Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-10
Report Of postmaster-General Jewell.

WASHINGTON, Nov. %.
THE report Of the Postmaster General is
completed.
The revenues for the year ending June 30,
1874, were $24, 596, 56S, and the expenditures
49, i26414 The estimated expenditures for
the year ending June 30, ls76, are s35, 10, O34
total estimated revenue, t29, las, l56, leaving
deficiency to be appropriated out Of the gen.
eral treasury OF s7,s15,S7S. These estimates
do not include appropriations for steamship
service and stamps, amounting to SUBS OO.
The use Of the egistered-letter system Is stead
! lily increasing. There has been marked gain
/ In the time OF transporting through malls, an
| average gain from New York TO San Francisco
Of five hours and thirty-two minutes, gain
/ for mails to New Orleans OF two hours and
/ ffty-seven minutes, and going north Of one
hour and fifty minutes, and perceptible gain
| on all through routes in regularity and GER
! tainty The foreign mail system Is IN better
| condition than ever before The number OF
postoffices in operation June 30, 1874, was
| IA 2g4; total number of appointments during
| the wear 942S The results Of the extern
sions of the letter-carrier system are OF the
most gratifying character. There has been
| gain Of over 30 per cent in the amount Oh
| fees received from money orders. There has
| been only one erroneous payment in 1857
| payments and only "a in all The increase in
money exchanges with Great Btitain and
Switzerland has been very marked
NEWSPAPER POSTAGE.
/ By an act OF Congress approved June 70,
| 1874 II Is required that on and after the LIST OF
January, 1875, postage on newspapers and
| periodical publications mailed from known
office of publication or news agency, and ad-
dressed to regular subscribers or news agents,
| shall be charged at the rate Of two cents per
| pound If issued weekly or oftener; and at
three cents per pound If issued less frequent
ly than once week. The act provides that
matter shall be weighed in bulk and prepaid
| with adhesive stamps to be especially devised
for the purpose. The manner of applying
| stamps is left discretionary with the depart
ment, and system, which 1t Is hoped will
| work satisfactorily, has been devised for
carrying the law into effect. The stamps are
| now In course of preparation, and will be
ready at the time appointed for their use.
| 1t is expected that the revenues OF the de-
partment from postage on printed matter
will be Increased by the enforcement OF this
| act, notwithstanding that rates are cheaper
than before, as now postage will be prepaid,
while heretofore much loss has been ocra-
stoned to the department on account OF the
| non-collcction OF postage at the point OF
| delivery.
| THE MONEY ORDER SYSTEM.
4 The money order business of this depart
ment appears to be rapidly growing in pub
| lie favor and is undoubtedly very great
| accommodation to large number of persons
| who are not within reach Of banking facilities
| or who are unaccustomed to the use Of them
| Yet / see no reason why this branch of
service should not be made self-sustaining
| The apparent profits Of the money-order
system during the last year are about
| S105,000, while certain expenses TO the
amount of $4,000 for clerk hire and station
cry in the Postoffice Department, Auditors
Office, and for money-order clerks in The
postoffice are not charged to the money
l fnf pyAria
| tions; so that, while the money-order system
| appears TO yield revenue Of 100000, there
| Is, in fact, deficit of $4,000 / suggest,
| therefore, that the fees Of money-orders be
| increased in accordance with the views OF the
| Superintendent, submitted herewith (see APP
| pendix), or that the money order system shall,
| like any other business, be made to defray all
| it's own expenses.
TRANSPORTATION OF MAILS.
The number and length OF mail routes in
| the United States require an expenditure for
| transportation which dwarfs into insignif-
canoe the cost OF similar service in other
countries. For the year ending June 30, 1876
| 1t is estimated that this item alone will exceed
| SlO,0OO,OO0. The portion to be paid to rail-
| roads will amount TO more than $4,000, 00O
| Opinions have differed widely as to the best
method OF determining the rightful rates Of
/ compensation to be paid to the railroads for
services rendered to this department.
| Heretofore their pay has been based on the
| weight Of mails, with an additional allowance
| on certain throughfares for providing postal
| cars. At present the matter Is in very I'M
satisfactory condition, and some equitable
| mode of adjustment should be at once devised
| and sanctioned by law. Some of the roads
have represented to the department that the
| carrying of the mails was little or no object
| to them, because the express companies
| were willing to pay much more for the ac-
/ commodation furnished than the department
would allow On the other hand, represent
| atves Of the leading express companies
| have contended that the act which took
effect July l, 1874, permitting the trans
mission by mail OF packages OF merchandise
(! weighing not over four pounds at the rate
| of one cent for each two ounces is taking
| away the most profitable part of their bust
| ness, and will soon render them unable to
meet the heavy rentals demanded by the
roads. Thus is presented curious anomaly,
| the roads claiming that the Government does
/ not pay as much as the express companies
are ready to pay, and the express companies
| claiming, on the other hand, that the law IL
| effecting such diminution of their revenues
| that they are unable to accede to the demands
| of the roads. l find no disposition on the
| part OF any railroad or transportation CON-
| pany to deal otherwise with the department
| than in spirit of fairness and justice
| trust Congress will adopt some equitable
| plan of adjustment which will not be burden
| some to the Government, and which will be
| satisfactory to the companies. The act OF
| March 3, 1878, readjusting the pay of
| railroads on the basis OF the weight OF the
| mails carried, added much more largely than
| was anticipated TO the expense Of the depart
ment The appropriation for that purpose
| having become exhausted, have declined to
| make further payments. | would suggest
| that the time has come when a resolute effort
| should be made to determine how far the
Postofiice Department can properly go in its
efforts to accommodate the public without
| trespassing unwarrantably upon the sphere
| of private enterprise. There must be limit
| to governmental Interference, and happily it
| better suits the genius OF the American peo-
| pie to help themselves than to depend on the
| State.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT.
To communicate intelligence and dissent
nate information are primary functions Of this
| department. Any divergence from the legiti-
mate sphere of its operation tends TO disturb
the first rule, that in the ordinary branches of
| life the recipient of a benefit Is the proper
party to pay for 1t, since there is no escape
| from the universal law that every service
must in some way be paid for by some one.
| Moreover In country Of vast extent like
| this, where most Of the operations OF the de-
-, apfn anr lad npr m frnv no