American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-12-06

SIR: The ordinary revenues Of this Department
for the fiscal year ended June 80, 1873, were 81
20 al and the expenditures of all kinds S29.
ai5t7. For the year ended June go 1872! The ordin
airy revenues were SsI.915 i2,.37, and the expendi
lures S2o5s 1872 81. In 1873 there increase
revenue over 1S2of 81 -OS1 .3l5 10 per cent
and increase of expenditures of 81 i26 : 3 30 OF
| $40 per cent. comparison of 1873 with 1871
shows an increase in revenues of 95, $50 L,
~ per cent, and an increase OF expenditures
| of Si,69i Sil.a9. or 1924 per cent.
IT, IN addition to the ordinary revenues the De
parrmeni is credited with the amounts drawn and
expended for subsidies to mail-steam-hip liner
| CS1s $40, it will be that the amount drawn
from the general Treasury, under the aI,propria
| iions to meet deficiencies during the year was
s. 265. 40, against 81 165 81 in 1872 To the de-
fciency for 1872, however. to be added the
standing appropriations for free matter. amount
ing TO so 30, which have since been repealed.
The estimated expenses for the year ending june
30. 1875. $50. g2a,sl2; total esiimaied receipts
923, 459. leaving deficiency of S.36.36 to be
Appropriated out of the general Treasury. These
estimates do not include the special appropriations
in the Of subsidies.
The total number Of stamps, stamped envelopes
newspaper-wrapper- and postal cards issued dur
ing the year was 76i, 1sS 100, of the value Of S2u
399,716.
RoUTEs.
or public mail-rOutes in operation there were
142i. asgregating in length 256.21U mites in annu
al transportation, l19 800 $50 miles and in annual
cost, S13,635.341. Adding the compensation of rail
messengers, local agents, mail messengers. and
baggage-masters in charge of registered packages,
amounting to s., 525, 693 the aggregate annual cost
was SIG. 161, 054
There an increase the precedingsyear
in length of routes of 1872 miles. in annual trans
portation, 81. :'2S miles and in cost. 81 g. -
Adding the increased cost for railway post-office
clerks. route, local and other agents, S51S, az the
total increase in cost was 81 ISIS
The railroad routes have been increased in
length 5,oi6 miles, and in S154425. against an
increase last year of 500 miles IN length and ST.,
I99 in cost.
MAIL DEPREDATroNs
The number Of recorded complaints for the past
year OF missing letters was 6.l65. of which $3.50
were unregistered and S.lSo registered. Cont anng
i'll the former, reported in bonds, drafts and
currency. 5000 rs 81, and The latter 81 .43l.9l
Of the registered letter.. 500 We're accounted for
3l3 are reported actually lost, and 913 still in
the hands of special agents for investigation. Dur
S Per wers .ST
OF these, "a have been convicted, 20 ha re been
quilted. l:3 are awaiting trial, and 95 have been
convection Some of the most experienced oficers
in the service of the opinion that Congress
should adopt such legislation will prevent the
| of the mails for The conveyance Of money in
letters and compel the registration Of every valu
able package.
RAILWAY PosT-oFFICEs.
A tabular statemept hereto appended shows that
the number Of railway post-offce lines in opera
ton the 30th Of June. 1873 was 50. extending
over H. s6 miles of railroad and steamboat
An increase of two lines and 40 miles over the
preceding year. The number of clerks employed
49,. al annual cost Of S941 0C0-an increase
of 1903 clerks and S1la,4N. Upon 12,312 miles the
service is performed daily. upon 2,53S miles twice
daily. and upon y mile- four times daily. Count
ing all the lines both ways, the aggregate service
is 1895 miles daily.
FOREIGN MAILS.
The total number of letters exchanged during
the year with foreign countries 81, 50 lis.
increase of '.096 6S5 the number reported for
1872. OF this number, 49,. O. were rent from
and 13l-6.51l were received in the United States.
The number of letters tsipgle rates) exchanged
in the United States and European mails ~,
5s55l an increase of 1,s02515 over the number
ported for 1872.
The total hostages on the letters exchanged with
foreign countries amounted TO S2,021310.s6 an in
1871
Comparing the year 1873 with the year 1872 the
of increase i'll the total number OF letters
changed with foreign countries 12.1 per cent.
and the rate OF increase in he amount Of hostages
thereon per cent. The increase in the num-
Der of letters exchanged with European countries
was 10ai per cent, and die increase of hostages
thereon amounted x per cent
steamship service for the year 1873 was $40 74o
being increase of Sd. i4o0s the cost of The
| same service for the year 1872.
FREE DELIVERY.
Speaking Of the free delivery system The report
Gays the expense of The system at each Office il
paid out of the revenue of that office. IL seem.
bur fair. there fore, that this mode of delivery
should be extended to all cities where the popula
ton business extent of territory and frequency
of the mails may authorize the requisite force and
outlay. just how far these elements may COM
bine 10 warrant the extension of the system il is
difficult to determine; but of thu. opinion
that it might he vanlagousy provided for cities
having in their corporate limits population OF
| not less than 10 600
DEAD LETTERS
Number OF domestic letters received at the
Dead Letter Office during The year were 4133,92s
number Of foreign letters 26S 100 total A. 2 BIB
representing actual nominal value of So 1.,5,
,64 IL OF this number. l.S2o. los, representing
S531', 9e3 20 were delivered TO owLcrs writers
81 1873 representing Sl32 9l3 49, which could not be
delivered. were filed for reclamation; 11.31O re-
manned either on hand not noted upon, were
outstanding in the hands Of Postmasicrs for de-
livery June 80 1873, and represented $S4 ST. 81
and 2.533 1872 which either could not be delivered.
or from 'arioss causes were worthless, were de-
stroyed.
The number of applications for dead letters was
5gS and i'll p IS the letters were found and
forwarded o applicants owners.
The amounts received and deposited in the Urea
srry from this source during the year were: From
unclaimed dead letters, Sb20S proceeds Of sales of
waste paper. 81. i01.55: sales of post-route maps,
So. 10; sales of old carpets, Sa93. 56-making a
total of S10,351.5l.
THE MONEY ORDER SYSTEM.
The number Of money order ost-otiices in oper-
alton during the Last fiscal year was On July
five discontinued, making the whole number
at present 3,U69. OF the additional offices, seven
Were opened at subpost-ofices stations in large
cities. viz: one in Boston, one in Chicago, and five
i'll Philadelphia
The number of domestic money-orders issued
during the year was 3355 os6. the aggregate value
Of which was S51.516,215.69; the number paid was
3,34, S1S-amounting to $56,90O 351 "a: repaid to
remitters, $'4 Col o. total paid. So 29o 2s-
leaving S2l 20i42 the excess Of issues over pay
ments-
The amount of fees paid by the public to Post,
masters for the issue of money orders was S3oI--
+ 2a5. These transactions show an increase over
those Of 1872 of 50 OO SIS 81 or l. 55 per cent, in
the amount of orders issued; of SS,S75,3r1.3o or
S-3 per cent, i'll the amount OF orders paid and
of Si3l659 or 23 per cent, in the amount OF fees
received. The average amount of the money or
der- issued during the last year S1714 being
81 Il less than the average of the preceding year
The small increase in the fees received, AS com
pared with The issues and payments of orders. i
owing the reduction, by the act OF June 8, 1872
of the fee for orders not exceeding SD from 10
cents to GEMS The diminution Of the average
amount of The orders is To be attributed to the same
cause which stimulated purchase OF small or
ders Issued at one half the rate formerly charged
An appropriation for Ine manufacture and deliy
cry of pos al cards having been secured by the act
of Jan. s. 1873, immediate steps We're taken &c
meet the public demand therefor. As predicted
they have been favorably received. They have
| supplied public want, and have made II new and
remuneraIiye business for the Department. The
issues foot up: From May TO June 81. 81 0l40Oo
from July to Sept. 81, b. $500, making a loia
of 6i.3U2,a0
too,OOo Tor the consumption of the first year viii
be more than realized.
THE FRANKING PRIVILEGE.
| The several acts for the repeal of the Thanking
privilege became operative ON The 1t OF July last
The results of the first quarter of The current yea
highly satisfactory, and have fully verified the
predic iiuns of the friends of the repeal. The con
fusion and delay in the distribution and transmits
| sion of The mails, caused by suddenly throwing
| matter upon important postal routes have oeet
| remedied, thus making 1t possible 10 effect de
cided Improvement in the organization and prac
| tical working of the service.
Publica lions of the class heretofore printed and
| sent out by order of Congress have been almost
entirely cut of since the LIST of July OF the relief
| thus afforded some idea may b.. formed from tn,
fact that during the three months next preceding
that day there were forwarded from this city ovel
single route, the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad II
| boX-car- independently of the amount conveyed
| in the regular mail-car=, 6h5,5oi pounds of such
publications. appears from returns of the actua
| weight thereof taken by The company with per
mission of the Department.
| These facts it i, respectfully submitted, am
pie sustain the opinion, given III the special re
| port 10 Congress under date of January Il. 1871