the Office.
Special routes and their carriers are includ-
ed, however, in the number of contractors
and routes az given above.
The attention Of Congress is again called
to the necessity of a revision and read
justment of the rates Of compensation
established by law for the transportation of
mails on railroad routes. The managers OF
railroads insist that the pay awarded them
under the operation Of the act of third
March, 1864, is inadequate to the service
required, and many Of them have refused,
and still refuse to enter into contracts with
the department, alleging that they will not
bind themselves by permanent arrange
ment at the present prices.
The consequence is, that on many Of the
important roads, the mails are carried as
suits the convenience of the companies, and
with but little regard to the public interest.
Many complaints of inefficient service,
and in some instances gross neglect, on the
part Of railroad companies have been made
during the past year by some Of the lead
ing newspapers Of the country, but not
withstanding the most active and persistent
efforts to remedy the evils complained of,
very little if any Improvement has as yet
been effected, the department. having no
legal control Of the time or manner of run
ming trains, except in cases where contracts
have been regularly executed.
After careful examination of the sub.
| iect, am satisfied that the compensation
fixed by law is not a fair return for the i'm
portant services rendered by railroad com
panies. and hence I report my recommends
ton that a readjustment OF their pay be
made by law, and at the same time they be
required to enter into contract with the
Department as a condition precedent tC
drawing any increase Of compensation.
The amount of fines imposed on con
| tractors and the deductions made from theil
pay on account of failures and other delin
| quencies during the last year, was $780,
| 80, and the amount RENTED for the same
period $2S,753 Is, leaving the net amount O
81 ,622 OF.
! This shows an increase of the net amount
of fines and deductions over the year 1s6!
of $2l $40 IS, and decrease in the amour
| of remissiOns of $l,510,0E "a.
| The increase in the fines and deductions
! is not attributable to increased delinquen
cies, but to the fact that since the first o
l April, 069, the provision in the mail con
tracts for forfeiture Of the pay Of a trip
when the trip is not made, has been en-
forced in conformity with the act Of July =
1885,
Since the adoption Of this rule contractor
have evinced much greater amour: Of en-
ergy in their efforts to carry the mail
through to the point of destination.
/
by mail depredatiOns, of which 1874 wer
| registered letters were reported to the de
pertinent, involving losses in bonds, draft
and money to the amount Of 81 1873, 768 81
considerable portion Of which has beef
| recovered.
The number of arrests for violations o
the postal laws was one hundred and forty
three, and the number Of convictions o
those who were brought to trial was fifty
four, the remainder being released, acQuit
ted or held for trial.
The department is constantly availing i,
self of all the means within its reach t
give perfect security lathe mails, and t
bring to justice any it's employees VIII
yield to the temptatioAtO violate the trus
reposed in them.
The cost of the transatlantic mail steam
ship service during the three preceding til
cal years was as follows: For the fiscal yea
ending June 80, 1867, SIS, 133, 8Ol; for tn
fiscal year ending june 80, 1868, 81, l76, A:
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1869, 1913
62O,749.
From first July to thirty-frst December
1869, the transatlantic mail service was pei
formed by steamships Of the Hamburg, C,
nard, Bremen and Inman lines sailing froI
New York on Tuesdays, Wednesday
Thursdays and Saturdays of each weel
The agents of each of these lines havin
declined to transport the mails LOT the r.
duced rates of sea postage established b
the additional postal convention with til
United Kingdom, which went into operatio
on the first Of January, 1870, the service va
for a short time interrupted but new a
rangements were speedily concluded on tt
basis of the reduced rates of compensation
for a regular semi-weekly conveyance Of th
mails to Europe, by the steamships of tt
Liverpool and Great Western COmpan..
Williams e. Guion agents, on Wednesday
and by the steamships Of the North Germa