American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1872-12-21
Enthusiastically Report.

clearly appear in this, that our paper currency
is not exclusively OF national bank notes nor eN-
c,usively of United States notes.
Postmaster. Generals Report.
Posr-OFFIcE DEPARTMENT,
WASHINGTON, D. c, November Is, 1>12-
The ordinary revenues of this Department for
the fiscal year enhinG June 30, 1S12, including
neven M! ,, rom money-order business Were l.
d5s, 1872 81. For the year ending .Jnue so. ISL
the ordinary revenues were $50, Oh. ,ofo A. and
the expenditures S24, $50, 10i Is The increase of
revenue for the year ls12 over the year 1871 was
SIS $50 %, or 9 81 per cent, and the increase
of expenditures 81 26S OSs. %, or 929 per cent.
showing net increase of expenditures of 80,
aOa- Is The increase in revenue for the year lsI2
1870 was So O56, O4S72, or I6 OS per cent.
and the increase of expenditures for s12 over $50
was 81 500 354 Is, II II per cent. The increase
in revenue for ls72 compared with Ill, was
greater than the increase for 1871, compared with
1S10, by $40 ,113. Isl and the inc of eNpendi
lures Tor 49, compared with ISL, was greater
than the increase for ISL, compared with ls.O,
by 81 226, SCI rs
If, in addition to the ordinary revenues, the De
partInent be credited with 500, 600 appropriated
for the transportation of free matter, and the
amounts drawn and expended tor subsidies 10
steamship lines, it will appear that the deficiency
provided out of the general Treasury for the year
1872 is 81. 1885, against 81 2s 05s g. for the
The estimated expenditures for the
year ending June 30. 1874, are. $50, e6s, l67
The revenues, estimated at 10 per cent
increase over last year. S-3, 6l9, 81
Estimated rev from money
MON
Estimated increase in
consequent on the intro
duction of postal cards. $50, 33t
-- q, 552, ;G5
Leaving deficiency of. ............ 6, $40, Coz
In addition to the for. going estimates subsidies
Tor mail steamship service amounting TO 81 lti,-
900 are recommended.
The whole number of stamps, stamped cnv, J.
opes and newspaper wrappers was 6fi ,3S ,S2i, of
the aggregate value of $40, 20 CPS.
The number of packages Of postage stamps lost
tlt. wear "a en- re =
ing S,L6, and Of stamped envelopes none being
much less than losses from similar delinqucncies
IN lSI and previous years.
There Were in the service of the Department on
the 9th of June. 1872, 5,5ii contractors for the
transportation of the mails public routes.
There were at the close OF the year ,, 325 ''spr-
clal'' offices each with Il mail-carrier whose pay
from the Department is not allowed TO exceed the
net postal yield of the Office
OF public mail routes in operation there were
annual transportation lis, 9si, :Sa2 miles, and in
annual cost ST., 579, 81. Adding the compensa-
ton Of railway post-office clerks, route-agents
mail-route messengers, local agents, mail mes
ssngsrs and bagga ge-masters in charge of regis
tered packages, amounting to s., 2o6,9.4, the ag-
Sregate annual cost was Sf aI9. 20S.
The service WAS divided as follows:
Railroad routes; length, ;9ll miles; annual
So, 80 ,111-abOut 10. 40 cents per mile.
Steamboat routes: Length, - SO milesi annual
transportation, 4 ,30S4 miles; annual cost,
s7.?, '65-about Is 10 cents per mic.
Other routes, on which the mails are required
Esn Ia miles G ann frn na
portation, IS, Isl, 49, miles, annual cost, 81, 49,,
6ss-about IL cents per mile.
in length of routes of 16, 039 miles; in annual
transportation. al 81 miles; and in cost, ST.,
Oh, $50. Adding the increased cost Tor railway
postoflcc clerks, route, local and other agents.
s35l Ais, the total increase in cost was Sl,3ii,
-09
The railroad routes have been increased in
length e,011 miles, and in cost SIT, ~. Assum-
raia the far ih caused by the a. of
SOL SD, the expense for new railroad service
may be set down at s4ss,9S7, being an average
Cost OF So 81 per mile per annum.
The amount of fines imposed upon contractors
and deductions made from their pay for failures
and other delinquencies for the last wear was
So, 3sI A and the amount RENTED during the
same period was 81, $40 81, leaving the nat
amount of fines and deduc. ions 500, o3 %, APP
pears from the following recapIfuation:
Amount of deductions 50 iiS a.
Total. Observation-Disclosures. So, 3sl q
Amount RENTED. ---................. %, $40. y
Net amount ...............s59 SO, o 2 25
The total number Of new maii-bags procured
were used for transmission of printed matter and
II, As for letter mails. The was 500, g20 81
was :, 900, at cost of s., 500 Of old iron mail
keys, 4, 900 We're purchased at Il cost of $500 The
cost of repairing msil-locks was 81 q 80 80 The
total amount expended for mail-locks and keys
was 81 $3.50.
The plumber of complaints of missing letters
during the year was 4,s9s OF which 2,3, We're
registered, and 1888 unregistered containing
bonds, drafts and currency to the nominal amount
of s235, l79 81 of registered letters, $50 were
accounted for ; and only liz have been reported
as actually lost. The remaining cases are in the
hands of special agents for investigation
For violation Of the postal lave, i 6 persons
have been arrested, Of whom 60 have been
yicted and sentenced to different degrees of pun
lshment; and of the remainder, some have been
discharged and some are awaiting trial.
Railway post-ofiices continue to receive the
special attention of the Department, and the i'm
provement effected during the past year has been
most gratifying. Since the Both of June, ISL,
this branch ofthe service has been largely extend
ed. Eight new lines have been established, with
an aggregate length of 2, 800 miles The daily
nual service 2, IA 30 miles, making necessary
the appointment of 80 additional postal clerks of
various grades. at an annual cost of $l72 ,2m
The total number of letters exchanged, during
the year, with foreign countries 81 3 Z, 800
an inc Tease OF E. Oe6 5o2 the number reported
for lea1- OF this number, II, IA, O54 sent
from, ii ,5ss, 466 were received in, the United
The number of letters (single-rate) exchanged
in the United States and European mails was
Il 1f9, an increase of 569, 439 over the num-
The total postaycs on the letters exchan ged with
foreign countries amounted to 81 81, 2J7 p,
for 1871.
The Postmaster-General strongly recommends
thh immediate and unconditional abolition of the
ranking privilege, and insists that its abolition
/, absolutely necessary to efficient, economic
al and vigorous administration of our postal sys-
TEN by reference to "A report made on January
II, ls7l 1t VIII appear that the actual cost of free
matter If charged iih the regular rates of post
a.
late Presidential canvass the quantity of such
matter was Largely increased and the free matter
carried during the past year, if taxed at ordinary
rates. would have yielded a revenue of three and
a half millions of dollars, larger than the
entire deficiency of the year In addition to the
heavy loss of revenue thus indicated, great in
convenience was experienced from dcrange-
ments and delays in the regular and prompt trans
mission of the mails, caused by the immense
amount of free matter thrown suddenly, and
without notice or system, upon the postal routes
of the country.
very large portion of the report is devoted to
The advocacy of the propriety of the purchase of
The various telegraph lines of the country, with a
view Of making them component part of the
post-oilice system.
The report concludes with earnest appeal
for an increase in the salaries of the heads OF bIl-
reau5 in the Department.
Diseases from Vegetation.