Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-12-04


graph.
The followingis synopsis of the annual re-
port of Postmaster-Genersl Creswell:
The ordinary revenues of this Department
for the fiscal year ended June 80, 1878, were
go, 900, 741, and the expenditures Of all kinds
S29.Os4, 945- For the year ended June 80,
1872, the ordinary revenues were S2l, 915. 426,
and the expenditures S26, 65S 1872. In 1878
there was an increase of revenue over 1872 of
S1,0s1, 313. or 4.93 per cent, and an increase
OF expenditures of 80, 426, 75S, or 3 per cent.
comparison of 1873 with 1871 shows an in
crease in the revenues OF g, 959, $50. or 14.42
per cent and an Increase of expenditures of
s4,694, S4l, or 1924 per cent. The increase of
stamps, stamped envelopes, etc, issued over
the last fiscal year is 81, S29, 900. There has
been gain during the year on thfough-time
mails between New York and San Francisco OF
two days going westward, and one day going
eastward Gains on the other great through
lines have been proportionste. The number
of railway postoffice lines in operation Is
hfty-nine, extending over Is, 900 miles of road.
With this report ends the first decade of the
free delivery service in this country The
grounds relied upon for it's establishment and
extension, namely, public convenience and
stimulus to correspondence, have been fully
verified by experience. Thus far this system,
with it's letter boxes located at convenient
places throughout the large postal cities, and
its frequent deliveries and collections of mail
matter by carriers, has proved to be virtual
extension OF the poetoffce to every house.
The transaction of the postal business of large
communities by few men selected for the
purpose is justified in an economic point of
view by time saved to the people, the reduc-
ton of labor in postoffices, the facilities and
the stimulus given to correspondence, and the
frequency, promptness, and accuracy secured
in the delivery OF letters, and the reduction of
the number of advertised and dead letters
While these benefits are most strikingly seen
in the larger cities, they are felt and approved
in all places where frequency of the mails
density of population, and distance from the
Office make it inconvenient for citizens to call
or send for their mail. The average Of
population to each carrier varies with the
number of people to be served, the extent
of territory, and frequency of deliv-
cries. The general average, however is esti-
mated at 1890 The expense of the system at
each office IL paid out OF the revenue of that
Office. 1t seems but fair. therefore. that this
mode of delivery should be extended to all
cities where the population, business, extent
Of territory, and frequency of mails may au-
thorize the requisite force and outlay. Just
how these elements may combine to warrant
the extension of the system it is difficult to de-
termine, but am of the opinion that it might
advantageously be provided for cities having
IN their corporate limits population of not
less than 10000.
The total number of officers and employees
of the department is Al, 900, of whom 81 1858
are pOstmasters.
Money order transactions show an increase
of over 1900, 000 an increase of Is. So per
cent. More than 100, 900, 900 of postal cards
will be issued during the first wear.
The several acts for the repeal of the frank
ing privilege came IN operation on the LIST of
July last. The results of the first quarter of
the current year are highly satisfactory, and
have fully verified the predictions of the
friends of repeal. The confusion and delay
in the distribution and transmission of the
mails. caused by the sudden throwing. without
notice or system, of immense masses of free
matter on important postal routes. have
been remedied, TINS making it possible to
effect decided improvement in the
ganiZation and practical working of the
service The increase in all issues for the
single quarter following the abolition Of frank
ing was 81. 635, 554, or 351 per cent The large
increase OF receipts Is derived altogether from
general and departmental matter. and from
postal cards. Publications of q class hereto
fore printed and sent out by order Of Con-
gress have been almost entirely cut of since
the LIST of July. OF the relief this 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
q single route on the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
way IN box cars, independently Of the amount
conveyed III regular mail cars, 665, 504 pounds
of such publications, as appears from returns
of actual weights thereof, taken by the COM
pany with the permission Of the department.
These facts, it is respectfully submitted, are
ample to sustain our opinion given in the
special report tn Congress-, under date of Jan.
II, 1871. The cost of this free matter charged
with the regular rates of postage would amount
to 81 543, 327. ~ annually, and it is hoped this
fact will be deemed sufficient to prevent any
attempt to revive abuse which would i'm
pose most grievous burdens upon the postal
service at time when that service is strug-
Cling to meet the growing wants of the coun-
Try in it's course of unparalleled development.
Respectfully submit the following plan for
the prepayment of newspapers of the second
class. and respectfully urge It's adoption: Let
all publishers, or their business managers or
agents, be required at the beginning of every
quarter to state under oath that, after dilligent
inquiry, thcv are satisfied that they will send
in the mails to regular subscribers during the
coming quarter not more than - copies of
the newspaper known as the - (giving
the number OF copies and the name Of the
newspaper): and let them be further required
to pay in advance the postage prescribed by
law, and asking them for duplicate receipts,
one of which shall be transmitted to the POST
Office Department; and to afford q reasonable
opportunity for an increase OF circulation dur
ing the quarter, let the oath taken at the be-
ginning of the next quarter embrace all the adj
ditional copies for the last quarter as well as
the number to be sent during the then COM
mencing quarter. On the other hand, let
Postmasters be required to return, within two
weeks after the beginning of every quarter,
correct lists of all the newspapers addressed
to regular subscribers and dispatched in the
mails from their respective Offices, stating the
number of copies of each newspaper average
weight per paper, number of issues per week,
and the amount Of money paid as
postage therefor. Payment having been
made in advance for the quarter, no
stamp on manipulation would be
needed, but when received into the Office every
paper answering to the description given in
the receipts would be treated as paid. The
papers of persons subscribing after quarter
day would be for warded immediately, and paid
for at the beginning of the next quarter. SO
marked would be the improvement in the col
lections under this law that believe the de-
partment could safely consent, in case of its
adoption, to reduction in newspaper rates of
40 per cent on the present price. At the re-
duced rate, l am satisfied the department
would realize more revenue than now. also
believe that, 30 great would be the saving of
labor to newspaper proprietors in the prepa-
ration of their papers for the mail. and so de-
cided the dispatch and the freedom from mis-
takes in transmission and delivery that they
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