The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1873-11-29
Ahstrss, u the Fsstmastsr Geasrars
Report.


CoafTsEy % evi<czi, Postmaster GeaeEal
CresweH iorwarled a ccsy a Ms report 70
the pres il advaaee IL i;sdelivery y Con
gross. The falsowiss- Is "a abstract
fne ordinsEJ ressla.s * n. Pusfofiee
Z Deparlmeas Fsg tbs sscal scar eadsd June
Is, 1873. ve7s So lesl5-54I. and eIpsa-
disaEes II az kials wesr s2s,eSi .4i5.
h estimated eEpcadifzrcs for the year
1874 ara SD 93s ,gi3. the total estimated
rsseaass SO Zs35i9, leaving de6eisney
+ 70 BE- spgss prfaiei oaf o. the gcasr7l treas
ury q Sass, s3s3. Tai. does not iasiude
81 rs $50 ia mail service between san
Franeiseo and japan and China, and BE-
tsesn ths Iaite,l States and Brri. and
besseen san FraHeisco sn1 the Sandwich
IsAals1
i Tbs repoTs 81 the Postmaster General,
in Speaking u mai aep-esiztions, says that
j. ! AMAZING sha; 50 many persons viii
E qsFsiss IA seaiing money through the mails,
theresy sgbjectins themselves and the pab-
lie 10 Fisk, aad teapSisg tho weak 10 dis
k0aesty aud ruin, Ehsn the Department
prugidcs the means o. safe transmission By
ns5aey orders Z, an insignificant cost.
Some q the most sxperieneei o.keers IN
{ thu seTvise are Of the opinion thas Con
grass shgzld adoys sleh iezisl1tioa As Eill
I PTeveni the ase 81 the na4ils for the eon-
f. veysaee o. 1oley 10 letters and eoupel
the registration Of every valuable paekage
l, ]. s;aaei that counting al the rail
E4y lines both ways the mail service over
then Is - ,92j miles daily.
ComgaFing the year 1873 with 1872 the
Eate q Increase in the tosstl number Of let
tiers exelzasei with foreign countries vas
L Iii per cent, and the rate Of inerszse
IN the am9uns OF postage thereon 5 per
eeaL The increase ia number Of letters
exchanged with EaroPean countries vas
{ l0t per cent, and the increase Of postage
tbsrecu amount 10 = per cent
4 new contract has been executed with
the Paeisc Mail Steamship Company for
The sdiisi3nal moathly nal between san
( Francisco aai HoHg Kong, via Yokoha-
ma, aa.horiE.sl b. the act Of June, 1872.
Iha sdiiti0aal service aath5TiEsd BY the
az should have been commenced GA the
IL Of OeiobeE by an American built iron
steamship. Cf ~, less than 1, 900 tons reg
istsr. TIE company has, hoSeveF, failed
% e0mPly vith this Contract because, as i
alleged, Of unexpected difficulties which
retarded the building Of the new steam
ship ngE being e0astFletad for the service.
No god reason < perceived Ehy the con-
paay should no, be permitted to continue
the service As q. present until the new
shiEs are completed and placed upon the
line. with the understanding that il shall
make 10 eAim On the additional subsidy
q any part thereof, bat shall receive the
. SEA postage Only as heretofore in full com
F.. Teasation for the addiiioual service until
{ the eou;raet shall Be fally complied with
4 postal convention, establishing and
regulating "a exchange q correspondents
beiEceR the United States and japan, BY
means e dire; Ines Of steamers plying
between the seaports Of the iEO countries,
has been formally sgreed upon and s1eeu-
ted Eiih The Charge d Affairs Of Japan al
Washington, and Is to Be carried into ef-
feei six m9nihs after is ratification BY the
I GoyeTunent Of japan
The Postmaster tfeue-al, in spe4king
Of the regulation between the United
States and France for a postal eoaveniion
SAYS the Department yielded 10 France in
the Increase Of the rate Of letter postage,
and the advantage u rating and collecting
her postage BY the smaller standard Of
weight, and uothing can be urged against
I is adoption except the demand that this
country shall use the exceptional French
Standard f1E rating letters /, has been
submitted By the French Minister to bis
Government SoF instructions, and the Post
master General trusts that il viii Be aeeep-
ted, a. It eoaeeies al thai, in his Jude-
ment, the Department can eoaeede 10
eject = settlement Of the vexei question
IN controversy, due regard being had TO
the interest shd eoaveaienee Of the Ameri-
can people
I The Postmaster General repeats his re-
commentator for the prepayment Of pos
tase 90 newspapers aud other matter Of
the second elass By the weight of packages
rather than BY the present system. So
marked would be the improvement in
collecting under this plan, he believes the
Department could safely consent, in case
I Of its adoption, 10 . reduction 10 newspaper
rates Of forty per cent on present prices.
I He further recommends that on all matter
Of the third class the postage be made
uniform at one per cent for each two
{ ounces or fraction thereof. and the maxi
mum weight Of packages increased to four
pounds; also, that any person be permitted
I wifhoa, additional charge to write . form
Of presentation in any book, pamphlet,
magazine, periodical, or other matter of
the third-class; aud also that the sender Of
any package be permitted without addi-
tional charge to write his or her name aud
address on the outside thereof. with the
word from above or preceding the same,
% as to inform the person addressed Of the
name Of the sender, and to write briefly on
any package the number and name Of the
articles enclosed
I The Postmaster General at some length
recommends postal saving repositories, and
again urges the assumption by the Govern
ment Of the control of the telegraph. The
telegraph should be made part Of the postal
system without further delay. As Con.
gress does not seem inclined to exercise
the discretion given in the third section of
the act Of June p, 1866, to appoint ap-
praisers to value the lines, property and
effects Of the companies now in operation,
and as the Western Union Company APP
pear to be unwilling to make a voluntary
sale at fair price, the Postmaster Gene
eral recommends that provision be made
by law for the immediate construction Of
all such lines as may be needed under the
direction Of competent officers Of the En-.
giueer Corps of the Army.
About one o'clock on the morning Of
] Noy 10 tary,e merchant x.ss..f ~, L., r.u