New-York tribune., 1874-11-10
WASHINGTON.
THE POsT-OFFICE DEPARTMENT.


REPORT OF THE THIRD ASSISTANT POSTMASTER
GENERAL-sALEs OF POSTAGE STAMPS, STAMPED
ENVELOPES AND POSTAL CARDS-INCREAsED
REVENUE ANTICIPATED FROM NEWSPAPER POST
AGE
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9.-The Hon. E. NJ. Bar
ber Third Assistant Postmaster General has completed
his annual report 1t shows that during the last fiscal
year there issued postmasers for sale to the
public adhesive postage stamps OF the value
OF 2i2 OF plain stamped envelopes about 65OOO
OOO valued at $92952; Of stamped envelopes bearing
O return request 5200O00o valued at 73373S OF news
paper wrappers 100000 valued at s22oOOo; and
of postal cards 100000 The increase In value OF the or
binary issues the preceding year was sl66s4 or
over eight per cent These figures represent the cost OF
manufac added to the postage value. Is esti-
mated for the fiscal year ending June So 1874 there
will be required defray the cost Of adhesive post
age stamps s464 OF stamped envelopes and wrappers
Of postal cards, sl59sO6, and Of advertising,
sll5OOO The number Of stamps issued each year in
creases at a uniform rate OF about 10 per cent per
annum but In consequence Of more advantageous con-
tracts having been effected the estimate for the above
items IS some 900 less than the amount appropriated
for them the current fiscal year The Deaf Letter
Division received during the past year 46Ol773 letters
representing actual nominal value or A637,4 49,
exclusive of ewery and other property which class OF
Enclosures treated possessing money value that
can with correctness be determined One million, three
hundred and ninetytwo thousand, two hundred aud
twentyfour letters representing s9O96S, were dev-
cred to the owners writer's, including 225,893
foreign letters, which returned unopened
TO tho countries whence they or the
remainder some 100000 either worthless contain
ing circulars ETC., could not be delivered and were
destroyed The filed for reclamation or 10 the
hands Of Postmasters for delivery The Third Assistant
strongly recommends that provision be mado by law
for furnishing to every Postmaster throughout the
country ndeble ink and other requisites for ehcctuay
capcelur postage stamps and for post marking. None
of the Post Offices furnished by the Depart
ment with any such articles for the protection OF the
Cox yernuent Mr. Barber estimates that the proportion
of washed sampsiused again in payment OF postage
five per cent OF the value Of all the stamps sold each
year. causing annual loss OF soooO to the revenues
Of the Department. The report describes the
plan devised by the Third Assistant, and ap-
proved by the Postmaster-General for collect
ing newspaper postage under the prepayment
law whlch to go into effect next January Tnis sys
memorandum Of mailing, or In other words, to stub In
book retained by the postmaster at the mailing Office
a receipt showing the weight OF the matter and the
amount paid being gwen by the postmaster to the per-
son mailing the The stamps affixed to the stub TO
be Cancelled by cutting punch 1t Is expected that not
wthsandng the reduction OF rates by the new law this
system compulsory or ne wspaper postage
Will weld larger than has been collected
Comprehensive inquiry seems TO warrant the belief that
the City OF NewYork alone not less than 100000 per
annum will be paid, which Is little less than
half OF the entire revenue from newspaper postage
the United States during the last fiscal year.
IL is no sever impossible TO estimate the actual in
the law which allows free mail circulation OF newspa
pe RS in counties iu which they printed.