Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-11-18
N O.. 3
Postal Matters.

WASHINGTON. November 9.-Hon
E NJ. Barber, third Assistant Postmas-
ter General, has completed bis annual
report. 1t shows that during the last
fiscal year there were issued to Post
masters, for sale to the public, 632 7333.
GOO adhesive postage stamps of the val
ue Of Sl7 ,275, ,242; of plain stamped
envelopes. about 65,000,0O0, valued at
si,927 ,952 ; Of stamped envelopes bear
ing return request, 100000, val
ued at 81, 733 1888 of newspaper wrap
pers, some 100000, valued at 500
wv; and of postal cards, 81, 900 900.
lhe increase In value of the ordinary
issues issues over the preceding year was 81.
900, 4fo, or over 8 per cent. These
| hgures represent the cost of manufac-
ture added to the postal value.
It's estimated that for the fiscal wear
ending June 30, 1876, there will be re-
quired to defray the cost of adhesive
postage stamps, sl49 764 of STAMPED
envelopes and wrappers, SAG, $40; OF
postal cards, $3.50 ,9O6; and of adver-
tlslrg, $4,000. The number Of
stamps ETC., issued each year increases
at Uniform rate of about 10 per cent
per annum, but in consequence of more
advantageous contracts having been eff
iec'ed, the estimate for the above items
is some S3l, 900 less than the sum an
proprlated for them for the current Gs-
cal year.
The Dead-letter division rece;vea
during the past year 46O1,773 letters.
representing an actual or nominal value
OF s4,637, ,429, exclusive of jjewelry and
other property, which class of inclos-
ures is treated as possessing no money
value tnat can with CORRECTNESS be de-
termlned. One million three hundrad
and nnety-tWo thousand two hundred
and an ddn dtnwenty-four letters, representing
o'9O9, ,o6o, were delivered to the own.
ers or writer's from whence they came.
VI the remainder, some $500 900
were either worthless, containing circu-
'ars' etc, or could not be delivered and
were destroyed. The rest are filed for
reclamation, or are in the hands of
Postmasters for delivery.
The Third Assistant stronolv rooo
n-ends that provision be made by law
Tor furnishing to each and every Post
master throughout the country indelI-
ble ink and other requisites for : efectu-
ally caneelling postage-stamps, and for
post-marking. None of the Post Ufic-
es are now furnished by the Depart
ment with any such articles for the
protection Of the Government. Mr.
BARBER estimates that the proportion OF
washed stamps used again in payment
OF postage is per cent. of the value
OF all the stamps sold each year cans.
ing an annual loss of 81 100000 to the
revenue of the Department.
The report describes the plan devised
oy the Third Assistant, and approved
ny the Postmaster-G eneral, for collect
Ing newspaper postage under the pre-
payment law, which is to 90 into effect
next January. This system provides.
~ or,et' Tor the prepayment by stamps
thxed to memorandum Of mailing. or
In other words to stub in a book re-
tanned by the Postmaster at the mailing
othce. receipt, showing the weight Of
the matter, and the amount paid. being
gwen by the Postmaster to the person
mailing the same. The stamps affixed
to the stub to be cancelled by cutting
punch. It is expected thai, notwith-
standing the reduction of rates by the
law this system of compulsory prepay
ment OF newspaper postage will yield
larger revenue than has ever been col
lected. Comprehensive inquiry seems
to warrant the belief that in the CITY
OF New York alone, not less than 5000.
oo0 per annum will be paid, sum
which is little less than one-half of the
entire revenue from newspaper postage
throughout the United States during
the fiscal year It is, however i'm
possible to estimate the actual increase
for the whole country, owing to that
provision Of the law hich allows freq
mail circulation of newspapers in coun-
ties to which they are printed