River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1872-12-13
posr oFFIor DEPARTMENT.

Department for the fiscal year ending June
30th, 1872, amounted to S2l,9l5, 42637, and
the expenditures S26,658, 1921. Compared
with the previous fiscal year, the increase Of
revenue was sls7 s3s, 095, or 9.37 per cent. and
the increase OF expenditures S226, sos s23, or
9.29 per cent Adding to the ordinary revenues
the annual appropriation of SOC, 900 for free
matter, and the amounts paid to thessubsi-
dies on mail steamships lines from
special appropriations, the deficiency
paid ont of the general treasury was $751;
776.595 an excess Of S3S,970 72S over the de-
ficiency for the year 1871. Other interesting
statistical information relating to our rapidly
extending postal service is furnished in this
report. The total length of railroad mail
routes on the 30ih Of June, 1872, was 81 ,911
miles, SOFT additional miles of such service
having been put into operation during the
yeal. Eight new lines Of railway postoffices
have been established, with an aggregate
length of 1909 miles. The number of letters
exchanged in the mails with foreign countries
was 24,362, 500, an increase of 4, 066,5 500, or
twenty per cent. over the number in 1871 and
the postage thereon amounts to SlS7, 125. 725.
The total weight OF the mails exchanged
with European countries exceeded SZ9 tons.
The cost Of the United States transatlantic
mail steamship service was s22,030, 10. The
total cost Of the United States ocean steamship
service, including the amounts paid to the
subsidized lines OF mail steamers, was Sl02,-
702,097
The following are the only steamship lines
now receiving subsidies for mail service undor
special acts Of Congress. The Pacific Mail
Steamship Company receive $500, 900 per an
mum for carrying monthly mail between San
Francisco, Japan and China, which
will be increased to sl,000,000 per
annum, and a semi-monthly mail on and
after October LIST; the United States and
Brazil mail steamship company receive $l5,-
900 per annum for carrying monthly mail
between New York and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
and the California Oregon and Mexico
steamship company receive $4,000 per
annum for carrying monthly mail
between San Francisco and Homo
lulu, Hawaiian Islands. Making the total
amount Of mail steamship subsidies at pres
ent s725,000 per annum Our postal commu-
nicatious with all parts Of the civilized world
have been placed upon a most advantageous
footing by the improved postal conventions
and arrangements recently concluded
with the leading commercial countries of
Europe and America, and the gratifying state
ment is made that with the conclusion of q sat
isfactory convention with France, the details
OF which have been definitely agreed upon by
the head Of the French Postal Department
subject to the approval of the Minister of FL
nance, little remains to be accomplished BY
treaty for some time to come in respect there
TO a reduction Of rates on improved facilities
of postal intercourse.
Your favorable consideration is respectfully
invited to the recommendations made bv the
Postmaster General for an increase of service
from monthly to semi-monthly trips on the
mail steamship ronte to Brazil for a subsidy, in
view of the establishment of an American line
of mail steamers between San Francisco, New
Zealand and Australia; for the establishment
OF postoftce savings banks, and for the in
crease of the salaries of the heads of bureaus
THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE.
have heretofore recommended the aboli-
ton ofthe ranking privilege, and see no rea-
son now for changing my views on that sub
lect. 1t not having been favorably regarded
by Congress, however, now suggest a mod
tication Of that privilege, to correct itsglaring
and costly abuses.
THE POSTAL TELEGRAPH.
/ recommend, also, the appointment of a
committee or commission to take into con-
sideration the best method equitable to pri-
vate corporations who have invested their
time and capital in the establishment Of tee-
graph lines. of acquiring the title to all the
telegraph hines now in operation, and of con-
Meeting this service with the postal service Of
the nation. 1t is not probable that this sub
ject could receive the proper consideration
during the limits of short session of Con-
gress, but it NAV be initiated, so that further
action may be fair to the government and to
the private parties concerned.
THE OCEAN MAIL SERVICE.
There are but three lines Of ocean steamers
namely, the Pacific Mail Steamship Company.
between San Francisco, China and Japan,
with provision made for semi monthly service
after October LIST. 1878 the United States and
Brazil line, monthly, and the California, New
Zealand and Australian line, monthly, plying
between the United States and foreign ports,
and owned and operated under our flag. !
earnestly recommend that such liberal con-
tracts for carrying the mails be authorized
with these lines, as will insure their con-
tinuance, if the expediency of extending the
aid of the Government to the lines of steamers
which hitherto have not received it should be
deemed worthy of the consideration of Con-
gress. Political and commercial objects
make it advisable to bcstow sue b aid on line
under our flag between Panama and Western
and South American ports. by these means
much trade now diverted to other countries,
might be brought to us, to the mutual adyan-
tage Of this luntry and those lying in that
quarter of the Continent of America.
OUR OCEAN COMMERCE.
The report of the Secretary a the Treasury
shows an'alarming falling off in the carving
trade for the last ten or twelve years
and even for the past year. | do not
believe that the public treasure can be better
expended In the interest of the whole people
than in trying TO recover this trade. An ox-
penditure off million dollars per annum for
the next five years ii it would restore TO
us our proportion of the carving
trade of the world, would be probably ex.
pended. The price of labor in Europe has so
much enhanced within the last few wears that
the cost Of building and operating ocean
steamers in the United States is not SO much
greater than in Europe. and believe the
time has arrived for Congress to AXE this sub
iect into serious consideration.
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE.
Detailed statements of the disbursements
through the DepaI tment of Justice will be
furnished by the report Of the Attorney Gen
eral, and though these have been somewhat
increased by the recent acts Of Congress 10
enforce the rights Of citizens of the United
States to vote in the several states of the
Union, and 10 enforce the provisions of the
fpurtaanth amendment 10 fha -