Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-12-15

clHl agents, at an aggregate compensation OF Sl2l,-
agents at $G1 ,0i0 5i3 railway postofce clerks at
S6i9i 400 % local agents. at making a total
Of A. ,Se2 0i9. -
froe-delivery service, which has been In operation
during the year In ffty-two Of the principal cities
was iig mail letters delivered 1ig6is 693 local
collected, 113,287,G02. Amount paid carriers, in
cluding incidental expenses, $i,353,92329 Postage
The number of Department officers and their
chief clerks was ~ other clerks, laborers, watch
men, etc, si9,making total in the service in the
agents. carriers, etc, Of 1884.
DEAD LETTERS
The number Of letters received at the Dead Let
ter Once during the last fiscal year was, 4t9t7is,
including 22l ,613 foreign
or domestic letters not registered, 1928 con
taincd money amounting to $5g G0S37 In sums OF
one dollar and upward; and Of the registered let.
ters, 1859 contained S10,2OiGl, making a total Of
18,5T letters, containing $1SS12.9S. OF these, H.,
OS2, containing S74,42O.g0, were delivered to the
S1O,39I02, which could not be returned to the own
ers were filed for reclamation; and 495, contains
ing Si392.OS, were outstanding. The number in
closing sums less than one dollar was 1886 CON
tanning $3s0s,g2; of which 12,413 containing ga
09iO, were delivered to the writer's, and 25l3, con
tanning $7i402 were filed for reclamation.
The number of letters containing bank checks,
drafts, deeds, etc, was 49, tg3 of the nominal value
of 5000, 500 %; OF which 1906, of the nominal
value of 03O3l were delivered to the owners,
outstanding or filed for reclamation.
The number OF packages and letters containing
jewelry, books, and other property was 6,i9Si of
which 4,29S were delivered and 200 were filed for
reclamation.
The number containing photographs was a., ,t19;
OF which 36,5ii were delivered, and 5,515 were filed.
1he number containing receipts, bills Of lading,
etc, was 2S, 1916; of which 210S1 were delivered,
and 1 115 were filed. The number containing post
age and revenue stamps and articles of small value
was 40 749 of which 1889 were delivered, and
2,SG0 were 0ed.
The number Of letters without enclosures rcmail-
ed to the writers was 1,62S S03 of which 1,33i 303
were delivered and 2gi,5OO were returned TO the
Cillcc and destroyed. The number in which the
writer's name and local address were omitted or
were illcgbe, and of letters containing circulars
etc, and consequently destroyed, was 2, 1884
OF the unmailable letters, Az were detained
Tor postage, not being prepaid, as required by
,aNro iaw NOT 1ney were re s sl1her wholly unpaid
with illegal or revenue stamps 6S,373 were mis-
directed, the postolice State, some necessary
part OF the address being omitted and 351S had no
The number of applications for dead letters was
1871, and in 2i1l cases the letters found and
forwarded to the owners
The amounts deposited in the United States
Treasury were For unclaimed dcadetter money
during the ycar, s., ,4s0 10 for unclaimed deadetter
money on July 5, 1871, $2,20000 for proceeds of
sale of jewery, books, etc, $i,669.35; for pro-
ceeds of sale of waste paper during the year, and
on July 1871 ss,47ss sd-tOta deposited to July 8,
POSTAL MONEY ORDER SYSTEM
During the last fiscal year, the number Of money.
order onces in operation was 2076. On the 31st of
July, lSli, 3Ib additional mOney-order offices
established that the whole number of such offices
is at present 2,452.
The number of domestic money-ortcrs issued
during the year was 215 9i the aggregate value of
which was Sl2 .11S03; the number of such orders
paid was 12 664, amounting in value to 81 105,
651.03. To this sum is to he added the amount Of
orders repaid TO the purchasers, 1921 6692S Total
of payments, $42 02I 1861. Excess Of issues over
payments, S136,7S1T2.
The amount of fees or commissions paid by the
public to postmasters for the issue OF orders was
$295, ,2S6.15.
This statement shows an increase over 1870, in
the amount of orders issued, Of 81, 10g g23 30, or
% AS per cent. in the amount Of orders paid, Of
$S0)9,4l152 or % 4-5 per cent, and in the amount
OF fees received, of $60,05035, or 25H per cent.
The average amount Of the money orders issued
during the year was $i9.59. This amount varies
but little from year to year, not having fallen below
sly for the last fye years and having only once
slightly exceeded $50.
The whole number OF duplicate orders drawn
was S,SjS of which S,725 were issued in lieu of
original orders which failed TO reach the respective
payecs because of their change of residence, or
because of-crroneous or imperfect address, for
other causes Ill were substituted for orders which
became invalid because not presented for payment
before the expiration Of one year after date and
q for orders rendered invalid in consequence of
bearing, contrary to law, more than one indorse-
mcnt.
The receipts Of the last wear were as follows
Fees for money orders issued, $295 2S6 10 premium
on drafts, 2l12}-making total of $295, ,38.
tiers and for clerk hire, $111,T13.5G; allowed for
Temlttances lost in the transmission by mail, $7,1j
incidental expenses for stationery and fixtures S..
SE}Ol-making total of Sl9i,3Sl.G0, the excess of
receipts over expenditures being Sl0l,1S11S.
Forty-two remitahres, 10 the aggregate amount
OF Sll00352, were reported as having been lost in
iransmsson by mail last year OF which the sum of
S41'i252 was recovered through the efforts OF
special agents of the Department the sum of $2,-
621 was allowed to the credit of postmasters who
proof that they had respect
by
them credit claimed for rcmittances TO the
amount OF $i95 was disallowcd and claims amount
close of the year
out of the whole number of orders paid, viz.
2l2l,G64, payment of 30 amounting to $a22 IS was
claimed to have been improperly or frauducntly
obtained. In nine cases the amount Of the
orders, S3Sl54 was recovered by special
agents and paid to the rightful owners,
In five cases, amounting to Sl41, the
paying postmasters were held responsible
for the erroneous payment and required to pay over
that amount to the several persons entitled to re.
ceiye il, The department refunded the amount Of
two orders, for S45 improperly paid, the postmas-
ter not having been found at fault In -four cases,
amounting to $S1, the claim for compensation was
not allowed, as it was discovered upon inyestra.
ton to be without good foundation. Ten cases, of
the value Of S2l4, IA, are still pending.
The profits of the money-order system, from its
establishment on the LIST of November. 1864 to and
including the fiscal year of 1871, we're $337 1886
In pursuance of the provisions of convention
negotiated between the United States and the
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the
money-order system between the two countries
went into operation October2, 1871. From that
date up to October %, period of four weeks, the
amount OF the orders remittcd from this country to
Great Britain $63,Oj112, and of orders in the
opposite direction. $ii,6S19 manifest indication
that this system of exchange supplies an existing
public want, and will be extensively used by remit
ters of small sums to and from Great Britain.
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
The postal telegraph is by far the most important
subject now inviting consideration in connection
with the transmission and interchange Of ntelli-
gence. The governments OF the continental coun-
tries of Europe have with few exceptions, claimed
and exercised for years past the right of control
ing and managing the electric telegraph, and in
every instance with degree of success cOmmensu-
rate with the care and attention bestowed upon
their respective administrations. In Sweden, Nor
way, Russia, Bavaria, Italy Turkey, Greece, and
spain great advantages have been gained by max
ing the telegraph part of the public postal system;
while in Switzerland, Belgium The Netherlands,
Prussia, and France. where modern appliances and
improvements have been more thoroughly utilized,
the policy of governmental control has been
iully Nindcatcd. II remained for Great Britain to
give practical test OF the public system as com
pared with the management Of corporations and
companies of private stockholders. After pro-
tracted and most laborious investigation, Parlia-
mcnt passed. on the 3lst Of July, 1868 IAN act to
enable Her Maicsty's Postmaster General to ac-
quire, work, and maintain electric tclegraphsn ~
which was followed, on the 9Th of August 1863, by
act providing the money necessary TO purchase the
undertakings of the several telegraph companies in
Great Britain and Ireland. on the 9TH of February,
1870 the transfers were effected, and the work of
the postal telegraph began. At first, serious diff
culties encountered by reason Of the delay in
passing the money bill and the inadequate prepaTa-
tOns TO accommodate the immense increase OF
business which Immediately followed the large re-
duction OF rates These difficulties, however, were
soon overcome, and, thanks to the ndcfatigablc
and intelligent labOrs Of Hon Frank Ives Scuda-
more, second secretary, and his assistants, the adj
vocates OF the measure can already boast Of its
triumphant success.
The postal telegraph business IN the United King
dom for the fiscal year ending March 81, 1871,
amounted to Gross receipts for the transmission
of messages, R0il, ,215 13s t111d; payments out,
e213,2Sl 11s 3&d-leaying net profit Of e697, 1913
lGs 50, or, computing the pound sterling at $L86,
$3, ,391, ,95L3S.
Convinced of the wisdom of establishing the
postal telegraph and post-Office savings banks in
this country, earnestly recommend the passage by
Congress OF the laws necessary therefor In my
Judgment, those laws should provide as well for the
absolute purchase Of the lines and appurenances of
all telegraph companies in operation as for the
exclusive right and authority Of the Government,