, 1874-11-12

Report OF tho Third Assistant Po"t~
1nustcr-tacn Sn1o Of stamps
Dcnh Lcttcrs-Cnncc1lhtao
nlent OF Newspaper fosanRcs
WAsu1NoroN. Nov. 0.--Ilon. Z. n. Barber,
Third Ass.stnnt pos!mastev- General, has coui-
ptotod Lin annual report. It shows that
during tho Inst fiscal yoar tloro woro
,ssued to Postmaators, for snlo to tho
pnblio, e32 .73D 900 adhesive postage stamps Of
tho valuo Of a17, ,275.2i2; Of plnin stamped un-
yolopos, about o5 900, ,00u, valued at 81 027. .052
of stampod onvolopos boaring roturn rcquost
$4,000, ,o0o, valued at t,7aa, ,79s; Of newspaper
Wrappers, eomo 1o,ooo,ooo, valued at 100000,
md Of postal-oards 91,oO0,o00. Tho increano in
yaluo Of tho ordinary issues oyor the preceding
yoar was sl,c08,44s, or over por cont. These
hgureH roprosont tho cost OF manufacture addod
to tho poatnl valro.
It is is estimated that for tho Aeca1 year end
fray tho cont Of adhesive poat.ge-stamps 914o.-
794; Of stampcd envelopes aud Wrappers, SLID
$40 uf poHtal.carde, elbD, ,80B and OF advortts-
ing, $4,000. Thcn,ln1bor Of Htamps, &c:, Issued
each year tncroaaos at uniform ratio OF anous
10 per cont per annum, but IN consequence OF
moro advantageous contracts having boon o1ect-
cd, tho estimate for tho ahove items ia eomo
S31 900 lcss than THO sum appropriated TOR them
for tho current fiacal year.
The Dcad-Lottcr Division received during tho
paat year 4601 ,773 lcttors topresontng m actual
or nominal yaluo Of 3D. 037,4 APO, exclusive Of 1ow-
elr3 mud otlor property which class OF inelosuroa
is treated ms possessing no money valuo that can
with correctness bo Determined. one million
hundred aud twonty.four lottcrs, representing
s., 1908, $685. wero delivered to tho owners or
writer's. including 225, 800 foreign lotters, which
wcro returned unoponou to tho countries from
10000 woro either worthless, containing oiteu-
lars, etc., or could not be delivered aud woro de-
Btroyed. Tho rest aro filed for reclamation, or
arc III the hands Of PoBtmasters for delivery.
l'ho Third Assistant strongly recommends that
oach aud overy Postmaster. throughout tho
country indo!iblo ink mud other requisites for
eiTectualiy cancoling rostago.stanpa, aud fos
post-marh!ng. Mono Of tho poat.ollcos arc
now furnished by tho Department with my such
articles for the protection Of tho Government:
Mr. Bhtbor estimates Tint tho proportion OF
waBbod stamps naed agaln In paynlont Of post
ago Is five per cont OF tho valuo OF oil tho
samps s9d oach yea eausn,E az annual loss Of
lilo report describes tho plan dev1aoa BY the
Third Assistant, and approved by tho post-
master General, for collecting newspaper postage
under tho prepayment law, which is to 60 into
brlot. Tor tho prepayment by stamps Affixed to o
asup in a book retained by. tho postmaator At tho
mailing office, d receipt. showing the weight Of
the matter, and tue amount paid. being given by
tho Postmaster to tho porson mailing tho same.
Tho stanpa affixed to tho stub to bo can
celled by 4 outting-puuch. It Ia expected that,
notwithstanding tho reduction Of rates b9
tho new law, this System Of compulsory prepay
ncnt OF newspaper postage will yield larger
rovonuo than has eyor bcon collected. ComPre-
housfyo inquiry aoons to warrant tho belief tllat
In the City Of New Yo.l alono. not loss than
sGb0, 900 per annum will DO paid, q sum Which ia
little less than oi,o-half OF tho entiro revonua
from newspaper poHtago throughout tho United
Statea during tho fiscal year. It ie, howovor,
impossible to estimate tho actual increase for
The Whole d1untry ewing to .hnt proyson d
newspapers in counties In which thoy aro printed