Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-11-22
w ASHINGTON.
I An Ex-presidena in a New Role.l


An Ex-President i'm New Roie.i
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 2I.-A patent was
granted ex-PreSident Andrew johnson to-
] day for combination plane.
POstOfIfee Figures.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2l.-The following
points are from the elaborate report of the
Postmaster General: The ordinary reye-
nues of the postoffice department for the
fiscal year ended June 30. SD 996.74I and
expenditures of all kinds S29.0S4, 945: esti-
mated expenditures for the year 1875 are
S33 ,939,9l2: total estimated revenues 500. :
293,549, leaving a deficiency to be
appropriated out of the general
Treasury of S4,636,3S3. This does not in
clude Sl,l20,000 for mail service between
San Francisco, Japan and China. and be-
tween the United States and Brazil. and
Letween San Francisco and the Sandwich
Islands. 1t is stated, counting all railway
lines both WAYS, mail service over them is
34,925 miles daily. Comparing the wear
1873 with 1872, the rate of increase in the
total number of letters exchanged with for
eign countries is u IL per cent. and the
rate OF increase in the amount of postage
thereon per cent. The increase in the
number of letters exchanged with Europe
an countries is 102 per cent, and the in
crease OF postage thereon, amounted to q
per cent.
A new contract has been executed with
the Pacific Mail steamer for an additional
monthly mail between San Francisco and
Hong Kong and Yokahoma. authorized by
act of June, 1872.
He at some length recommends postal !.
saving repositories. In the plan for their
organization two ideas predominant: first,
the United States is to insure safe return
of principal and interest whenever demand
ed; and second, the extensive machinery
of the postoffice is to.be used to bring its
advantages home to the great mass of the
people, and the system organized and con-
Quoted on the basis presented, would not
only encourage economy and habits of saw
ing on the part of all who might be in the
way of earning small sums of money. but
would tend to utilize and keep in circula-
tion immense amounts which are paid out
for wages and in business and give every
depOsitor interest.
He again urges the assumption by the
government of the control of the telegraph.
A government postal telegraph is the only
means by which full benefit of this great
invention can be secured. for wherever
telegraph is under government management
it is operated at its minimum cost, and the
people receive the benefit in low rates of
transmission and greatly extended facili-
ties. The telegraph should be made a
part of the postal system without further
delay, as Congress does not seem to exer-
else discretion given in the third section of
the act of July "a, 1866, TO APP
point appraisers to value lines,
property and effects of the system now in
operation, and as the Western Union Com
pany appears to be unwilling to make vol
untary sale at fair price, the Postmaster
General recommends that provision be
made by law for the immediate establish
ment of postal telegraph, and construction
Of all such lines as may be needed under
the direction of competent officers Of the
Engineer Corps Of the army. The eXpe-
rience they acquired during the war of the
rebellion will enable them to do the work
in a most economical and satisfactory man
ner.
Blaine and the Craftsmanship of Gem