New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-22
THE POSTAL SERVICE.

THE OPERATIONS OF THE FREE DELIVERY S''
TEM-SUCCESS OF THE POSTAL CARD s0n
THE PACIFIC MAIL STEAMSHIP CoMPANfs 'oN-
TRACT-REsULTs OF THE REPEAL OF li'h thNNN-
ING PRIvIIEGE-A NEW METHOD OF Nk"siMhH
POSTAGE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS SALARIES
AN ATTACK on THE WESTERN UNION ILLL"hAFh
COMPANY.
fry TELEGRAPH To THE rRIBuNEl
WASHINGTON. Nov. 2l.-The following is an all
,rac Of the forthcoming report of the Postmaster
General:
The ordinary revenues OF this department for the fiscal
wear ended June So 1873 s29967n 81, and the eI-
neudures OF al kinds S290Sa95 G.. For the year ended
June 3d. 1874 the ordinary revenues were sn9l5i26 81
and thc expenditures S265s92 81 In 1873 there was an
increase 81 revenue 1872 OF 09l5 90 or 493 per
cent and an increase " expenditures of sa2653 &c. or
$40 per cent
The number OF adhesive postage stamps issued during
the year $40 representing S66silS9 stamped
envelope, plain, 65W46OO, representing H,722,bi2
stamped envelopes, request, 522Ol,2j0 representing
t545S7 80 newspaper wrappers 15956.75O represent
ing A4O5C7 90; postal cards, SO9iOOO representing
$1,000. The whole number OF stamps, stamped en-
velcpes, newspaper wrappers. and postal cards
was 76s.l9S,12O, OF the value OF s@Sgb7'6
increase over last fiscal year. 32946 The number
of packages of postage stamps lost In the mails during
year three. representing $50, and OF stamped
envelopes one representing s. As, aud OF postal cards
none being the smallest losses ever incurred during any
year. Tuis is undoubtedly owing TO the fact that all
packages postage stamps stamped envelopes, news
paper wrappers, and postal cards are registered, and
illustrates ia most effective manner the security OF the
registry system.
There we're 1928 public mail routes ID operation aggre
eating In length e562iO miles in ANIMAL transportation
ll99,oG5O miles and N annual cost. $l3,GS53il Adding
the compensation OF railway postOiice clerks, route
agents, ma route messengers local agents mail meg
sonccrs and baggage in charge of registered
packages amounting S25256o3, the aggregate annual
cos was SIC 16lO3i The service divided a follows:
Railroad routes, length 63A5 miles; annual transporla-
ton G5C2l.H5 miles; annual cost, E,257,l96, about
ti.O6 cents per mile. Steamboat routes length,
lC7C2 miles; annual transportation, s9lI7S5 miles
annual cost. S79o6i5. about POPS cents per mile.
Other routes upon which the mails are
required 10 Dc conveyed with celebrity, certainty and
security length 1891 miles; annual transportation
203i04zj miles; annual cost $5555,500 about Hos cents
Ter mile There was increase over the preceding
year IN lonh Of routes, of 1872 miles, in annual trans
pOrtation 92J 32S miles, ana in cost S,OG3O7 Adding
the Increased for railway postOtcC clerks route,
local and other agents G3s7i9, the total increase in
cost was sle The railroad routes have been in
creased length $50 miles, aud in cost $5l,425 against
an increase last year S077 miles IN length aud SITTER
Ia cost
Tie through mail tables appended here to exhibit
an Improvement in The service between NewYoTk and
Francisco tho average time westward during the
year ending Sept 80 1873 being 179 hours minutes
than u days. against 2G hours % minutes or
than days the preceding year and the average
time eastward ia minutes, little Il days,
against 97 hours 40 minutes. nearly 81 days the pre-
ccdinc year.
Tue number OF recorded complaints for the past
o. missing letters GIGS, Of which $3.50 were unre-
gsered 2Is5 registered containing in the former,
as reported in bonds, drafts, and currency,
8l23 and in the lat Ter S7042l o. OF the registered
letters, so accounted fol- 3l3 are reported as ac
tually lost, and 973 still In the hands of special
agents for Investigation. During the year 500 persons
were arrested for various ofenses against the
postal laws and regulations. OF these % have
been convicted. end 20 have been acquitted
1913 aro awaiting trial. and s5 have been
discharged for OF sufficient evidence
Vction. 10 is amazing lhat many persons will per-
sst IN sending money through the mails. thereby
subiectng themselves ana the public to risk, and
tempting tho weak dishonesty and rum. when The
department provides the OF transmission by
money orders, at insignificant cost Some Of tho
most experienced officers in the service are OF the
opinion that Congress should adopt such legislation as
will prevent the Use Of the mails for the conveyance OF
money letters. and compel the registration OF every
valuable package.
A tabular statement hereto appended shows that the
number railway pOSt-ofce lines in operation June
3D. 1873 was So extending over uiles railroad
ana steamboat TDutes. an increase of lines and 40
miles over the preceding year The number OF clerks
employed 49, at annual cost OF S9lOOO. an iu-
crease OF ciers and sll94O0 Upon 1882 miles the
service Is performed daily upon 1888 miles, twice
daily aud upon p miles, four times daily, equivalent IN
all 10 74C3 miles each way daily. Counting ali the limos
both ways, tue aggregate service is S96 miles daily
FOREIGN
The total number OF letters exchanged during the year
with foreign countries 27,4591s5. OF
sO96j cverthc number repor for 1872. or this
her 1932G74 sent from and 1326.jn were received
III the United States. The number Of letters, single
rates exchanged IN United states and European
mails was l95S5,5ll increase Of 19o25e the
number reported for 1872 The total postage on the
exchanged with foreign countries amounted to
s2Ol0 So an increase OF sl60055 81 over the amount
The cost Of the United States transatlantic mail steam
ship service Tor tho 1873 $226745 H. being an
OF $40 u over the cost OF the same service ol
the year l5'2 Inc payments maoe 10 tne Respective
steamship lines conveying mails TO Europe. reoely-
Ing the sea postages as tulI compensation TOT
and Great Western, Williams aud GuiOn line, for
OIL trips from New-York to Queenstown, S97s4 ~;
the Hamburg American Packet Company, for 81 trips
from New-YOrk to Plymouth aud Hamburg, and four
VIZ sf ss tS North German Loyd Of Bremen, for Il
trips from NeRYork 10 southampton and Bremen. ana
Orleans 575 az the White line, for 80 trips from
EewYork Queensown; $40 o5 s7 the human Line for
5000 lS the Cunard Line for IS trips
for ~" tfips rom Ne York $500 4S the Baltic Lloyd
Line, one trip from Ne~-York to stettn, si2 o.
The United states hostages on mails conveyed TO and
from the West ludies, Panama andCenral Amerca bra
New Zealand amounted s375l7 aud the cost of the
sea conveyance thereof was s05.5g5 So. The United
States hostages on mails exchanged with Brazil Japan
aud China. the Sandwich Islands. NewLeaand and
steamers amounted to s49s2s 49, The total cost of the
United States mail steamship service Tor the year
ls73 Including $T2 paid the special appropria
tlo for shin service 10 Japan China. Brazil
and 10 the Hawaiian Islands, was Sl.Oi7,2.l 3d.
xHE CONTRACT WITH The PACIFIC NAIL STEAMSHIP
COMPANY.
A new contract has been executed with the Pacific
Nal In additional