Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1870-12-16
POSTMASTER GENERALS REPORT.
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT., I
WAruJNaToN n q Nov 20 30

| ItG PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT.,
! WASHINGTON, d. c., Nov. 81, 10. .
| SIR: The ordinary revenues of this Department
for the fiscal year ending June 30 1870, were 49,
72, ,2206 65, and the expenditures of all kinds S23,-
$685. S31 &c. For the year ending June 30, 1869, the
ordinary revenues were 8,344 510.72 and the ex-
penditures s2669s 131 80. The increase OF revenue
for the year 1870, over the year 1862 was I'll ,42,
9.93, or 7.78 per cent and the increase OF expen-
ditures $780, 7OG 13, .32 per cent. showing net
increase in revenue of 1877, 80 The increase
in revenue for the year 1870 over the year 1868 was
So 85, 21 35 per cent? and the increase of
expenditures for 1870 over 1868 was 81 ,26S PA 98
or 5.57 per cent The increase in revenue for 1870
as compared with 1862 was less than the increase
for 1865 as compared with 1868, by VI 9999, and
the increase in expenditures for 1870, compared
with 1869, less than the increase for 1869 com
pared with 1868, by $780, S32. r. If, in addition to
the ordinary revenues the department be credited
with 81 100000 appropriated for free matter, and
the amounts drawn and expended for subsidies to
steamship lines, it will appear that the deficiency
provided out of the General Treasury for the year
1870 will be 81, ,S14 1868, against 1897 02S45 for
the year 1869. There were in the service of the
department on the 30th Of June, 1870, 1895 con-
tractors for the transportation of the mails. Of
mail routes in operation there were 1851, aggre-
eating in length 231 232 miles; annual transporta
tion. $40 249 96 miles, and in annual cost, $40, 1884,
653 Adding the compensation OF railway post
office clerks, route agents, local agents, mail
messengers mail route messengers and baggage
masters in charge of registered packages amount
$12, ,355, ,543. The service divided as follows:
There was an increase over the preceding year in
length of routes of 1901 miles; in annual trans
portation, 6401 ,593 miles, and the COST S47S l52
Adding the increased cost for railways, post once
clerks, route mail and other agents, $195, $685. the
total increase in cost was $685. ,S15. - Vi@.
The foregoing statement of increase ana COSTS
does not include service for special of1ces. There
were at the close of the year, 1859 of these, each
with mail carrier, whose pay from the depart, art
ment is rot allowed to exceed the net postal yield
of the office. Special routes and their carriers are
included, however, in the number OF contractors
and routes given above. The attention of Con-
gress is again called to the necessity of revision
and readjustment of the rates OF compensation
established by law for the transportation of mails
on railroad routes, The managers OF railroads
ton of the act of the Sd of March, 1865, is made
quate to the service required, and many OF them
have refused, and still refuse; to- enter into con;
tracts with the department., alleging that they Will
not bind themselves by permanent Arrangement
at the present prices. The consequence is that on
many of the most important routes the mails are
and with bat little regard to the pubic interest.
Many complaints of inefficient service, and In some
instances of gross neglect on the part of railroad
companies, have been made during the past year
by some of the leading newspapers OF the country,
but Notwithstanding the most persistent efforts to
remedy the evils complained OF, very little II any
improvement has yet been effected, the depart
ment having no control of the time or manner OF
running trains, except in cases where contracts
have been regularly executed. After. careful
the compensation fixed by law is not
fair return for the important service rem
dered by railroad companies, and and hence
I repeat my recommendation that re-
adjustment of their pay be made by law, ana
at the same time they be required to enter into
contract with the Department as condition pre-
cedent to drawing any increase of compensation.
The amount of fines imposed on contractors, ana
deductions made from their pay on account OF
failures and other denquencles during the last asst
year. was 500. 375 80 and the amount RENTED Tor
the same period $2S 753 20, leaving the net amount
t,622.07. This shows an increase on the net
amount of fines and deductions over the year 1862
of s21 379 25. and decrease In the amount OF re-
missions of SIT, 1874. The increase II the 1nes
and deductions is not attributable to increased de-
linquencies but to the fact that since the lst OF
April, 1869. the provisions of many contracts Tor
the forfeiture of the pay of trip when the trip
has not been made has been enforced in conformity
with the act of July ?, 1885,, Since the adoption
of this rule, contractors have ev1nced much
greater amount of energy in their efforts 10 carry
the mails through to the points of destination
During the past year, 3,071 cases Of loss by mail
| depredations occurred of which 1874 registered
| letters were reported to the department, 1nVoiv-
| ing losses in bonds, drafts, and money to the
amount of 81, ,393, 76S21 considerable portion OF
which has been recovered. The number OF ar
rests for violations of the postal laws was 143,
| and the number of convictions of those who were
brought to trial 54, the remainder being released,
! acquitted. or held for trial. The department Is
constantly availing itself of all the means Wlthln
its reach to give perfect security to the mails ana
| to bring to justice any of its employees VINO yleid
-
The cost of the TRANSATLANTIC mail steamship
| service during the three preceding hscal years
30, 1867, 1851 .33S.O1; for the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1865 $421 1854 A. for the iscaly ending
June 30, 1869, 1886, ,207. .49. From =, July July
mail service was performed by steamships of the
| Hamburg, Cunard, Bremen and lnman Lines,
sailing from New York on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, s
! Thursdays and Saturdays OF each week. Inc
agents of each of these lines having declined TO
transport the mails for the reduced rates OF sea
postage established by the additional postal con.
| into operation on the list of January, 1870, the
service was for a short time interrupted; but
new arrangements were speedily concluded on
the basis of the reduced rates of compensation I
for a regular semi-weekly conveyance OF mails 70
Europe by the steamships of the EyerpoI ana
Great Western Company NV Wiams lbe etea@sbns Of
the North German Lloyds of Bremen, on oatur-
days. which were soon followed by an arrange
ment with the Hamburg American Packet Com
pany for an additional weekly service on Tuesday,
on the same terms, thus securing trl-Weekly
dispatch of mails by steamers OF average goou
speed Contracts We're exeCu,eu ~dt os the mails
during the terms of two years, commenc1ng @ g;n- jan
uary L 1870, and ending December 81, 1871, copies
of which are annexed In the month OF July
last. the steamships of the North German Lloyd
and Hamburg lines were withdrawn from service,
on their respective routes, and temporary ar
rangement was made with the Inman line to convey
the mails from New York on Saturday OF each
week snpplying the omitted trips of the North
German Lloyd line, and, after period OF nearly
three months had elapsed with no prosPe1css Si
of Bremen was constrained to annul the con,
tract with that company for repeated falures, anu
| to make permanent contract with the Liverpool,
| New York & Philadelphia Steamship Company In
man Line to transport the mails from new fork
on Saturdays, for term of two years, commenc-
ing October T. 1870 and ending September ~, 1877,
a copy of which is also annexed At present,
/ three we KY mails are dispatched rom new 10rS
! to Gresy Britain by steamships OF the Everpool @
Great Western Cunard and lnman ilnes sallilg on on
Wednesdays. Thursdays and Saturdays, with an
occasional extra mail by steamships OF tne Cnnaro
| line sailing on other days OF the week. Wnen
1 the German steamships OF the North German
! Tlovd 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 York,
Monday, are placed on the route between that port
and Liverpool, there will be at least six frst-cass
weekly lines of transatlantic steamships leaving
New York for European ports, sufficient to estab-
| lish regular dispatch OF mails TO Europe on
each week day, provided the sailing days OF the
respective lines can be so adjusted as to secure that
The United States postage on the mails convey.
ed to and from the West Indies, Mexico, Panama
South Pacific, Belize, Honduras, amounted to
sfoO.05f sS and the amount paid for the con.
veyance thereof was $72 1851 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 satisfactory
manner the full service required by their respect
i've contracts of twelve round trips per annum, bu
ten round trips only have been made by the steam.
ships of the California, Oregon q Mexican steam
ship Company, contractors for the monthly ser
vice between San francisco. Honolulu; and Ha'
waiian Islands. / respectfully renew the recon.
mendation made in my last report for an increase
of mail service from monthly to semi-monthly
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 will