Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-02

The issue Of stamps. stamped enve,opes ana
s,pNsPsPer wrappers for the year smouutas 4,
the p,ss,o, or ~ I4i.c'e.75 more than during
so 81 Public mail routes in Operation tssre var.
| annual sTsnss>'.s IN length 25l ~ milc-. IA
annual ross 49, anon III, ASP miles AMI IN
railway clers. - sddiag Compensation.
sl4,' s,ae, being an increaS. az = a. -, VS..
;n icpsib ~ ,o1 route have been inercsssd
the largest increase which ever &c.,, -. Ahst y
one year. The additional cost for r..,l N Nhl
OF lay ON rslrosd routes Vas $50. s.Iss.
1ae number ef complaints OF mis-ny ,.....-
daring the year Was s.sSS, OF which 49, 80
registered and 2.ssS unregistered. cont ,ins,.',
bonos, drafts aud currency q the nomin.l
amount OF SIS ,sss.Si. OF REGISTERED letter 50
we're accounted tor, and only IL have ~, M -
ported ~ actually lost. The remaining csse.
are In the hands OF special agents tor iuvestisa-
ton. Sixty nine persons we're arrested Tor vio-
is'icn OF the postal laws, sud Others arr await
ing trial.
The total number OF letters exchanged duriny
the year with foreign countries Wa q .B6l -.
an increase OF 4,0f6 5O2 over the numher ret,art-
ed for 1871. OF this number. i2,s7s.ooi we're
nted States The total post ages o. the letters
exchanged with foreign countries amounted %
Si,s'i .25.25, an increase 81 -is5. ~ % over lie
amount reported for Is
Comparing the year 49, with the veqr 1871.
the rate OF increase a. tie tltaf nun. f,r al, L. tar
exchanged with foreign oosutrlos Wa - per
I II IL
hostages thereon was s. Ter cent. me --l-re..e
in tic number OF letters exchange. y.rb -.
Ieah co9ItIles was = pr cent, AMI tte an
crease Of poStasos thereon smoautvJ 70 D. Z pr
cent The cost OF the United s ttas tFsnsaf-
lsntic mail steamship service for tse wear f,.s
was $40 Sol5O; being an increase I'd ktsris n
over the cost OF the same service tor rie ysar
ls5li while the total cost OF the ocean ma Sc
vice generally was ~ ,025 1900.
After speaking OF new contracts durIrg the
year the Postmaster General reuews - 80
commentators OF last year Tor A. incrt ast az
service from monthly 60 semi monthly trips on
the mail steamship route % Brazil, aud a-o Tor
3 moderate subsidy I'm aid of the estabItsbuent
and maintenance of Rn American line of maj
steamers between San Francisco and New Zea-
Islands.
The new and additional postal treaties with
foreign countries are noted. The POstmsst.sr
General rays the negotiations with the French
sion OF postal convention, fixing the single
rate OF international postage at cent es1
centifnes) per ~ grsmmes, and providing Tor
! the exchange Of printed papers OF every Kind
upon satisfactory terms. The draught OF this
convention has been definitely agreed 20 by the
French director Of posts, and has been submit
ted Tor the approval Of the minister OF finance
It's conclusion will leave little 20 he accom-
plished by treaty for some time 20 come, with
respect either to cheapness OF rates or facilities
The total Department employees and no,t-
maseers and ethers directly or indirectly con-
nected with the Department is 4a.65s, against
| 1884 In ISL. POstmasters salaries have been
resd Justed Tor two years from July I, 1872, ami
make yearly aggregate OF IS Ga, Gas, a little
Tor this purpose. he Whole pnm,sty year =,
dead letters received was 4.2ll .y74, OF which
ti,6oO were foreign. The total amount
OF money contained in these letters wAs
e. 2l.55, most Of which has been delivered 10
the writers, while the remainder awaits re-
olamation. The whole number Of money order
ofices in operation II 2,775-an increase OF 80
over last year. The receipts from these Offices
were soJo,iss.io, and expenditures, s22i ,52l.6S.
lhe amount OF money orders issued WAS
! Sc, BIS, 55272, and the total pavmenf,
S4s,4i0ei4g7 Since the establishrneut ,f this
! system, November I, 1884, the revenues OF the
EOyerumeut from this source have been in
creased s3i3, S97.G3. The international postal
VTGeT system has worked satisfactorily. From
| october !, 1871, 10 June 30 last, the amount OF
orders Issued in this country for payment in tie
United Kingdom was St' ,t26.0s; and the
amount OF orders from hat king dom paid here
| Was as, sloS3 Tie system j. nov in 0per ttion
| betNeentke United States aud Great Britain
Switzerland and Germany.
| The Postmaster General earnestly renew 4.
I recommendation Cor the abolition OF the irauk-
| ing privilege and discusses tEe sg5ject a. some
length. he says that the free matter carried
| during the year, AZ taxed az the regular rates
would have yielded a revenue OF % 5000
sum larger than the sntire dehclencv oil ths
year. The Recommendation IT. also renewed iu
regard to postal telegraph in a lengthy re-
view OF the matter in which Mr. CrssWs77i meets
the principal objections 10 the system. lie says
the telegraph system hss grown up by the si1e
"a buA Alc IAA Ia bcCH Too often AZ
hberal and unpTogressive. The tariffs are eN-
Orbitant, unequal, aud complex, supplemented
IN some cases by enormous charges for Local de-
livery, and regulated entirely 5y the pleasure
OF the companies. Many statistics OF the oaera-
tons OF the system in foreign countries are
given 10 show the advantages Of such
n means OF communication. Mr.. Ores well SAVE.
: Grave difficulties have arisen from time u
TINE between the gOy ernment aud certain OF
the telegraph companies, which have declined
and still decline TO furnish such facilities A. are
Ceemed essential 70 the perfect success OF The,
: gnal service. In my opinion, q government
telegraph affords the only sal eguard against the
continuance Of such evils. While the embar-
Tassment consequent on the attitude OF the tele-
graph companies toward the government de-
mands prompt attention, IL il but one Of the
many considerations which point 20 the adoption
Oh postal telegraph as a measure OF immediate
public necessity"
He closes his consideration OF the subject as
follows: 81 am decidedly Of opinion that, N the
public interest requires a postal telegraph, II
should be put entirely into the hands of the gov
eminent Ii, on the contrary, . postal telegraph
Is not 20 demanded, then the government 81 Ould
not favor one private company 70 the exclusion
OF another, nor should n In snywise enter into
competition with private enterprise"
The Recommendation OF last year Tor the es-
tablishment of p0st-ohice savings banks Il re-
Dewed, and an appropriation for postal CARDS,
which was inadvertently omitted by Congress at
Its last session, recommended.
The report closes with the recommend alton
that the salaries Of the heads Of bureaus OF the
department be lar gely increased.