Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-12-12
The pe,srtnent Reports.
ABSTRACT OF THE POSTMASTER GENERAL
REPnRT.

The Department Reports
ABSTRACT OF The POSTMASTER GhNi-NAA
REPORT
The ordinary revenues oil TINS uePai
for the year ended june 30th, 1873, were
sa2 se6 al. and the expenditures oil al
kinds sos, Os4 ,945; for the year ehuins
June 80, 1872, the ordinary revenues WERE
S2I ,sI5, 426, and the expenditures s@o'o'o
lsa. In 1873 there was an increase oil re'e-
nues over 1872 Of 81, 65l ,3l5. or LIS per
cont and an increase of expenditures oil
50 .ae "a or an increase of $40 per cent
Increase of stamps, stamped enVeiopes'e''-'
;ssred over last fiscal year, 81 ,32s, 600
There has been gain during the year on
,hro,yb t;na mails between New York and
San Francisco Of two days WESTWARD anu
one day eastward. Gains on other great
tbroppb lines have been proportional. Inc
number of railway postofhee lines in opera
tion is SO, extending over i3'ooo mics OIL
road. With this report ends the hfS' uee-
ode of free delivery service in this country.
This system with its letter-boxes located at
convenient noints throughout the large
postal centres. land its frequent deliveries
and collections of mail matter by carriers
has nroved IN Ia a virtual extension OF the
nostofiee to every house. The average OF
population to each carrier varies with the
number of people to be served, the extent
Of territory and the frequency oil deliveries.
The general average, however, is estimated
at 96q The EXPENSE of the system at each
office Is paid out Of the revenue oil that once
1t seems but fair, therefore, that thls mode
of delivery should be extended to all cities
where the population, business, extent OF
territory and frequency OF mails may au-
tborize the requisite force and outlay Just
how far these elements may combine to
warrant the extension Of the.System 1t Is
dif5eult IN determine. but ! am OF the
oninion that it might he adyantageously
provided in cite having in their corporate
limits population of less than 10000 The
total number OF officers and employees OF the
department is A. 900, Of whom 81 ,o63 are
nostmasters. The money order transactions
show an increase of over nine million dol
lars. or Is. % per cent. More than one hun
dred millions Of postal cards Will be used
during the first year. The several acts Tor
the repeal of the Thanking privilege became
lucrative on the lst of July last The
results Of the first quarter Of the current
wear are highly satisfactory and have fully
verified the predictions OF the friends oil the
repeal. The confusion and delay in the dis
tribntiOn and transmission Of the mails
caused by suddenly throwing without
notice or system immense masses OF Tree
matter upon important postal routes have
been remeiied. The increase in all issues
for the single quarter following the abol!-
ton of ranking was l,635 so, or .
percentage Of 81 This large increase Of
receipts i, derived altogether from gen
eral and department matter, and from
postal cards Publications OF the
class heretofore printed and sent ont
hy order OF Congress have been al
most entirely cut of since the first OF July
Ofthe relief thus afforded some idea may be
formed from the fact that during the three
months next preceding that day there were
forwarded from this city over the single
route Of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad IN
box cars. independently Of the amount con
veyed in the regular mail ears, too ,5Ol
pounds OF such publications, n appears
IRON the returns Of the actual weight there
OF taken By the company with the per
mission Of the department. The-s facts, 10
j respectfully submitted, are ample 70 -us-
tain the opinion given in q special report 60
Congress under date OF January 18th, ISL
that the cost Of free matter. if charged with
the regular rates Of postage, would amount
to s. $40. 337.72 annually, and II Is hoped
thst they will be deemed sufficient 10 pre-
vent any attempt 10 revive an abuse which
, would impose most grievous burdens upon
the postal service az time when that ser
vice Is struggling 10 meet the growing
wants Of the country IN It, course OF unpar-
alleled Development. | respectfully sub
nit plan for the prepayment of newspa-
pers Of the second class, and urge IT. adop-
ton
The remainder Of the report is devoted ~
AL elaborate discussion ami advocacy al .
system Of postofhce savings banks. and 10 a
renewal Of Mr.. Cresweli's recommenda-
tion- for the establishment Of postal tcie-
graph The report closes a. follows.
The telegraph should be made part OF
the postal system without further delay
A. Congress does not seem inclined t. cxer-
else the discretion given IN the thlrd section
Of the act Of July, 1850. 10 appraisers q
value the lines. property and effects OF the
companies now IN operation. and q the
Western MON Company appears 20 be IN
willing u make voluntary sale at tar
price. / recommend that provision De made
-hv law for the immediate establishment Of q
postal telegraph and tor the construction Of
3 all such lines Is may be needed m the best
, and most expeditions manner, under the d.
rection Of competent officers OF the engineer
corps of the army. The experience they -
. quired during the war Of the rebellion
! would enable them to do the work in the
p most economical and satisfactory manner
rHE NAVY.
The secretary Of the navy in his report Il
the President, says there are now IN the
navy l65 vessels. carrying. exclusive OF
howitzers, .2G9 guns, a reduction since ms
last annual report, by sale and otherwise,
= Of - vessels, enumeration OF these yessei-
presents G3 steamers, other than iron-clad-
and tugs, carrying s36 guns; ~ sailing
D vessels, 322 guns A iron-clad vessels, III
guns and 50 tugs used for navy yard
and freight purposes. or this number there
, are al present in commission for sea service
distributed on several foreign stations and
on our own coast 46 vessels, carrying 40l
: guns Of Others. slOOps OF war, anthoriz-
T ed By the last Congress, are all IN process
of buildng-one half at the various navy