Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-12-09
POSTMASTER GENERALS REPORT.
PosT OFFICE DEPARTMENT, 7

| NAsHlhdION, " ~ NONs oUs ~.
sn: The ordinary revenues of this Department
fer the fiscal year ending June 80, 1870, were 40,
7l2, 300 IS, and the expenditures of all kinds S23
99S S37 SO. For the year ending June 80, 1869, the
ordinary were 1854. ~, and the eX-
penditures t266gS 13 80. The increase Of revenue
for the year 1870, the year 1869 was 81. 49,
1888, or rs per cent and the increase of expen-
dfures 1900 10, or 1.2 per cent. showing net
increase in revenue Of 1127,0 80. The increase
in revenue for the year 1870 the year 1868
$3479619 sb 135 per cent, and the increase OF
expenditures for 1870 over 1868 was ST. 28s 24i 9S
or 557 per cent The increase in revenue for 1870
as compared with 1869, was less than the increase
for 1869 compared with 1868, by SO Y, .99, and
the increase in expenditures for 1870, compared
with 1869, less than the increase for 1869 COM
pared with 1865 by 1860 ~. II, In addition to
| the ordinary revenues the department Mht9ef, ind
with S70OO,000 appropriated fpi ~, subsidies to
steaiisAHpfhas, 1t viii appear that the deficiency
provided out Of the General Treasury for the year
1870 VIII be S2.S411B.9S. against 1891, 02S.43 for
the year 1869. There were in the service OF the
department on the Both Of June, 1870 1925 con-
tractors for the transportation of the mails, or
mail routes in operation there were S,s6l, aggre-
eating in length 23l, ,939 miles, annual transporta-
ton, go 2i9W miles, and In annual cost, SlO,SSi
6j3 Adding the compensation OF railway post,
Office clerks. route agents, local agents, mail
messengers, mail route messengers and baggage
mastersin In charge of registered packages amount
ing to $1,470.SqO, the aggregate annual cost was
SI2,855,5l The service was divided as follows:
There an increase over the preceding year in
length OF routes of 1901 miles; In annual trans
portaton, 6,4Ol,593 miles, and the cost, $47s l52
Adding the increased cost for railways. post office
clerks, route, mail and other agents, Sl9o603, the
total increase in cost was $GI3,Sl5.
The foregoing statement of increase and costs
does not include service for special Offices. There
were at the close OF the year, 169 of these, each
with mail carrier, va )se pay from the depart
ment is rot allowed to exceed the net postal yield
OF toe office. Special routes and their carriers are
included, however, in the number of contractors
and routes as 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
insist that the pay awarded them under the opera
ton OF the act Of the Sd OF March, 1863, Is nsue-
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 VIII
not bind themselves by permanent arrangement
at the present prices. The consequence is that on
many OF the most important routes the mails are
carried suits the convenience OF the companies,
and with but little regard to the public Interest.
Many complaints of Inefficient service, andin 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 10
remedy the evils complained Of very little If 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 a careful
| consideration of the subject / am satlsned that
| the compensation fixed by law is not
| fair return for the important service rem
dered by railroad companies, and henee'
| | repeat my recommendation that re,
! adjustment of their pay be made by law, ana
| at the same time they he required to enter into
| contract with the Department as cOndNlon pre-
| cedent TO drawing any increase OF compensation;
| The amount of fines imposed on contractors, and
| deductions made from their pay on account OF
| failures and other delinquencles during the last
year was 800 375. 80, and the amount remitted Tor
the same period $2S 753 20, leaving the net amount
'71,692O7. This shows an increase on the ne net
amount of fines and deductions over the year lo0s,
of t21 $40 25, and decrease in the amount OF TO
Missions Of $17,197.T. The increase n the hnes
and deductions Is not attributable 70 ue %
| linquencies but to the fact that since the lst OF
| April 1850, the provisions Of many contracts TOT
the forfeiture of the pay of trip when the uP
has not been made has been enforced In conformity
| with the ACT of July 3 1888. Since the adoption
| of this rule, contractors have evinced much
greater amount Of energy In their efforts 70 carry
| the mails through to the points of destination, ,
| During the past year, 3011 cases of loss by mall
depredations occurred of which 1,574 registered
| letters were reported to the department, hNoiN-
ing losses in bonds, drafts, and money 20 the
amount OF 6, 1893, ,76S 21 considerable portion oi
| which has been recovered. The number OF AZ
rests for violations of the postal laws was l43'
brought to trial ~, the remainder being released,
acquitted, or held for trial. The department. is
constantly ayailing itself of all the means Wlthln
its reach TO give perfect security to the mais and
TO bring to justice any of its employees VINO yleid
TO the temptation to violate the trust reposed IN
| them, +. .'...
The cost Of the transatlantic mail steamship
service during the three preceding nseal years
was as follows: For the fscal year ending June
june sO 1868, $4ai, ,s6 i4 for the scaiyear ending
June 30, 1863, 1885,, ,2O1.49. From Jay
| to December 81, 1869, the trans-Atlannc
mail service was performed by steamships OF the
| Hamburg, Cunard.s Bremen and lnman Lines
sailing from New York on Tuesdays, Wednesdays
| Thursdays and Saturdays of each week The
! agents of each of these lines having declined u
| transport the mails for the reduced rates OF sei
| postage established by the additional postal con
| ventiOn with the United Kingdom, which wen
into operation on the 1st of January, 1870, thu
service was for short time interrupted; bu
new arrangements were speedily concluded OF
the basis of the reduced rates Of compensation
| for a regular semi.weekly conveyance OF mails tC
Europe by the steamships OF the Liverpool ant
Great Western Company, Williams Guiol
agents, en- Wednesdays, and by the steamships o
the North German Lloyds, of Bremen, on Satur
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 tri-weekl!
dispatch OF mails by steamers of average goo'
speed. Contracts were executed with each o
these companies for the conveyance of the mail
during the terms Of two years, commencing Jan
unry 1, 1870 and ending December 81, 1871, oople
Of which are annexed. In the month OF Jul
fast, the steamships of the North German Lloy'
| and Hamburg limos were Withdrawn from service
I ON their respective routes, aud temporary al
fangemcnt was made with the Inman line 10 conye
the mails from New York ON Saturday OF eac
/ week. supplying the omitted trips OF the Nortl
German Lloyd line, and after period OF nearl
three months had elapsed, with no prospects q
% an early resumption of the North German lloydi
OF Bremen, | was constrained to annu the COZ
tract with that company for repeated failures, an
r 70 make permanent contract with the LYerpoo