New-York tribune., 1870-12-02

ms their lcpositories The amount OF such funds re-
nted 10 and deposited In the larger offices during the
net wear was S22IGO2 10 These Temittsnces are made
IN registered packages by mail when the Postmaster ~
unahie 10 obtain national bank drafts, which Is generally
the ca 20 at small Post stOiiccs. During tie year ~ re-
mtances, to the aggregate amount OF sscs co. sent IN
registered packnSes, nave hern reported a. Ost III tt
mission. OF this amount the sum of Sl5l 80 was allowed
before the close Of the year To the credit OF the seNct
PostmaScrs who had RENTED the same aiter lhOrou
investigation had been made Of each case by rpoch
agent OF TIE Department. and satisfactory proof o9i1ned
that the lost remittance for which credit was oalSu
had been duly counted, noted securely put up properly
registered and dispatched In locked pouch IN tne pres
eHce OF dsiuercstCd witness Tue sum oi $50 WAS dis
allowed after the termination OF tine last year, ana VIII
be included in the expenditures OF tho current yeaI
Clam for credit 10 the amount OF s69 were ulS.o"%eu %
aHd the remaining Of A,l43 represents claims that
orc yet pending Tho total amount allowed 10 p{ p3{5s
masters during the year for remittance los III @ ]
s5lC6 81 Of which the S2G5i "a WAS OhAooouH
OF losses during the preceding year. .,.,.- ~
The loss Of these registered packages conlaniiB ~ IT.
mittances OF surplus money funds causes no detr
mcnt whatever either TO the recrs or 10 the payos
OF moneyO~eIs 1t ia the Dcpartm ana not te pun pun
lie that suffers the loss resulting from the failure OF bu,h
roinittances reach their destinations IT WIZ DO Sp
served that losses of this nature form c2nsiueIaDo
item In the annual expenses Of the money order y sen
although the total Of such osses SSe3 o Is very % s
in comparison with the Whole amount oi nOneg on rcn'
ted FOR deposits during the year. VIZ s252io!, 20 ,o On,
paymeuts are largely in OF the amount recover
from orders issued and from deposits from othor Ohc
are allowed a credit 10 q designated amount Win t1o
Postmaster at New York, which isdrawn hy inStaments
according 10 the requirements OF theI mohol oiuV h
business Tie amount Of the drafts drawn against scn
credits during the last year was Us stated aDo'c'
S,42O5Sl, - o.,.. ,t, d,r,r, TIM
Of
wear II was claimed that payment OF 49, OF the aggregate
auOnnt Of sJ) 6l, was fraudulenty procured t.rough
forgery OF the payee's signature or by fse petehscs
After full invests CATION, the paying poslmasers In SIX
Of these cases. having been found at fault were directed
Of tbe several orders the total OF which sOi. In
seven cases. amounting TO SITS 5o the paying postmasrs
were not considered justly responsible Tor tho I'M
proper payment, and the Department paid that amount
to the true payees The remaining Ok cases, anontni
TO $3.50 a. are held for examination and report by special
agents ,,...-.
Ill. IN fhN mt
them moet orders presented for payment at Tine
when their monoy-order iuhd5 Wero eAnaustnu , h no
postal account amounted to 327i6J a. ssOwlnS at h
close Of the year balance against the latter account u
In my last annual report additional legislation was
syston to tho stations or subposoihces In the
large cities ILL containing provision to that eneet
was Introduced into the House Of Represent auyes
during the last session but was not acted upon The
reasons which induced mo 10 make that recommends
ton have already been stated, and u Is not ncces-
sary 10 repeat them here. fho establishment OF the
money-order business AT pOstCflce stations would u-
doubedly provo o substantial advantagr as well as q
GREAT TO residents Of large cities and their
correspondents therefore renew the suggestion that
the law relating to The mOneyOrder system be 20 af
modified as to perm! the postmaster OF any city which
the Postmaster General may designate 10 Issue ana pay
money yOrdc-s at the stations or suD-oices III the same
manner at the main office. -,
An international order system for the eIchanGe
Of postal orders between the United states and SWze
land put into operation sept J. l'O' from Iiat
date to tho close Of the fiscal year. he NUMBER Oh Orues
issued in THIS cOuhtry pay aho 70 m ~
laud was 723 Of the aggregate value OF s22l@ iOi thd
the number Of orders pad IN this county I2r sums ie
mcd from Sw tzerland was 6Oo amounting li N,iuo 20
s2O45O o. The fees received amounted to f6E t 9nd
tho expenses 70 S9 n, leaving net revenue 70 is DO
PNseoistios are now in progress FOR the establishment
OF an International exchange o. PosIag oIu.s nSee nc %
the United States and the United Kingdom Ol Httht
Britain and Ireland IL Is hoped that system OF tEit
kind will soon be inaugurated, and that 1t WI! Provo
highly advantageous To the people OF both countries
MISCELLANEOUS
Under this head Mr.. Creswe refers to the wonderfully
rapid expansion of the postal system as strkingy dis
playing the wonderful growth OF the United States In
population and wealth Among other il!ustratcns Of
this kind lie refers to tho fact that during the
nrst year o; President Washington's Admins
tration tho number OF letters tranittea eco ood IN
During the first year OF the present Administrator the
been than 5OO0Oo TO say nothing OF the Immense
amount OF printed matter; md The aggregate OF dr.
narisons are suflcent to exhibit the great advance
which the United States has made IN the short space OK
at t, @ GGy TO PTGdSs % s dSsc S S "t
| ent century, OF which only thirty years remain.
| THE FRAsBISG PRIVILEGE.
In my annual report OF December 1859, and in my lot
ter dated Feb o. 1870 addressed to tire Hon. Schuyler
Colfax in reply resolutions Of the Senate asking
information, had the honor to present my views at
length concerning tho franking privilege. In both Oso
communications argued against the longer oontinu-
nuce OF that evil, and earnestly recommended It's ume-
o5n'jnistratIon OF the PustOnico Department for
tho past year has strengthened my c0Iyictons,
and fas Induced again TO call the attention Of
Congress 10 tho great abuses which have grown 10 bc
part Of tho system md 10 tho uncompen wted burdens
which it imposes upon tho service. 1 ain thoroughly
satisfied that il tho franklng privilege were repoaed,
and all matter passing through thc mails charged Htn
short time become selfststainng This Insertion. whom
made herctofore, was warmly denied snd nothns was
been already stated te deficiency for tho last year l.s
been M 5odSSsa coed % G natter s dpoIcdsd AsGe fFon
tho mails were ordered to be Kept by al Posnsters lOr
June Inst and tho returns which have been received are
being nrrAngcd ana taDnlatcd fOr suDiliSsOh 20
Congress. regret that, owing 10 numerous Inaccurate
and incomplete returns ana te ialurr OF lnaIy Io,t
masters 10 make any report IL ms been npostle WIN
ment 10 present the results in dcta with this report
Enough known. hOW ever TO enable those Who arc most
familiar with tho work ocGpress the opinion that no
actual returns will show tho aggregate cost Of free mat
Ter FOR tho year 70 no y equa 20 the aforementioned
wa. confined 10 the first haf OF tho yofr whom few ceo
tions hold, and whom only small portion OF tho
public documents arc transmitted Should tho amoun.
OF frankod matter be accurately nsccrhincd during
Presidential canvass, and sntleotnd TO the postage
uals, convinced that tho average cost per Gnnum
would 10 greatly enhanced.
arises from strong desire 20 reduce eGualze and make
uniform the rates OF postage During the year 1870 tlo
amount derived from ettor portage was sG17lg15 20,
and the amount from newfpap,r5 and plmphiets wsa
only S9i5S2 90, get the weight and bulk OF uowhpa
per mails ast nine ten times greater than thO-o
or letter malls This shows that while newspapers aro
and transmission letters charged much more, and
that the postage letters should Ia fairness be reduced
the finances Of the Department viii permit.
IL letter postage could be reduced from three
cents, that the increased sponGcuco there
10y stimulated would in few years compensate for any
temporary loss OF revenue and that many mistakes and
ye1aOus delays would 30 avoided by the uniform rate
for all distances which would thus be established. !
despair however, Of securing any further reduction OF
letter postage long the franBng privilege shnl bo
permitted 10 impose upon the Department AL irIemed
able deficiency
Itt not Intended to intimate that there should be an
increase OF postage newspapers. On the contrary 1t
is the duty ~ Government, as part OF Its work OF
benecence aid in the education aud elevation OF the
people by carrying newspapers che ply possible;
and hence OF opinion that the present rates are not
too low Nor do object 10 tie fIce transportation OF
Dewspapers TO regular subscribers In the counties