The New York herald., 1875-12-02
The Annual Report Of the
Postmaster General.
RECEIPTS AND EXPENDITURES
Subsidies to American Mail Carrying
Steamers Recommended.
THE STRAW BID SYSTEM
The Present and Future Of the
Fast Railway Service.


The report or Postmaster General Jewell shows,
among other things that the ordinary receipts Of this
department during the fiscal year ended June 90 1875
SO. 2lS so, increase Of sos, 344 80
13 per cent the receipts of 1874 being less than
fhe estimate made in 1873 by 81 s09 33l To tho ord
nary receipts should be added the OF $3.50 OOOO
subsidies to steamship lines, drawn from the general
treasury and expended and s120 14l 90 from
ordinary order business making the receipts from all
sources ST, Al, 800 ST.
The expenditures or all kinds were $50 GIL 800 as
increase Of ST. S94 ST. 462 per those
for 1874 and less than the estimated 1873 by
$9ls,6oa
The amount drawn from the general treasury under
appropriations 10 DEFICIENCIES So o54, 64o 90,
from which should be deducted the sum Of
81, $40 so, referred to in previous paragraph,
which will leave tho legitimate amount drawn on
OF the past fiscal year 81 no a29 46 against
s5,25s oss IS for the fiscal year Of lS7s-74; differ
ence in favor or 1875 of $54s,eO6 o.
The number OF recorded complaints during the past
year Of missing letters Of value Is $685. of which
Re7T we're registered and 2,96s unregistered. The
registered letters contained is alleged, currency,
bonds drafts, &c, amounting TO $76,2l6 "a, andsthe
unregistered valuable contents amounting S75997 16
OF the 2677 registered reported lost l.os3
were satisfactorily accounted for 91I actually lost and
Bs3 remain under inVestvation. During the year so7
persons were arrested charged with various violations
OF the Postal laws the greater portion Of whom were
not connected with the postal service.
ARRESTED.
The employees Of the department thus arrested
classified follows -Postmasters Al; assistant post
masters 10 Post Office clerks, %; agents. local
agents, 81 mail carriers 10; mail messengers q letter
barriers, IL others, 1872 or those persons arrested
who we're not in the employ OF the department the
majority we're tramps and vagabonds and burglars OF
The lower order Of intelligence The following dis
position made Of these cases:-Convicted, 1o7,
acquitted g. prosecution abandoned 5; nole prosequi
entered $; indicted A; escaped 4 forfeited bail,
died before trial. 2; dismissed and awaiting trial.
I57
This department. is in correspondence with the
British Post once in relation TO increase OF the
United States territorial transit the British
closed mails transported by rail between New
York and san Francisco These closed mails
Of great bulk and weight averaging several
tons by each despatch, ard the rate Of transit
paid by Great Britain under the Postal Convention OF
November, 1865, is wholly insufficient to defray the
actual cost OF their transportation BY rail across our
continent, distance OF $500 miles This depart
ment plain business proposition takes the ground
that it transports mails for other countries this
long and exceptionally expensive route should
quire to the that they do perform equiv
Slent service, that they should pay the bills.
DEPARTMENT
The report then shows the operations Of the various
bureaus Of the department concerning dead letters,
registered letters contracts readustment OF pay rail-
road routes, mail bags, &c Much information on these
subjects has already been published. The report
cludes follows:-
The Money order Department the annual transac-
tions Of which have reached about $50 Ooo shows
apparent profit OF about $40 900 though really
IN arrears than that if the clerk nre and
stationery required for business and now charged
fha ~
count, where they properly belong The money
der business Is nothing more nor less than govern
avail themselves Of its benefits should pay its cur.
rent expenses Congress AZ the last advanced
the fees on small money orders to point al which IL s
believed wl as Il should for the current year and
hereafter pay It's own expenses
OUR MAIL CARRYING STEAMERS.
The fact that but one line or steamships carrying
flag Is employed in conveying mails ssthe Atlantic,
and none whatever 10 South America is humIating to
the just pride Of every American citizen. This line
makes regular weekly trips from Philadelphia TO Liver
pool, and carries small mail satisfactory manner
or me postages AZ compensation ior the service but
the great bulk OF our mails for Europe is carried by
steamers under foreign nags sailing from the port Of
hew York on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and
Saturdays Of each week. As matter Of national
pride, an aid 10 the revenue Of American commerce
and a. means of supplying an efficient steam marine
available Tor immediate use BY tile government In
% war, provision should BE- made for the
transporiai ~ Of our mails on important
rogtcs in steamships Offered and
manned By our own citizens ana sailing under
flag. II IS believed that the payment OF a moderate
mail compensation in excess Of the postages now al
lowed under the provisions or the general Law would
enable citizens to establish and maintain steamship
lines across the Atlantic and to South American ports
which would prove remunerative to the proprctors L
and promote the general prosperity or the country
reasonable allowance for line 10 the west coast Of
South America would assure regular mail communica-
ton BY American steamers with our sister renubIics on
that coast and moderate mail compensation for a
line 70 japan aud China will doubtless continue the I
mail service 10 those countries In Amercan shs a,ar
the termination Of the existing subsidy contract which
viii expire the 5lst Of December, 1915 think Il
safe 70 say that the sum Of s5Oo0oO per annum now
euhuf ~ fo he and lawn ftr1f
single monthly service on thai route would Ia addition
to che postages the mails conveyed, be quite sum
routes maintain efficient mail by steam.
sailing under flag all the important
routes which should be occupied by American steam
STRAW Kidding.
The officers Of this department subjected u great
annoyance and the department itself 70 great pecuni
sry loss BY the prevalent system Of straw bidding"
have been enacted with view 70 the eradication Of
the evil but they have sgnally failed 10 accomplish
tho desired result interested parties IN the teeth Of
oaths ana penalties stu combining together and en-
poying various devices TO prevent fair competition
and 70 secure undue advantage BY fraud, under tho
present statute In the case Of faing bidders and
contractors the Postmaster General IS compelled % 60
the list Of actual bidders and tender the service 70
the next lowest bidder segldfin until Is found who
VIII consent contract or II the price considered
too high, 70 rcadvertise mean while performing the
service by temporary contract II Is iound In actual
experience, thar many whose appear these
lists are wholly irresponsible, often the drivers and
agents or The old Contractors xho mako use of them
merely for the purpose Of retaining the routes in
thetr own grip This evil, which annually Involves
The department IN the loss of many hundreds of thou
sands o dollars can, in my Judgment be entCtnally
moved by such change IN the Law will authorize
the Postmaster General on the failure Of any accepted
bidder 10 offer the contract present to the next
lowest bidder on the list II, in hts judgment the bid be
not too high and ii this ncxt lowest bidder declines 10
enter into contract TO be authorized 10 enter into con.
tract with person not bidder At any price ex.
reedng said next lowest bid In contract can
be made with any party al this price 20 on up the
list in Ike manner, always giving the bidder the FIRST
chance In this way will the Postmaster General be
enabled to command the entire 6ed OF contractors the
bidders having no control O Il unless they will taAe
the contract Al the price named
RAILWAY POSTAL
No antagOnism or serious differences OF opinion have
occurred during the last year between the department
and the railroad corporations The department pays
the railroad companies for transportation Of the mails